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World’s most expensive convertible: Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe only for the “ultrarich”

omarrana submitted on 08/07/2007 Official AutoSpies Timestamp: 3:57 PM
from: www.egmcartech.com

[28] user comments | category: New Cars

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Tags: Rolls, Royce, Drophead, Coupe

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World’s most expensive convertible: Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe only for the “ultrarich”

At a starting price of $412,000, including shipping and tax, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe is affordable only to those with assets of $30 million or more, said Paul Ferraiolo, president of Rolls-Royce.

Going on sale in September Rolls-Royce has already sold out almost a 100 units planned for this year. It plans on bringing over 200 units next year. There was hardly any marketing campaign put together for the world’s most expensive convertible for the ‘ultrarich’.

“They are so wealthy that they hate... Read Article

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EnnNorak - 8/7/2007 8:56:05 PM

-2 Boost

I would not buy one at any price because of the tasteless teak deck at the rear.

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M35MT - 8/7/2007 4:52:11 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

They should charge $800,000. People would pay. If it's expensive it must be good, right? Stupid. I'd take 4 of the worlds best 100k cars before this thing:

BMW M5
Range Rover Supercharged
Mercedes CL

...uh, I guess I'd save the rest of the dough for gas, insurance and bullit-proofing of all 3 rides.

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EnnNorak - 8/8/2007 1:31:14 PM

+1 Boost

I think you understand the marketing strategy here. If you are selling to people who want to buy prestige and/or exclusivity then price it as high as possible. For many customers, the prestige/exclusivity value is in the price they pay and technical excellence is a secondary consideration. Of course, it also helps in this market if your product is a work of art and that is where the new Bentley Brooklands coupe stands out above the RR Phantom drophead.

cdoke - 8/7/2007 5:01:35 PMView My AgentSpace

+5 Boost

"...the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe is affordable only to those with assets of $30 million or more..."

That is the Rolls-Royce target demographic anyway, and is not unique to the Drophead Coupe.

Personally, I do not find this car beautiful, I don't find it sophiciated, in fact I find it a bit crude looking and I fully detest that shade of blue. I am sure it would look far more attractive in a better color. It is unique but not necessarily in a good way. I would rather have a 2002 Corniche V than the Drophead Coupe.

For $70,000 less you can have a Bentley Brooklands which is far prettier, faster [5.0 seconds to 60 as opposed to the Rolls Royce's 5.7 seconds] and far more sophisticated looking and far more demur.

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Rupert - 8/7/2007 5:11:08 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

Nobody has managed to get thew Rolls to 60 in 5.7, using a stop watch and the speedo people have only managed to get it in 7 seconds-ish.

And I would much rather have a Bentley Azure or even a classic Bentley than this crass monster.

cdoke - 8/7/2007 5:36:03 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

The interesting thing of course, is that the Bentley is the car with a REAL Rolls-Royce engine in it.

Rupert - 8/7/2007 6:37:31 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

That is interesting...for so many years Bentley's history was reduced by R-R to a couple of red badges, but now Bentley is the one sticking to it's traditions, with forced induction, and of course the brilliant 6.75 V8.

R-R by contrast uses a modified 760i engine.

Do you remember how Bentley customers forced VW to get rid of the 4.4 Twin Turbo BMW unit in the original Arnage, and replace it with a 50 year old design? The Arnage was never even designed for it, it was sheer luck it could fit. The market gets what the market wants...and know Bentley has record sales, while maintaining tradition, dignity and Bentley values.

EnnNorak - 8/8/2007 1:45:19 PM

+2 Boost

Just want to point out that most people allocate a significant percentage of their after-tax income to financing their residence and vehicle or vehicles -- perhaps as much as 50%. Even if you generate a mere 5% return on your investment portfolio, $10 million would bring in $500,000 pretax which is more than enough to finance the acquisition of a $500,000 car. Anyone with as little as $2 million can pay cash for a $500,000 car and still have $1.5 million left for modest living without having to generate regular employment income. What you may have observed is that some people would consider buying a $500,000 car just to make people think they are worth $30 million.

pushrod27 - 8/7/2007 5:32:45 PM

+2 Boost

Are you guys crazy? This car is fabulous in every way. I don't get your attraction to understatement.

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Rupert - 8/7/2007 6:44:44 PMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

I'm English, we don't do "fabulous".
I think this car is a dagger in the heart of Henry Royce.

Ostentation on this scale is to be abhorred, understatement is the key.
Simple, classic lines, great details and subtle performance, with a rich, well appointed interior, that's how it should be done.
The entire Bentley range (in the right colours) fits this bill perfectly.
The Rolls Royce range does not. It's very new money, in Britain Russians, Indians and Simon Cowell drive Phantoms.

S4cabriofoxone - 8/8/2007 1:50:40 AMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

LOL, I liked the "Simon Cowell" at the end. I fully agree with you. This car is the S-Class for the super-rich: it may be an excellent performer and have good detailing, but it's too ostentatious to find truly compelling.

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 8/8/2007 10:09:36 AM

+1 Boost

Ehh Rupert !!!

Simon Cowell owns a Maybach, or thats what he said in the Top Gear Interview

Unless he also owns a Phantom (Which is very Possible)

Rupert - 8/8/2007 7:00:22 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

He owns both.
(I wasn't sure then I remembered a Top Gear article with him talking about it)
He has no taste.

phantom330 - 8/7/2007 5:43:13 PM

+3 Boost

I don't care for it, I would buy something else for the price, but this isn't for people like you and me. 30 million in assets more than likely means they already have 5-10 cars in their garages and are looking for something ultra exclusive.

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BentleyGT - 8/7/2007 6:03:55 PM

-1 Boost

I have a Bentley Continental GT. Im paying $1975 a month for insurance, I wonder what the Drop Head will cost for full coverage.

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EnnNorak - 8/9/2007 9:30:20 PM

+1 Boost

Nearly $24K annually for insurance -- That's a rip-off. Can you not get $5,000 or $10,000 deductible insurance at a more reasonable rate, or cancel collision altogether? I have $1,500 deductible on my Audi A6 Quattro and pay only about $1,400 annually for unlimited mileage. The only reason I keep collision is because the terms of my lease require it. With a high deductible, you can save a lot of administrative headaches by not claiming for broken glass and other minor items whose damage can be repaired at a cost below the deductible amount.

Autoegr525 - 8/7/2007 6:21:06 PM

+1 Boost

With every other brand going down market, there needs to be someone at the top

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Will_ - 8/7/2007 6:24:59 PM

+1 Boost

Undoubtedly the best-looking Rolls Royce I've ever seen, and yet still I wouldn't buy it if I had the money either. I'll leave this for P. Diddy and all the overpaid basketball stars to show off in.

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Rupert - 8/7/2007 7:52:25 PMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

Ok...Bentley is plebeian...but I ask you one thing.

What does the Queen drive?

(Hint: begins with B)

VW was never involved with developing the Rolls Royce cars, Vickers designed the Seraph and Arnage, then VW bought Rolls Royce Motors (Bentley+Rolls), but couldn't use the Rolls Royce name as BMW owned it, so it was rented out. The Arnage/Seraph used BMW engines till 2003 (as they were designed to do by Vickers), when the brands were finally separated. VW owns "Rolls-Royce Motors", and thus the Crewe factory etc, but does not own the Rolls Royce name, grill design or bonnet mascot, so it only builds Bentleys.
So to sum up, VW's Bentleys are more Rolls Royce than anything BMW can come up with.
And how is Rolls clearly the leader?

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EnnNorak - 8/9/2007 9:32:05 PM

+2 Boost

There is nothing plebian about the Bentley Brooklands coupe -- it's a work of art compared to the current RR.

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BMW4me4ever - 8/7/2007 8:04:24 PMView My AgentSpace

-1 Boost

Rupert there is no comparison of the Bentley Arnage to the Rolls Royce Phantom. The Phantom has presence, size, the flying lady, status, ego and everything associated with the exclusivity. I have been in both and driven both. There is no comparison ... You are correct in saying the VW bought bentley and rolls royce and the factory in crewe. They paid 700 million for that acquisition but forgot to purchase the most important and recongizable feature of a Rolls, the Name ( which the Flying Lady ) comes with it. Bentley makes a nice car for the affluent. They have a beautiful coupe but the sedan is less than is desired. They dont sell ... The Rolls has a huge presence and the it factor. The feel and drive of that car is awesome for its size ... If I had the money, that is the 1st car I would buy .... The next would be a Ferrari 550 maranello Schumaker edition ... The next would be a Manual transmission M5 ... and to top it off a Porsche GT2 sports car ...

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JWalkerLegrande - 8/8/2007 7:59:55 AM

+1 Boost

Fully agree, Bentley should not be mentioned alongside RR. Its competing with Daimler, Aston Martin & Bristol.

"The Rule, That What Man Creates, Has One Shining Exception. Rolls Royce"

Rupert - 8/8/2007 10:00:19 AMView My AgentSpace

+2 Boost

I wasn't trying to compare the Phantom to the Arnage, they are very different cars, but I was just saying how BMW's Rolls Royce has absolutely nothing to do with proper Rolls Royces, and how it was odd how R-R kept Bentley down for so many years, yet now it outsells it about 10 to 1.

I wouldn't have the Phantom, the image really turns me off.
And if I wanted presence, an Arnage RL in 2 tone black over white or silver over blue really stands out.
Bentley offers just as many customisable features as the Rolls, and while it's not as much of a Limo, it is a lot sportier and faster.

enthusiastx11 - 8/7/2007 9:21:38 PM

+3 Boost

a rather ridiculous car...and not very attractive.

bentleys are far more attractive than this or the barge-sized phantom.

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MeanVulcan - 8/8/2007 12:31:14 PM

+2 Boost

Clearly, after being trounced and embarrassed by Bentley, RR is desperate in segmenting the market and placing its vehicles in a "ultrarich" category, as if that really exists with respect to ultra-luxury car buyers. There are rich, ultra-rich and super-duper rich, mega-rich and whatever stupid name you want to create with "-rich"... any of these buyers will buy a Bentley or a RR so there is no objective reason why the target market should be segmented. This is purely a marketing scheme to elevate RR over Bentley. Sorry, it ain't working.

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EnnNorak - 8/9/2007 9:36:06 PM

+1 Boost

A lot of it depends on whether you are chauffeur driven or not. If you have a driver, you will select the vehicle with the most rear legroom and most comfortable rear seats. If you prefer to drive yourself and are a car guy, you will look for superior driving characteristics.

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