After a day of blinking at oversized video displays, we were comforted by the low-techiness of the Rolls-Royce booth. We also liked the fact that Rolls felt no need to crash the 2008 Phantom Drophead Coupe through a wall. Instead, two attendants (female, of course) tenderly pulled back the sheets accompanied by a driving yet mournful techno beat.
Although positioned at the top of the lineup, the Drophead is meant to have a less formal attitude than the Phantom sedan, said Ian Robertson, Rolls-Royce chairman of the board and CEO, and "will more often than not be owner-driven.
"At the heart of it, you do have the aluminum space frame. In shortening the platform by around 9 inches, we actually produced an even more nimble vehicle. And more importantly, we've produced a vibration-free vehicle." Should make for an interesting comparison to the cheaper, VW-engineered Bentley Contintental GTC, which also weighs in the mid 5,000-lb range and has impressed us with its high level of rigidity.
That said, the Bentley, an elegant car in its own right, isn't in the same league as this Roller when you're talking outright opulence. In addition to the Drophead's dramatic brushed steel hood (carried over from the 100EX concept), large sections of the rear deck and door sills are solid teak. And the soft convertible top has five acoustic insulating layers and a cashmere liner.
About the only disappointment one could raise about the Drophead Coupe is that it isn't that fast for a $300K+ car. Rolls-Royce estimates it will take the big convertible 5.7 seconds to haul itself to 60 mph. That's almost a second longer than it takes the Bentley. Does anybody care? We're guessing not. --Erin Riches
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