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The brainchild of three die-hard followers and the esteemed marque’s new Coachbuild program, the Boat Tail is considered one of Rolls-Royce’s most fascinating fashions up to now. Crafted utilizing a conventional approach often called coachbuilding, the brand new automotive takes cues from the hull of a J-class yacht, with the nautical affect clearly seen in its distinctive rear finish. Like all Rolls-Royce, it’s full of a spread of beautiful options serving to reinforce the automobile’s magnificence and person enjoyment. Whereas Rolls-Royce has historically been very discreet with the costs of their bespoke autos, discuss on the highway is that it’s a severe competitor for the title of costliest automobile on the planet, which is presently held by Bugatti’s La Voiture Noire.
Earlier than we get into the nitty-gritty of the automobile’s specs, maybe we should always shed some mild on the Boat Tail’s historical past. It begins with the revival of Rolls-Royce’s Coachbuild division and the artisanal abilities distinctive to the marque’s craftsmen. In 2017, this revival spawned the celebrated one-off bespoke mannequin often called the Sweptail which embodied the daybreak of a brand new period for the model’s hand-built autos and their collaborative method to design.
From the legions of devoted followers, three people approached the marque with a shared love of recent nautical designs and a single demand, “present me one thing that I’ve by no means seen earlier than.”
From discussions between Rolls-Royce and these three purchasers, three iterations of the Boat Tail have been born, every sharing the identical physique however with their very own personalised touches.
At first look, the Boat Tail possesses Rolls-Royce’s iconic design id, being primarily based on the identical aluminium platform because the acclaimed Phantom and Ghost fashions. Aside from some shared DNA nonetheless, the Boat Tail is a totally totally different beast. As talked about, the automobile’s design was impressed by the nautical designs of J-Class yachts and the unique “Boat Tails” of the Twenties and Thirties, from which it derived its title. These classic vehicles have been distinctive creations in their very own proper, constructed by grafting the “hull types of crusing boats onto the rolling chassis of a Rolls-Royce.”
The close to 5.8-metre-long behemoth of a grand tourer comfortably seats 4 occupants and has a detachable “cover” roof. Energy is supplied by Rolls-Royce’s 6.75 litre twin-turbo V12 engine, the identical one used within the Phantom and which places out 563 bhp.
Talking of the Phantom, the Boat Tail shares plenty of security components with its distant cousin. Nevertheless, with the extent of personalisation that went into crafting this car, it necessitated the creation of 1813 bespoke elements. Even the design of the venerable 15-speaker Bespoke Rolls-Royce Audio System needed to be rethought to make it work with the altered spaceframe structure. Particularly, the whole ground construction of the Boat Tail is used because the resonance chamber for the system’s bass audio system.
Within the rear of the car, sits its most extravagant characteristic, the internet hosting suite. To make sure that this signature appointment labored optimally, it required a singular digital therapy within the type of 5 electrical management items (ECU), which wanted 9 months of devoted analysis and growth. When activated, the aft deck lids open to a particular 67-degree angle, revealing two fridges specifically designed to retailer and chill the purchasers’ favorite caviar and champagne on the optimum temperature.
Aside from meals, the internet hosting suite additionally has a storage compartment which holds two carbon fibre stools, crafted by the Italian agency Promemoria. In case of rain or extreme daylight, the Boat Tail even has a parasol which conveniently slots into the aft deck of the car to defend house owners from the weather.
Final however not least are a pair of specifically crafted Bovet 1822 timepieces, made in collaboration with the Swiss manufacture for the couple which commissioned this specific mannequin proven. To spotlight the spirit of collaboration, there’s a particular slot within the Boat Tail’s dashboard the place the watches may be inserted, serving because the car’s clock.
The Boat Tail is a Rolls-Royce in contrast to some other. It represents the top of bespoke automotive creation and a spirit of collaboration and ambition by no means seen earlier than. Within the phrases of Torsten Müller-Ötvos, “Boat Tail is the end result of collaboration, ambition, endeavour, and time. It was born from a need to have fun success and create an enduring legacy. In its exceptional realisation, Rolls-Royce Boat Tail forges a pivotal second in our marque’s historical past and within the modern luxurious panorama.”