That didn’t take too long. Less than a week after unveiling the La Rose Noire, Rolls-Royce is introducing the second Droptail coachbuilt car, out of a total of four highly bespoke commissions. The stunning two-seater roadster bears the “Amethyst” moniker since it takes inspiration from the birthstone of the owner’s son. It’s painted in Globe Amaranth, a soft purple shade featuring subtle flecks of powdered aluminum. There’s also a deeper Amethyst color that has a metallic sheen by incorporating a blend of red, blue, and violet mica flakes.
The Amethyst Droptail rides on 22-inch wheels with subtle body-colored accents contrasting the polished surface. At the front, this is the first Rolls-Royce to have a brushed and polished finish for the imposing Pantheon grille. As with the first Droptail car, the front grille has gently kinked vanes at the top. It took more than 50 hours to give the grille its unique look featuring a partially hand-brushed and partially hand-polished finish.
At the back, the veneer aft deck represents the biggest wood surface ever installed on a Rolls-Royce. Speaking of wood, more than 8,000 hours were invested into testing over 150 samples to make sure the parts made of wood could withstand harsh climates. Two of the most grueling tests involved putting the sample parts in a simulation of full sunlight exposure and at temperatures varying from -30°C to +80°C (-22°F to +176°F). The ultra-luxury brand even patented the protective coat applied onto the deck, which had to be developed specifically for this application.
Living up to its name, the Amethyst Droptail incorporates rare amethyst gems in the rotary dials as well as at the base of the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine. Other high-end details vary from woven leather floor mats to a one-of-a-kind, handmade Vacheron Constantin timepiece. Then there’s the removable hardtop, which benefits from an electrochromic glass to go from opaque (with a purple tint) to transparent at the touch of a button. To obtain the perfect tint, no fewer than 60 glass samples were necessary.
RR doesn’t say anything about the engine, but we’ll remind you the La Rose Noire had the venerable twin-turbo, 6.75-liter V12 dialed to 593 horsepower and 620 pound-feet (840 Newton-meters) of torque. As with the first Droptail, the price tag isn’t mentioned, but this surely must be one of the most expensive new cars ever made. In fact, some say these four cars were even pricier than the Boat Tail, which is rumored to have cost $30 million.
Source: Rolls-Royce
