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Rolls-Royce Wraith and Dawn: going, going, soon to be gone

Fans of fabulously expensive two-door coupes and convertibles will be saddened to learn that the Rolls-Royce Wraith coupe and Dawn convertible will be departing the U.S. market at the end of the 2021 model year. The dispiriting news was first reported by Motor1 and has been confirmed by a Rolls-Royce spokesperson. Time passes more slowly in the ultra-luxury segment, where vehicle life cycles can stretch far beyond the norm. But even given that reality, the debonair duo are getting on in years. The Wraith was introduced for 2013, and the Dawn made its debut in 2015. Both models are based on the even-older F01-generation BMW 7 Series platform that also underpinned the previous-generation Ghost. The models will continue to be sold in other markets and will not be immediately replaced in the U.S. That leaves the brand with a three-model lineup here in the U.S. with the Ghost and Phantom sedans and the Cullinan SUV. Granted, as of late U.S. car buyers have been shunning coupes and convertibles in droves, but the Rolls-Royce lineup loses a measure of glamour without the extravagance of the less-practical but more statement-making two-doors. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Metropolitan Collection wafts into the annals of exclusivity

Limited-edition, hand-built cars are kind of a bizarre thing. On the one hand, people pay umpteen amounts of money for bespoke cars, with the manufacturer adding that iconic descriptor to all its press materials, but then the company goes and produces 20 of the exact same car and sells them as a "special edition." It seems kind of contradictory.
Rolls-Royce must not see it that way, though, as it has just unveiled one of 20 Metropolitan Collection Phantom sedans at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. As the latest member of the brand's Bespoke Collection, the Metropolitan joins the Phantom Drophead Coupe Waterspeed Collection, the Pinnacle Travel and the Ghawwass Edition.
According to Rolls-Royce, the Metropolitan Collection pays "homage to the world's great metropolises" by way of the company's well known craftsmen. The veneers, particularly on the second row picnic table, get extensive attention, with just the table using 500 individual pieces of wood.

Rolls-Royce builds one of its smallest cars ever

Kid-size versions of expensive cars are nothing new, and a handful have come out in the past year. McLaren released a tiny iteration of its P1, and Morgan did the same with its EV3. Rolls-Royce has joined the crowd with its new Rolls-Royce SRH. Unlike those other British automakers, though, Rolls only built one, and it went to a good home. The car was built for the St. Richard's Hospital Pediatric Day Surgery Unit, located in the same town as Rolls-Royce headquarters. The car also gets its SRH name from the hospital. It was provided to St. Richard's for patients to drive down to the operating theater. The hallway to the theater is decorated with road signs, too. Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos said in a press release, "We hope that the Rolls-Royce SRH will serve to make the experience for young people during treatment a little less stressful." Also, just because the SRH is small doesn't mean less care was taken to build it. The same attention to detail Rolls-Royce brings to its large vehicles is on display here. For one thing, it was built by the Bespoke Manufacturing division, which builds specially customized models for clients. The car also features contemporary Rolls-Royce design features such as self-righting wheel centers, and an interior designed to precisely match the red coachline along the blue and silver body. Of course, there's also a small example of the Spirit of Ecstasy on the hood. Rolls even had a special unveiling for a couple of the hospital's patients at the factory, and allowed them to motor around the factory floor. Powering the little car is an electric motor coupled to a 24 volt battery. Speed is controlled via paddles behind the steering wheel, and it has a top speed of 10 mph, though that speed can be limited to 4 mph. After all, the car is going to a hospital, and there's no need to have inexperienced drivers causing additional injuries. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce SRH Image Credit: Rolls-Royce Toys/Games Rolls-Royce Electric Luxury