Nother CarGuy

Life is tough sometimes. Say you’re considering a Rolls-Royce convertible. But what you really want is a two-seater, and Goodwood only makes the Dawn with four. So what to do? The Dawn Aero Cowling could be your answer. It’s a specially crafted cover that goes over the rear seats of the Dawn cabriolet to give it more of a roadster-like profile. The unit is made of carbon fiber and aluminum to keep it nice and light, and is covered in the finest of leathers to match the interior. It even has storage compartments integrated into it to make it more versatile. And we gather that it’s removable to transform the Dawn back into a four-seater when needed. The new option is being displayed at the Geneva Motor Show this week on a silver Dawn with a tan and silver interior and 21-inch partially polished alloys. The carbon-fiber “spine” is left exposed, and matches the book-matched trim on the dashboard. The two-seat Dawn won’t be the only Rolls on display at the show, thoug...

With so many personalization options and such (relatively) low production, there's really no need for any two Rolls-Royces to leave the factory the same. But some examples distinguish themselves above and beyond the rest. Like this latest special take on the Dawn. Called the Mayfair Edition, it was commissioned from Rolls-Royce Bespoke by H.R. Owen – one of England's preeminent car dealers and the owner of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, which may not be the largest Rolls showroom in the world, but is certainly among the oldest and most prestigious. The Mayfair Edition is starts with the marque's latest drophead coupe and applies a special Berwick Bronze paint scheme, a white leather interior, a rather stunning copper dashboard, copper speaker grilles, and treadplates that read “Special Commission – Mayfair Edition One of One.” Designed by the dealership's staff, the Mayfair Edition draws its inspiration from the realm of horology. It's the only one of its k...

Some upscale automakers are known as much for performance as they are for luxury. Like Bugatti, for example, or Jaguar, or Maserati. Rolls-Royce is most definitely not one of them, but that hasn't stopped Mansory from replacing the Dawn's elegance with a sportier appearance. One of the many show cars the tuner is displaying in Geneva this year, Mansory's take on the uber-luxe cabriolet is all decked out in collage-style carbon, with randomly arrayed fibers instead of the typical woven pattern. A full aero kit emphasizes the sporty pretensions and reduces lift at speed, with 22-inch wheels in a V6 style wearing Vredestein rubber channeling the increased output. Where the 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 produces 570 horsepower in the Dawn straight from the factory (or as much as 623 hp in the more potent Wraith fastback coupe), Mansory has managed to extract 740 hp from the big engine. As a result, the German tuner quotes a 0-62 time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 177 ...

Want a  custom Rolls-Royce Dawn ? The manufacturer's own Bespoke division can hook you up. But for those seeking more,  Spofec  has come out with a series of its own enhancements. Novitec's sister brand hasn't just  painted the Dawn  an unusual color or  encrusted the dashboard with jewels . Instead it has made actual mechanical modifications which start under the hood. Where the Dawn comes stock with 563 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque, Spofec has increased the output from the 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 to 686 hp and 723 lb-ft. That's more than enough by both counts to out-muscle the Bentley Continental GTC Speed and the Mercedes-AMG S65 Cabrio (though falling just under the latter's torque) – both of which also pack highly potent, twin-turbo, twelve-cylinder engines displacing in excess of six liters. While it was at it, the tuner dropped the suspension, replaced the exhaust, and fitted 22-inch wheels, carbon-ceramic brakes, and more aggressive bodywo...