Rolls-Royce Reveals Amethyst Droptail: Is The Sequel Better Than The Original?

Aug. 25, 2023 2:22 AM ET byJared Rosenholtz Reveal /9 Comments

Is this one even prettier than La Rose Noire? We're undecided.

Rolls-Royce has just revealed the second of four Droptail models aftershowing La Rose Noire last weekat a private residence during Monterey Car Week. This example is called Amethyst Droptail, inspired by the February birthstone of the client's son. The main body is finished in a new color called Globe Amaranth, a soft purple hue with silver undertones. It's much more subtle than theRolls-Royce Spectrewith itsbright colors like Morganite. There are also touches of lacquer-tinted carbon fiber with an Amethyst pigment, which took over two years to develop.

"This stunning expression of Rolls-Royce Droptail truly captures the soul of its commissioning client," said Torsten Muller-Otvos, CEO of Rolls-Royce. "This distinguished and international individualexemplifies connoisseurship, and their global outlook, refined tastes, and deep-rooted heritage were a broadening pleasure to explore."

Whereas La Rose Noire featured Black Sycamore wood from France, Amethyst Droptail uses Calamander Light open-pore wood provided by the client. Rolls-Royce was inspired by this beautiful wood to create the interior contrast color dubbed Sand Dunes, which paired with the main Amethyst that's finished in a pearlescent lacquer to mimic the amethyst gemstone. The company's wood specialists spent more than six months searching for the perfect band to match the leather color, going through over 100 logs before finding the right piece.

That wood can be seen on the dashboard as well as the cantilevered armrest plinth that covers the multimedia controls. As with La Rose Noire, the rear seats were deleted in favor of a gorgeous wood deck. That deck is wrapped with more Amethyst leather, making occupants feel more cocooned in the cabin. At the front of the cabin, the car includes a Vacheron Constantin timepiece called Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon. It was built in Geneva and can be popped out of the dash and put on a specially designed holder.

To create the finished product, Rolls-Royce craftsmen used a "book-matching" technique at 55 degrees to align sheets of wood together in a repeating grain pattern to give the illusion of being a single piece. More than 150 samples went through over 8,000 hours of testing to ensure they would stand up to sunlight and other environmental challenges. You can see the wood on the back of the car, or it can be covered by a removable roof with electrochromic glass.

Rolls-Royce seldom releases pricing or specs on these bespoke creations, but La Rose Noire reportedly cost around $30 million to build,more than the Boat Tailor Sweptail. This car is likely in the same ballpark and uses the same twin-turbocharged V12 under the hood.

With two of the four Droptails revealed in quick succession, we may see the third and fourth shortly, too. Meanwhile, we're still awaiting imagery of the third and final Boat Tail.