The term “moveable feast” comes to mind when you first take in the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail – in both the literal and metaphorical sense. Officially unveiled in the late hours of yesterday, this 5.8-metre coachbuilt grand tourer has somehow exceeded its automaker’s already-esteemed reputation in the realm of crafting bespoke motoring experiences.
“It is a hand-built Rolls-Royce in the truest sense of the world,” a spokesperson explains, the brand later revealing just one example required the equivalent of 20 years in man-hours to complete.
“You can build 100-metre superyachts quicker than this car, which is entirely fabricated by hand.”
Inspired by J-Class yachts as well as previous iterations of the Rolls-Royce Boat Tails, the car apparently features 1,813 brand new and completely bespoke parts. According to Top Gear, even the stereo “hasn’t escaped untouched”, with a 15-speaker system adapted to utilise the floor as a “resonance chamber.” Incidentally, the couple who has commissioned what you see above and below are also the proud owners of a recently-restored 1932 Rolls-Royce Boat Tail.
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The real showstoppers, of course, can be found in the rear. The hosting suite, for one, has been achieved over the course of a nine-month development period. At the push of a button, the deck butterflies open to present the ultimate entertaining kit for the more dignified road trips:
- double fridge to rapidly-chilling & storing the client’s favourite champagne (specified temperature)
- internal fans to ensure the caviar doesn’t spoil
- engraved silver cutlery from Christofle
- parasol that rises from the centre line
- cocktail table
- interlocking stools designed by RR, crafted by Promemoria
Rolls-Royce has yet to go into details about the canopy roof.
As a luxurious cherry on top, given how the owner who commissioned the modern Boat Tail is quite an avid Bovet watch collector, Rolls-Royce and Bovet collaborated over the course of three years to develop two rather unique tourbillon timepieces – one for the bloke, one for the misso – than can be worn conventionally on the wrist or mounted on the dashboard as clocks; a drawer contains extra watch straps. And here you were thinking you were a baller for copping some racing stripes…
“The Boat Tail challenges the notion of what a motor car is,” says Alex Innes, Rolls-Royce Head of Coachbuild Design.
“It is not just the method to reach a destination, but the destination itself. It is an ambition realised with a remarkable cohort of women and men who empowered the marque to create a concept of extraordinary scope.”
“We have created a trio of exceptional cars which, although they share a common body style, are each imbued with the unique, highly personal imprint of the commissioning patron, thereby telling differing stories. The Boat Tail is unprecedented. The Boat Tail is a distinct counterpoint to industrialised luxury.”
Currently, Rolls-Royce has only built a total of three Boat Tail examples for customers who “share a deep appreciation of contemporary nautical design.” Pricing has not yet been disclosed, but this feels very much like a case of, “If you have to ask… you probably can’t afford it.”
