Rolls-Royce Droptail: third version of £20m roadster revealed

Rolls-Royce has revealed the third example of its £20 million coachbuilt roadster, the Droptail, hailing it as an example of “daring in minimalism and subtlety”.

Called the Arcadia Droptail, it follows the Amethyst and La Rose Noire cars shown last year as part of a production run of four.

The Arcadia is said to be inspired by the architecture and design from its commissioner’s favourite regions, including Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.

The car’s white paint features aluminium and glass particles to create “a level of intrigue upon further study”, according to Rolls-Royce.

The firm added that the Arcadia’s commissioner was “very particular and involved” in determining the intensity of the contrasting silver finish.

Unlike on the three other Droptails, the lower section of the Arcadia’s carbonfibre tub is painted, receiving the same silver finish.

Inside, the Arcadia’s wood panelling was developed with reference to the commissioner’s favourite houses and classic cars.

Santos Straight Grain rosewood was selected for its “rich texture” but, having one of the tightest grains of any timber thus far used in a Rolls-Royce, presented a significant engineering challenge. Apparently it easily tears when machined and is prone to cracking while it dries.

A bespoke lacquer also had to be developed to protect the wood for the lifetime of the car in tropical climates. Superyacht coatings were initially considered but would have required regular reapplications, according to Rolls-Royce.

In all, developing the coating and working the 233 pieces of wood took more than 8000 hours of development, the firm said.

The dashboard also features a clock of Rolls-Royce’s own design, said to be the most complex such part it has ever developed, requiring two years of research and five months of assembly.