Phantom

Segment
Sedan

The last time Rolls-Royce commissioned a bespoke one-off car, the $13 million Sweptail, the company was reportedly bombarded with requests from clients to build their own unique creations. Just days after announcing it would reopen its Coachbuild department, Rolls-Royce has just revealed its latest custom creation. And when we say custom, we really mean custom. Feast your eyes upon the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, a unique coachbuilt creation designed for three beyond lucky customers.

Like a classic coachbuilt model, the Boat Tail is more than an existing Rolls-Royce model with a few visual changes. It uses the same Architecture of Luxury and 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 found in models like the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Ghost, and Cullinan, but the bodywork is completely hand-crafted with hammer-formed aluminum panels. Though the three cars share a body style, each one is customized to the individual owner's taste.

The example shown here is finished in a unique shade of blue named after the owner. Rolls-Royce says the color evokes a nautical connotation, subtle in the shade but pops with crystal flakes in the sun. The wheels are unique to the Boat Tail, finished in bright blue. It took four years to craft this car from the ground up, so every detail is bespoke. A new take on the iconic pantheon grille sits up front with a unique lighting signature that looks like a modern interpretation of the Phantom Drophead to our eyes.

Details like the wraparound windshield are meant to give the Boat Tail a yacht-like appearance, which becomes more apparent when approaching the rear end. The rear aft features a wooden rear deck with a Caleidolegno veneer, never before used on a Rolls-Royce. This deck hides the Boat Tail's most unique element, a hosting suite.

With a single press of a button, the car's rear deck performs a sweeping butterfly gesture, revealing a double champagne refrigerator, sized specifically to house the owner's favorite vintages. This area also houses silver cutlery with "Boat Tail" inscriptions and porcelain plates from Christofle in Paris. Passengers can enjoy all of these niceties on the car's built-in piano-hinged cocktail table and matching bar stools. Of course, those stools use the same blue leather found in the interior. Think of the Boat Tail like a fancy dinner table with a V12 engine.

All told, Rolls-Royce created 1,813 new parts for the Boat Tail. Some of these components are found inside, where even the seats are bespoke. This car includes matching timepieces from the House of BOVET, one for the owner and one for his wife. There's even an area where the watches mount in the cabin, so they will not be damaged.

The Boat Tail is not a traditional convertible. It features a fixed canopy, which can be removed so the owner and his three passengers can bask in the sun. In case of inclement weather, a temporary tonneau cover is included for static use only. This is truly an undertaking unlike any we've seen in recent years, and it shows Rolls-Royce is willing to go above and beyond for its clients.

The UK marque previously restricted customers from changing body styles with bespoke commissions, but the Boat Tail proves that rule was amended. Rolls-Royce tells CarBuzz that all future Coachbuilt creations will remain road legal, so the company can't design anything too outlandish. Aside from legal limitations, the possibilities are endless. Rolls-Royce did not comment on how much the Boat Tail cost to develop, but we can assume the number has eight digits.