More so than any other year which doesn't feature a world war, the months from March to August seem to have taken an awfully long time in 2020. Long enough, certainly, for one or two cars to have escaped the collective memory. So, for those who'd forgotten about the Rolls-Royce Dawn Silver Bullet, fear not, as you weren't alone...
As a reminder, the Silver Bullet was a two-seat derivative of the previously four-seat-only Dawn, a throwback to the glamorous roadsters found in RR's history: cars like the Silver Silence, Silver Spectre and Silver King. Or, more ostentatiously, the Bullet is "an ode to decadence, to frivolity, to heady heydays and irreverent past times." Which, for all its pretence, sounds like a really rather lovely idea to base a car on.
Now Rolls-Royce has released its first images of the new model in the real world. Or however far the shores of Lake Garda qualify as the real world, Rolls-Royce claiming that these pics showcase the car "in its natural habitat" - a point it's hard to argue with, given this is a special edition of a £250k convertible.
These pictures are also the first chance to see the Aero Cowling away from the preview sketches, the two-seat configuration and "vapour blasted titanium finisher" the most obvious changes from a regular Dawn. Certainly there's a lot of space to be occupied given the size of the four-seat car, though it could also be said that it carries off the transition pretty well; the Dawn is an attractive car, and the same holds true for the Silver Bullet. Rolls-Royce claims the new bodywork heightens "the sense of speed and purpose."
There will be just 50 of these Bullets made in Goodwood, with the first Brewster Silver cars rolling off the production line as you read this. A price hasn't been publicly announced, because naturally anyone who needs to ask it can't afford it. What might be of interest, however, is the selection of Dawns on offer in the PH classifieds; for £180,000 (or £100k less than the test car we drove in 2016), buyers can choose from a Rolls-Royce approved car or a Dawn with just 1,500 miles on it. And, let's be honest here: even if a Silver Bullet is off the cards, what finer way could there be to soak up the last of the summer sun?
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