Almost one month ago, Rolls-Royce unveiled the first creation of its newly-started Coachbuild department, the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail. Only three examples will be made for highly reputable but mysterious “patrons,” each with $28 million to spare on a new set of wheels.
Boat Tail is the world’s most expensive new car, custom/coachbuilt or not. It’s a $28 million car that takes inspiration from classic nautical design and comes with a picnic set in the back for the fanciest and most pretentious of picnic-goers—who may or may not have ever been on a picnic, as one particularly popular joke online goes.
In a thorough analysis of the Boat Tail, which you will find in full at the bottom of the page, Stephenson goes over the design elements that make this vehicle stand out. He personally appreciates the front end, with the restrained styling of the grille, the vertical face, the absence of cut lines, and the downsized headlights. His favorite, though, is the side profile, with its clear boat line inspiration, where the roof tapers down, and the underside subtly tapers upwards, just like you would see in a boat.
Talking about the rear end, Stephenson hardly suppresses a chuckle looking at the disproportionate tail lights, which are unremarkable and out of style with a vehicle of this size. He doesn’t like the roof either because it seems “fiddly” and mismatched, almost like an afterthought.
Overall, though, he rates the Boat Tail a 7 out of a 10, noting how it’s more “of an object of art, an object of desire, than a mode of transportation” and “straight out of the textbook of good design, communicates controlled refinement.” This design will hold values generations from now, he says. It is “the ultimate statement of relaxed ultra-luxury.”
That said, $28 million for it? Stephenson wouldn’t pay this kind of money for this Rolls-Royce or probably for any other car, for that matter. For this money, he could get himself his dream collection, the kind that would make him “not want to die” to be able to enjoy it for eternity. If he were to pick a vehicle in this category, though, he’d choose the 2016 Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 concept—but Batman is way ahead of him!
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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