First Drive Review
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L.A. is the perfect place to experience this ultra-exclusive Roller.
The last time we reviewed a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, it was 2009, and none other than P.J. O’Rourke wrote an enlightened piece full of magnificently qualified praise for the glittery land yacht, with cheeky nods to the people who buy them. We certainly won’t attempt to match O’Rourke’s sage perspective, social insights, and penchant for literary flourish. But we can tell you about the new Phantom Drophead Coupe “Nighthawk”, one of nine produced exclusively for the U.S. market, and how it feels to drive it in an area of the country where the car is even more in its element than O’Rourke’s New Hampshire ’hood: Los Angeles.
Steering Clear of TMZ
The car hasn’t changed a bit since 2009, at least mechanically, which is why we didn’t bother retesting it. Unless the laws of physics have changed, the 5800-plus-pound cabriolet probably still hits 60 mph in about five and a half seconds, still negotiates corners with roughly 0.76 g of lateral grip, and comes to a halt from 70 mph in 177 feet give or take.
