Have you ever wondered what makes the most expensive car in the world cost that much? What could possibly go into the workings of a car to elevate its value to millions of dollars? Currently, the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is the most expensive street-legal car in the world. It is speculated to cost about $25–30 million (over ₹209 crore).
The Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is a mid-size luxury grand tourer that comes with a well-equipped picnic basket’ in the rear. It is inspired by the 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Boattail and racing yachts of the 1920s. Nautical designs and ideas take center stage as each client reimagines the Boat Tail in a deeply personal way.
Though it features the same chassis and engine as the Rolls-Royce Phantom, its 1813 bespoke parts distinguish it from every other Rolls-Royce car. There will only ever be three Boat Tails, each made to order based on the tastes and preferences of each client.
The Rolls-Royce Boat Tail car is a four-seater cabriolet convertible with a detachable carbon fiber roof and a 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine.
The 2021 Rolls-Royce Boat Tail
The first of the Boat Tail trio was unveiled in 2021. At a price tag exceeding $25 million, it became the world’s most expensive car.
Sources state an American client who worked in the music industry commissioned the 2021 Boat Tail. If the rumors are to be believed, rapper JayZ commissioned this car and became the first Rolls-Royce Boat Tail owner. This theory was further strengthened by the Armand de Brignac champagne seen in the car, which is a brand that JayZ partially owns.
Boat Tail Exterior:
The first Rolls-Royce Boat Tail evokes nautical themes and imagery, inspired heavily by early 2000s J-class yachts and the 1932 Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, which is also one of the cars in the client’s car collection.
The exterior is painted a deep nautical blue infused with crystals to render a subtle shimmering finish. The deck gets open-pore Caleidolegno wood, which is meant to resemble the wooden hull of a boat.
The rear deck opens with just the push of a button. Lo and behold, a hosting suite with cutlery, alcohol, and a parasol that opens in a whimsical, graceful motion. A removable canvas canopy shields the occupants from unseemly weather and is designed to resemble the sails of a yacht.
Boat Tail Interior:
Guilloché decorative work adorns the intricately detailed instrument panel dials. Since Guilloché is an extremely labor-intensive process commonly used in luxury watchmaking, this detail may signify the client’s love of watches.
A signature element of the opulent Rolls-Royce Boat Tail interior is the matching two-sided timepieces. These unique analogue dials were created specially in collaboration with Swiss watchmaker Bovet in 1822 over a period of three years. They are Amadeo tourbillons with white gold cases and a five-day power reserve.
Trials and Tests
- The system used to mount the timepieces was put through an intense testing period and can withstand noise, temperature, vibration, humidity, and even crashes.
Accessorize on the go
- A leather-lined drawer on the dashboard holds the chains, straps, and other watch accessories for simple and convenient access.
Timeless Elegance
- The two custom Bovet 1822 watch dials can be mounted on the car’s fascia as the car clock or worn as a wristwatch or pocketwatch. An intricate 18k gold sculpture of the car, engraved and painted by hand, is featured on the reverse of each ornate dial.
The watches are reversible, with the main dials featuring the Caleidolegno wood used elsewhere and a miniature Spirit of Ecstasy. The man’s watch features a polished finish, while the woman’s one is engraved and filled with blue lacquer.
The watches’ reverse sides get an 18k white-gold case and are further personalized. The secondary dial of the woman’s watch includes a hand-painted floral bouquet, while the man’s watch features an aventurine dial with his natal chart.
Inky Details
- The client is an avid pen collector. Rolls-Royce imbibes the interior with the client’s personality by including a handcrafted aluminum and leather case inside the glove box, which holds a particularly cherished Montblanc pen.
Bespoke Sound
- The Boat Tail features a bespoke Bose Corporation sound system. It is complimented by the acoustically designed floor structure, which renders the car a resonance chamber.
Customized Cooling
- The Boat Tail gets two fridges, not coolers. They can rapidly cool drinks to six degrees, the perfect temperature at which the client likes his Armand de Brignac champagne.
Also read: The Rolls-Royce That Bollywood Celebrities Own
Signature Features:
Perhaps the Boat Tail’s most distinct feature is it’s rear deck. The hinges open up towards the centre in a graceful manner, resembling butterfly wings. Inside, the Boat Tail hosts a bespoke, fully customized hosting suite.
Parasol For Your Thoughts
- The customized parasol opens up in a flowery motion. It is designed and detailed with the utmost care and features an aluminium telescopic assembly with carbon fiber stays.
Open-Air Dining
- Along with the parasol, the rear opens up to two rotating cocktail tables and custom carbon-fibre stools by Italian brand Promemoria. Sit down and enjoy the open air with a glass of champagne.
Cooling and Cutlery
- The hosting suite is temperature-controlled for convenience. The hinges open up to display custom silver Christofle cutlery, custom salt and pepper grinders, a double fridge housing the client’s choice of Armand de Brignac champagne, and high-quality crystal flutes.
2022 Rolls-Royce Boat Tail
The owner of the second Boat Tail model also remains anonymous, but Rolls-Royce reveals certain aspects of their personality that influence the new Boat Tail’s design.
The client is a gentleman from the Middle East who has cosmopolitan tastes and owns many vintage and modern cars. He has also worked closely with Rolls-Royce Motors for four years.
The 2022 Rolls Royce Boat Tail features nacreous themes to honor the client’s family business and his father’s strong ties to the pearl industry. The second Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is estimated to have cost about $30 million.
If you think the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail car price was outrageous, we’re just letting you know that that number is just an estimate. It could’ve cost even more.
Also read: Upcoming Maserati car in India
Exterior:
This Boat Tail was born from the sea, or rather, from the iridescent, ever-shifting hues of Mother-of-Pearl. The client presented Coachbuild with four seashells from his private collection, which served as a reference point for the exterior and materials used to adorn the interior.
Shimmering Pearlescent Exterior
The resulting exterior is a complex blend of colour and texture: oyster and soft rose shades interspersed with large flakes of white and bronze mica. The pearlescent exterior is elegant, and its color shifts with its surroundings.
The bonnet features a deeper cognac paint infused with fine gold and bronze aluminum mica flakes. It also gets coats of crystal and iced matte paint for a pearl-like glow.
Nautical Themes:
The Royal Walnut veneer on the rear deck features rose-gold inlaid pinstripes, with the nautical striped theme coming into play once again. The client specially chose this wood as it ages beautifully and, over time, will complement the cognac color on the bonnet even more.
Reflective Yet Customized
Since the paintwork reflects its surroundings, there was a chance that the car might look different when the owner received it. In order to follow the client’s requirements to a T, Rolls-Royce shipped out a few body panels to the client so they could see how the color would appear in the local sunshine.
Rose Gold Refinement
The Spirit of Ecstasy affixed to the bonnet is crafted out of pure rose gold and compliments the dulcet tones of the exterior.
The Boat Tail’s wheels are plated in rose gold, then painted and laser etched to create a subtle, rose-gold-tinted finish.
The Interior:
Inside, the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail gets Royal Walnut veneer, matte cognac paint, and oyster and cognac-colored leather upholstery. Rose gold and pearl details throughout add to the car’s charm and create a strong visual link with the client’s family heritage.
No Bovet 1822 timepiece this time; the striking timepiece is crafted from mother-of-pearl. The owner provided Rolls-Royce with the materials to craft this beautiful clock, which is placed against a minimal background in order to make its beauty stand out.
The control switches and instrument dials also feature iridescent mother-of-pearl accents.
Signature Features
Once again, the wood-paneled rear deck opens its butterfly panels to reveal a bespoke hosting suite. The left side of the rear suite holds beverage accessories, while the right displays cutlery and plates.
Picnic on-the-go
The Second Boat Tail gets a bespoke dining set with veneer-topped tables, temperature-controlled wine storage, folding carbon-fibre stools, crystal glasses, and rose gold cutlery.
Bespoke Commissions
The client commissioned the porcelain and cutlery from high-end luxury houses. The pure rose gold cutlery features ‘Boat Tail’ inscriptions on the handles and perfectly compliments the rose gold finish on the Christofle of Paris crystal stemware.
The third Rolls-Royce Boat Tail will not be revealed to the public as per the wishes of the client.
Also read: The Mercedes Car Worth 1108 crore
Why Is The Rolls-Royce Boat Tail So Expensive?
The Boat Tail is one of those high-end undertakings that doesn’t take price into account at all. Basically, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Chief executive Müller-Ötvös says that they never discuss prices with clients and only ask the clients what they want. For a car as exclusive as the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, we can definitely assume that Rolls-Royce didn’t offer it to someone who would skimp on price.
The richest and most renowned of the Rolls-Royce clientele are those who have not millions but billions to spend. The price truly does not matter to them. Only the highest degree of bespoke luxury will do.
If you really want to know, though, the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is expensive because almost every element has been worked on by hand. Skilled labor costs aside, even the materials used are only the best of the best. The car’s fridge stores expensive drinks, food, and caviar, and it must have certainly cost Rolls-Royce money to design a parasol that self-deploys out of a car. So expensive materials, expensive labour, a high degree of customization and attention to detail, and late-stage capitalism are why the Rolls Royce Boat Tail price is as expensive as it is.
The Rolls-Royce Boat Tail price in India is over ₹209 crore.
Rolls-Royce Coachbuild
The Rolls-Royce Coachbuild division exclusively caters to the most renowned Rolls-Royce clientele. The owner of the 2021 Boat Tail first brought the idea of reimagining the 1932 Boat Tail to chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös. Known as luminaries, other prominent clients came up with the idea of a car with al fresco dining in the back.
This super-elite group of about 100 luminaries isn’t easy to get into. Only when a client approaches Rolls-Royce with a commission are they put on a list. Moreover, the person who commissions a coachbuild must personally visit the Rolls-Royce headquarters in Goodwood, England, to be involved in the process.
What makes Coachbuild so limited and exclusive? Rolls-Royce wants to limit the number of coachbuild projects they take on to make it an even more exclusive experience. Each project is a labor of love, a bespoke undertaking for the world’s crème de la crème.
