Rolls-Royce Dawn Is a Luxury Magic Carpet Ride

This four-seat convertible, the Rolls-Royce Dawn, is the luxury automaker's shiniest new vehicle, roomier than the sleek Wraith but still more of a driver's car than the Ghost and Phantom. The $402,675 Dawn benefits from a massive 6.6-liter V12 that produces a more than adequate 563 horsepower and 575 lb.-ft. torque. The car has an eight-speed automatic transmission that is satellite guided. GPS data allow the car to know the road ahead and anticipate the driver's next move based on location and driving style to select the appropriate gear. The vehicle is also a tank; it weighs more 5,600 pounds and is not exactly meant to tackle a slalom course. But it zips 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds with a swell of power. It's not dramatic but, boy, is it impressive to get a living room off the line that fast.