Rolls-Royce unveils its 'sexiest' car yet: is making an SUV

Rolls-Royce unveiled a new convertible Tuesday that the luxury automaker is calling its "sexiest" yet.

The model is called the Dawn, and it is definitely not your usual Rolls. Its contours are much more fluid, with the sides flaring out around the rear wheel wells. The front end is more rounded.

It is powered by a 563 horsepower V12 engine.

The car shares much of its engineering with the Rolls-Royce Wraith, a two-door hardtop, but the body is almost entirely different. Prices are expected to start around $400,000.
The Dawn was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and Rolls-Royce designers chose an exterior paint color, Midnight Sapphire, that mimicked the color of a nighttime sky. Inside, the leather seats were dyed in vibrant orange so that, as the top is lowered, the bright interior is revealed.

Rolls-Royce actually does have some have some history in off-road driving.
"Rolls-Royces conveyed pioneers and adventurers like Lawrence of Arabia across the vastness of unexplored deserts and over mountain ranges," Rolls-Royce said in its statement signed by Chairman Peter Schwarzenbauer and CEO Torsten Mueller-Ortvoes.
Among other uses, Rolls-Royces with guns mounted on them were used for hunting large game in India during the colonial era.
Today, Rolls-Royce is owned and operated by the German luxury automaker BMW. BMW also owns Mini, which, by the way, makes two SUV models. The new Rolls-Royce vehicle will not share its engineering with BMW SUVs, Williams said. It will be engineered and designed as a unique Rolls-Royce product.
Rolls-Royce has not announced any timetable for production of the new vehicle. Pricing has not been decided upon, either.
"This new journey begins now," the automaker said in its letter. "We will take our time developing and perfecting this new concept of luxury. We will include our customers, enthusiasts and media along the way and will keep you informed of our progress."