The Rolls-Royce Corniche is a large, high end, two-door, four-seater luxury car, luxury convertible car, made in the United Kingdom from 2000 to 2002.
Its debut in January 2000 made it Rolls-Royce Motors, Rolls-Royce's first new model in the 21st century, as well as the first largely new model to bear the Corniche name, after Rolls-Royce Corniche, four series derived from the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Silver Shadow. It was the most louche of Rolls-Royce's contemporary models.
Nevertheless, despite all-new sheetmetal, bearing a strong resemblance to the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, Silver Seraph, it had instead been derived from the pre-BMW era Bentley Azure, thus continuing the use of the traditional Rolls-Royce 6.75l V8 engine-block, in common with its predecessors, albeit significantly modernized, and with much better performance, thanks to the Bentley-borrowed turbocharger - a first for a series Corniche.
Released after a five-year hiatus, this fifth Corniche was Rolls-Royce's most expensive model and flagship car, with a base price of US$359,900. From 2003, Rolls-Royce motor car production was handed over to BMW, who did not prolong the production of any of the existing models, but instead reintroduced the brand with an all-new Rolls-Royce Phantom (seventh generation), Phantom (VII), costing $300,000 in 2003, even when Pound Sterling was stronger to the US dollar and the dollar was weaker to US consumer prices. Or, in 2003, the all-new model Bentley Continental GT 6L W12 twin-turbo costed just $150,000. Though when the Bentley_Continental_R#Continental_T, Bentley Continental T model was new 4 years earlier, it seems to have costed $390,000 even in stronger dollars. Aston Martin DB7 MSRP in year 2000 was $143,000.
[https://www.autoblog.com/buy/2001-Aston+Martin-DB7+Vantage/specs/]
The Corniche (V) was the only new Rolls-Royce model launched under Volkswagen holding ownership; the last Rolls-Royce Corniche to date, and with just 374 units built, it remains one of the brand's most exclusive modern series production models.
Description
The 2000-2002 Corniche is powered by a 325 hp (240 kW) 6.75 L turbocharger, turbocharged Rolls-Royce V8 engine, Rolls-Royce V8. The Corniche's engine is capable of providing 738 N·m (544 lb·ft) of torque at 2,100 rpm. The car is operated via a four-speed automatic transmission. It has a top speed of 135 mph (215 km/h) and a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration time of 8 seconds. The convertible, weighing 6,836 lb (3,101 kg), was built more for comfort than for speed.
The Corniche came outfitted with every luxury and refinement characteristic of a Rolls-Royce. The car has a Connolly Leather interior, Wilton wool carpets, chrome gauges and a wide choice of exotic wood trims. Dual automatic temperature control, a six-disc CD changer, automatic headlamps and automatic ride control are standard.
Styling cues were taken from the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph sedan, but it shares little mechanically with that BMW-engined car. Instead, the Corniche's body was set onto the older platform used for the Bentley Azure, making it the first and only Rolls-Royce developed from a Bentley rather than the other way around, (notwithstanding the fact that the Bentley Azure was of course developed on a Rolls-Royce platform to begin with.
The Corniche was the only new Rolls-Royce developed under Volkswagen's ownership, before the marque was sold in 2003. All Corniches were completely hand-built. The car was considered a slightly softer, more exclusive version of the Azure.
The last Rolls-Royce Corniche was manufactured on 30 August 2002. This was the last Rolls-Royce to be made at the Crewe plant before it was turned over entirely to the production of Bentley Motors Limited, Bentley models. Only 374 fifth-generation Corniches were ever built.
''*stated by Pininfarina production records''
''**From 2 varying documents, newer data used''
See also
* Rolls-Royce Corniche
References
External links
Rolls-Royce Corniche (2000–2002)
{{Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce vehicles, Corniche
Cars introduced in 2000
Convertibles
Flagship vehicles