The world's most expensive new car: Rolls-Royce unveils its one-off Droptail Arcadia - a bespoke vehicle for a wealthy client that costs £25M
A combination of inflation and an eye-watering level of opulence sees the arrival of the planet’s new most expensive car.
Rolls-Royce has unveiled a one-of-a-kind bespoke Droptail coachbuilt luxury motor – the third of four commissioned individually by a super-wealthy customer – that costs a jaw-dropping £25million!
Named Arcadia – after the mythical ‘Heaven on Earth’ of Ancient Greek legend – the sumptuous two-seater roadster has been uniquely fashioned over more than four years to fit the character and tastes of the wealthy commissioning client who was presented with it today at a private ceremony in Singapore.
That includes the most complex and intricate clock face in Rolls-Royce’s history which took five months to assemble after an additional two years of development work.
Special weather-proofed wood inlay sections alone took 8,000 hours to create, the British marque confirmed.
Planet’s priciest car: This is the one-of-a-kind Rolls-Royce Droptail Arcadia, which has been custom made for one of richest people in the world. Completely bespoke, it has cost the client a whopping £25million – more than any other new motor car
Named Arcadia – after the mythical ‘Heaven on Earth’ of Ancient Greek legend – the sumptuous two-seater roadster has been uniquely fashioned over more than four years to fit the character and tastes of the wealthy commissioning client who was presented with it today at a private ceremony in Singapore
The price tag of the Arcadia matches that of the last Rolls-Royce Droptail – La Rose Noire – which debuted late last year and was followed later that month by the Droptail Amethyst, inspired by the gem.
All three motors – and the fourth yet to be showcased – are £5million more expensive than Rolls-Royce’s Boat Tail series of one-off creations, the first of which arrived in 2021.
Riding on 22-inch wheels, Rolls-Royce said the Arcadia Droptail was envisioned by the unnamed client – an international entrepreneur with with homes around the globe – as ‘a serene space’ and ‘a refuge from the complexities of their business life’.
But behind the serenity is a vast 6.6-litre twin turbo V12 engine developing 593bhp – almost as much a Lamborghini Huracan supercar – linked to an 8-speed automatic gearbox that propels it from rest to 62mph in around five seconds – and up to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph, should the owner ever risk turning their one-off motor into a £25million bullet.
Arcadia was commissioned by an individual ‘who possesses a distinct affinity for architecture and design’, says Rolls-Royce.
The design and trim was also inspired by the client’s favourite regions around the world – including Singapore, Indonesia, Britain and Vietnam – and the tropical gardens and architecture found in these countries.
Attracted to the Droptail’s bold, low stance, and nautical inspiration, the client also insisted that their coachbuild motor car ‘should be absolutely faithful to the earliest hand-drawn sketch they were first presented with in 2019’.
Instead of having a convertible roof, it instead has a detachable lightweight panel that can be fitted to the car on colder – and wetter – days. Though the chances are, this is a vehicle that will be cruising in climates far balmier than Britain’s, meaning it will mostly be driven as an open-top roadster.
Rolls-Royce said Acadia celebrates ‘purity of form and natural materials while serving as a bold statement of the client’s personal taste’.
It was also ‘the epitome of quiet irreverence’.
Under the bonnet is a vast 6.6-litre twin turbo V12 engine developing 593bhp – almost as much a Lamborghini Huracan supercar – linked to an 8-speed automatic gearbox
Despite being utterly enormous, this car is also incredibly fast. It can accelerate from zero to 62mph in around five seconds – and up to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph
Instead of having a convertible roof, it instead has a detachable lightweight panel that can be fitted to the car on colder – and wetter – days. Though the chances are, this is a vehicle that will be cruising in climates far balmier than Britain’s, meaning it will mostly be driven as an open-top roadster
Described as a ‘Coachbuilt masterpiece’, it is one of three cars built on a single, specially created engineering platform, though each one is uniquely individual having been specified to exacting levels of bespoke design and execution by their owners, down to the pigments in the paintwork, the styling of the interiors and personal touches which make it only theirs.
Will it fit in my garage? Rolls-Royce Droptail Arcadia
Price: circa £25million
Exclusivity: One of a kind and the third of only four Droptails – each individually designed and styled
Built: Goodwood, Sussex
Engine: 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 593bhp
Transmission: 8-speed automatic gearbox
Acceleration (0-62mph): 5 seconds (approx)
Top speed: 155mph
Length: 5.2 metres
Width: 3 metres
Height: 1,5 metres
Weight: Around 2.5 tonnes
Wheels: 22-inch
Droptail is also the first roadster body style in Rolls-Royce’s ‘modern history’ and harks back to a time when in the early 20th century when customers bought a Rolls-Royce chassis and then commissioned specialist coachbuilders to create their own body on top.
The main body colour is a solid white infused with aluminium and glass particles which creates an ‘effervescent shimmer’ when light strikes the coachwork and a sense close up of ‘ unending depth’.
The leather interior is finished in two entirely bespoke hues – white and a contrasting tan to complement the wood – and both named after the client and reserved exclusively for their use.
Carbon fibre is used for the lower sections of the droptail, but instead of being exposed are painted in a bespoke silver, to contrast against the white and to add to the opulent feel.
The exterior grille and vanes and the 22-inch alloy wheels have been polished to a mirror finish.
Even the intricately created wood interior and rear deck is ‘a deeply personal reflection’ of the style the client has in their residences and business spaces around the world, and also takes inspiration from architecture and classic cars, says Rolls-Royce.
It uses a wood called Santos Straight open pore grain.
The Arcadia comes just six months after the last Droptail Rolls-Royce was showcased to the public – the ‘La Rose Noire’, which was unveiled in August 2023.
That unique two-door, two-seater convertible Droptail was a private commission by a super-rich wife and husband from a glamorous art-loving champagne and fashion dynasty who are described as ‘the heads of a prominent international family’ with a ‘deep connection to France’.
It was said to be inspired by the romance and the allure of the velvet-like Black Baccara Rose, which originates from France and, according to Rolls-Royce, has a personal association for the family and is especially ‘beloved by the mother of the commissioning family’.
Commenting on the latest in its string of ultra-expensive one-of-a-kind motor vehicles, Rolls-Royce noted: ‘To achieve a perfect composition over complex geometry, Rolls-Royce artisans used a total of 233 wood pieces throughout Arcadia Droptail, with 76 pieces applied to the rear deck alone.
‘Using this high-density hardwood on Droptail’s interior posed a significant challenge for the marque’s craftspeople. Santos Straight Grain has one of the finest grain types of all the wood species used within a Rolls-Royce – if not handled with the greatest care, it easily tears when machined.’
Described as a ‘Coachbuilt masterpiece’, it is one of three cars built on a single, specially created engineering platform, though each one is uniquely individual having been specified to exacting levels of bespoke design and execution by their owners
Each Droptail car is so bespoke that the client can choose the exact pigments in the paintwork, the styling of the interiors and personal touches which make it only theirs, such as the tone of the Spirit of Ecstasy bonnet emblem
Riding on 22-inch wheels, Rolls-Royce said the Arcadia Droptail was envisioned by the unnamed client – an international entrepreneur with with homes around the globe – as ‘a serene space’ and ‘a refuge from the complexities of their business life’
Like all modern Rollers. the Spirit of Ecstasy stashes away in a secret compartment behind the grille when the car isn’t in use
As the Arcadia Droptail will be used internationally, including some tropical climates, special attention had to be paid to protecting the exterior wood surfaces.
Traditional superyacht coatings were rejected because they require regular servicing and re-application. So Rolls-Royce developed instead a bespoke lacquer that requires just one application for the lifetime of the motor car.
Veneers pieces were then subjected to a punishing cycle inside a specialist machine simulating global weather extremes.
‘This involved spraying sample wood pieces with water intermittently, between periods of leaving them to dry in darkness and exposing them to heat and bright light.’
This was repeated for 1,000 hours on 18 different samples before specialists were satisfied: ‘In total, the wood pieces and protective coating required more than 8,000 hours of development.’
Rolls-Royce said that applying wood to the complex curvatures of Droptail’s interior required Rolls-Royce engineers to develop an entirely new substructure for several components: ‘Engineers called on carbon fibre layering techniques used in Formula 1 motor racing to develop an incredibly stiff base onto which the wood could be applied, ensuring that it remained secure regardless of the dynamic extremes the motor car experienced. ‘
As the Arcadia Droptail will be used internationally, including some tropical climates, special attention had to be paid to protecting the exterior wood surfaces
Traditional superyacht coatings were rejected because they require regular servicing and re-application. So Rolls-Royce developed instead a bespoke lacquer that requires just one application for the lifetime of the motor car
Veneers pieces were then subjected to a punishing cycle inside a specialist machine simulating global weather extremes. ‘This involved spraying sample wood pieces with water intermittently, between periods of leaving them to dry in darkness and exposing them to heat and bright light,’ Rolls-Royce says
This has resulted in the largest continuous wood section ever seen on a Rolls-Royce motor car.
‘Computer aided design tools were used to map the placement of each wood piece, and although it appears to be constructed from just two mirrored sections of veneer, this panel alone is made up of 40 sections, each digitally mapped before being fixed to the motor car.’
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars new chief executive Chris Brownridge said the Arcadia Droptail is the ‘pinnacle expression’ of the British luxury car company which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Germany’s BMW employing more than 2,500 people at its boutique factory at Goodwood in Sussex.
He added: ‘This motor car is deeply connected to the client’s personality and preferences, and in capturing their character we have been empowered to make inspiring design, craft and engineering statements that show the world our ambition, and our unparalleled abilities.’
The dashboard clock set in the wood veneer dashboard is said to be ‘the most complex Rolls-Royce clock face ever created’. It took 2 years to develop and another 4 months to assemble!
It has the most intricate clock to ever feature in a car
Every car has a clock in it, whether analogue or digital. But nothing like the one in this bespoke £25million motor.
The dashboard clock set in the wood veneer dashboard is said to be ‘the most complex Rolls-Royce clock face ever created’.
READ MORE: Bespoke boom helps Rolls-Royce glide to record sales as it electrifies its range for its 120th anniversary year
The company explains: ‘The assembly alone was a five-month process, which was preceded by more than two years of development’.
Its geometric ‘guilloché’ pattern in raw metal has 119 facets – marking the year in 2023 when the client first saw a preview of the motor car, as Rolls-Royce celebrated its 119-year anniversary.
Rolls-Royce said: ‘The specially designed clock face also includes partly polished, partly brushed hands and 12 ‘chaplets’ – or hour markers – each just 0.1mm thick.’
The minute marker is finished in a ceramic coating chosen because of its stability and aesthetic appeal.
Small areas of the coating were laser-etched away to reveal the mirror finish of the aluminium material beneath it: ‘Like every piece within the timepiece, including the Bespoke ‘double R’ monogram, they were individually machined from solid stainless-steel billet and polished by hand prior to assembly.’
Even the intricately created wood interior and rear deck is ‘a deeply personal reflection’ of the style the client has in their residences and business spaces around the world, and also takes inspiration from architecture and classic cars
It uses a wood called Santos Straight open pore grain. The finish of the material is a sight to behold, with these images not doing justice to each panel’s masterpiece
READ MORE: The most valuable car in the world: 1955 Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe sold for £115MILLION in 2022
RM Sotheby’s confirmed in 2022 that it had sold a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes for £115million, making it the most expensive car ever.
It was sold to a private collector at a top-secret auction hosted at Mercedes’ museum in Germany on 5 May that year and exceeded the previous record amount paid for a motor vehicle at the time by a staggering £63million.
Experts say the car, which is one of two created in 1955, has ‘always been regarded as one of the great jewels of motoring history’ and its sale is a monumental moment with few ever imagining that it would be offered to a private buyer by the German manufacturer.
> Read the story behind the car and its sale in our full report
It’s a car that can teleport to anywhere in the world… sort of
Like the other Droptail cars Rolls-Royce has made, this latest edition takes bespoke, personalised requests to a whole new dimension.
Rolls-Royce said: ‘Reflecting the patron’s international lifestyle, the motor car is specified with left-hand drive to facilitate its use around the world.’
But new owner will also be able to experience this virtually using advanced 3D virtual reality (VR) headset to view the motor car as it would appear in specific locations across the globe.
Explaining how the customer and family was intimately involved in every element of the car’s design, Rolls-Royce said: ‘Coachbuild designers invested many months examining and interrogating the client’s tastes in everything from clothes and furnishings to food and travel destinations.
‘Other family members, notably the client’s daughter, also become engaged with the process. When the final design was ready, the client’s wider family were invited to review it: all agreed that it perfectly captured the client’s aesthetic and character.’
The luxury car-maker noted: ‘The process revealed the client had a far more modern outlook than they realised, defined by lightness, the use of natural materials and a clear passion for precision.’
Rolls-Royce has enjoyed a series of record years for sales, culminating in 2023 with more than 6,000 cars sold, the majority with an element of bespoke work.
Rolls-Royce is said to be neck and neck with Ferrari as the most profitable car-maker on the planet.
Five ultra expensive new cars the Rolls-Royce Droptail Arcadia trumps
Rolls-Royce Boat Tail (2021/2022) – £20million
The £20million Boat Tail convertible grand tourer shown in 2021 became the planet’s most expensive car – and is one of three highly personalised nautically-based limousines built to around the same price.
The first was specially commissioned by a wealthy and ‘flamboyant’ couple with a love of chilled champagne and alfresco meals – hence the vehicle’s incredible rear deck housing a dinner set, rotating cocktail tables with matching chairs and a parasol that automatically extends out when they want to dine at the rear of their Roller.
Some had claimed the car was built for Jay-Z and Beyoncé, though Rolls-Royce told This is Money that these reports were wide of the mark.
The British car maker exclusively modified the cabin of the first Boat Tail to house personalised ‘his and hers’ wrist watches – either of which can be slotted into the dashboard to become the motor’s clock.
Bugatti La Voiture Noire (2019) – £11.3million
Looking like the caped crusader’s off-duty Batmobile and unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show where it caused a stir in March 2019, the darkly brooding Bugatti La Voiture Noire 261mph hypercar was – until today – the most expensive new car ever built (though Pagani might have something to say about that – as seen below), having been eclipsed by the new Rolls-Royce Boat Tail costing nearly twice as much.
It is rumoured to have been a private commission by the now late autocratic Volkswagen boss Ferdinand Piech (who set up the modern Bugatti).
It is based around the £2.2million Bugatti Chiron which is powered by a vast 8.0 litre quad-turbo W16 cylinder engine developing 1,500bhp that propels it from rest to 62mph in just 2.4 seconds up to a limited top speed of 261mph.
Rolls-Royce Sweptail (2013) – £10million
The two-seater ‘Sweptail’, which also takes its styling cues from luxury yachts, was commissioned in 2013 by an unnamed super-wealthy customer described as a connoisseur and collector of distinctive, one-off items including super-yachts and private aircraft.
Four years later it unveiled at one of the world’s most exclusive car shows in Italy, the Concorso d’Eleganza the the Villa d’Este on the shore of Lake Como.
The centre console houses a hand-built mechanism that, at the touch of a button, deploys a bottle of the client’s favourite vintage champagne – from the year of his birth – and two crystal champagne flutes. As the lid of the chiller opens, the mechanical action articulates the bottle to the perfect position for the owner to pick up. Two concealed secret exterior compartments also house attache cases with the owner’s computer laptops.
Rolls-Royce spent four years with the new owner who commissioned the car powered by an effortless 6.75-litre V12 engine.
Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta (2018) – £13.4million
The Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta does without a roof and features a trimmed wraparound windscreen – making it a permanent open-top proposition.
Performance figures for the car’s Mercedes-AMG 7.3-litre V12 engine are not available, but previous ‘run-out’ variants of the Zonda such as the Cinque Roadster produced 669bhp and could hit 62mph in 3.4 seconds.
Bugatti Centodieci (2019) – £7.4million
Making its debut at the exclusive Pebble Beach car week in California in 2019, just 10 limited edition Bugatti Centodieci cars are being made – with footballer Ronaldo among the rumoured exclusive purchasers.
The Centodieci is a tribute to the 1991 Bugatti EB110 – launched in the 110th anniversary year of Bugatti and credited with putting the modern company back on the road ahead of its purchase by the giant Volkswagen group in 1998.
Centodieci is Itallian for 110 and the supercar powered by a 1600 horse-power 8-litre W16 engine propelling the supercar from rest to 62mph in 2.4 seconds up to a top speed of 236mph.