A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance,
petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.
Historical comparison
Every selected record is historical. Verified South African specifications and last-listed prices remain available for owners and used-car shoppers.
Rolls-Royce Dawn
Discontinued model
Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé
Discontinued model
Discontinued modelVerified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 338 kW🔧 720 Nm⛽ 6.76 km/l
＋Add a 3rd car
At a Glance — Who Wins What
⚡PerformanceDawn
⛽Fuel EconomyTie
🛡SafetyDawn
📦PracticalityDawn
🔑OwnershipTie
Key Specs Side by Side
The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Maximum Power
420 kW @ 5250-6000 rpm
338 kW @ 5350 rpm
Maximum Torque
820 Nm @ 1600-4750 rpm
720 Nm @ 3500 rpm
Engine Size
6592 cc
6749 cc
Claimed Mileage
6.99 km/l
6.76 km/l
Ground Clearance
149 mm
132 mm
Boot / Load Bay
321 l
315 l
Airbags
6
6
Kerb Weight
2560 kg
2630 kg
Seating Capacity
Not confirmed
Not confirmed
Warranty
4 years, unlimited kilometres
4 years, unlimited kilometres
= leads in this spec
Archived models stay fully comparable. Verified specs remain visible; historical fields that were not source-confirmed are marked Not confirmed instead of being guessed.
The Bottom Line
Both Dawn and Phantom Drophead Coupé are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.
Where They Actually Differ
Performance
Dawn
+2 pts
Efficiency
Equal
Safety
Dawn
+21 pts
Practicality
Dawn
+3 pts
Ownership
Equal
What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)
🏆 Overall Winner
Dawn
Strengths
More powerful engine output
Stronger safety package
More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to:Highway DrivingFamily Usage
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Strengths
Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
Less powerful engine setup
Less comprehensive safety features
Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to:General Use
Which One's Right for You?
Dawn
Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
Families prioritising stronger safety equipment
Large families needing more practicality and usability
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Buyers looking for a balanced all-round vehicle
Full Specs, Side by Side
Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Model Introduced Year
2016
Not confirmed
Generation
Dawn four-seat convertible; this archive profile uses the MY17 World specification corroborated by a February 2018 South African road test.
Phantom VII two-door Drophead Coupé; the archived profile uses the exact Series II World specification listed for South Africa in 2016.
Facelift History
The MY17 configuration is kept separate from the 2015 launch specification, which published different length, torque, acceleration, consumption and CO2 figures.
Phantom Series II was introduced in 2012; Phantom Drophead Coupé production ended in 2016.
Facelift Launched Since
2017
2012
Facelift Version Ending
2023
2016
Body Style
Convertible
Convertible
Model Year
2017
2016
Production Status
discontinued
discontinued
Segment
Ultra-luxury convertible
Ultra-luxury convertible
Vehicle Type
Passenger car
Passenger car
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Drivetrain Layout
Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Transfer Case
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Paddle Shifters
No
No
Gearbox
8-speed automatic / 8HP95
8-speed automatic / 8HP70
Final Drive Ratio
2.813
3.154
Number of Gears
8
8
Transmission Type
8-speed automatic / 8HP95
8-speed automatic / 8HP70
Clutch Type
Torque converter
Torque converter
Drivetrain
RWD
RWD
4WD Engagement
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD Hi Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD Lo Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD Selector
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Automatic Shift Paddles
No
No
Front Differential Lock
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Gearbox Type
8-speed automatic / 8HP95
8-speed automatic / 8HP70
Low Range Ratio
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Low Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Axle Layout
Two axles
Two axles
Transmission Speeds
8
8
Gear Shift Type
Steering-column selector for 8-speed automatic
Steering-column automatic selector; no manual mode
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Claimed Mileage
6.99 km/l
6.76 km/l
City Mileage
4.59 km/l
4.39 km/l
Highway Mileage
10.10 km/l
9.80 km/l
Fuel Tank Capacity
82 l
80 l
Emission Standard
EU6
EU5
AdBlue Tank Capacity
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Auto Start Stop
No automatic engine stop/start
No automatic engine stop/start
Average Fuel Consumption
14.3 l/100km
14.8 l/100km
Claimed Fuel Consumption
14.3 l/100km
14.8 l/100km
Fuel Efficiency
14.3 l/100km
14.8 l/100km
Real-world Mileage
6.99 km/l
6.76 km/l
Charging Port Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Charging Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Combined Consumption
14.3 l/100km
14.8 l/100km
Combined Consumption L 100km
14.3 l/100km
14.8 l/100km
Fuel Economy Combined
14.3 l/100km
14.8 l/100km
Fuel Tank Litres
82
80
Combined Driving Range
575 km
540.54 km (calculated theoretical)
Electric Consumption
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Range Real World Mixed
522.93 km
Not confirmed
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Airbags
6
6
ABS
Standard
Standard
Electronic Stability Control
ESP
Dynamic Stability Control (ESP)
Traction Control
Standard
Dynamic Traction Control
Hill Start Assist
Hill-start assist
Electric parking brake with hill hold function
Child Safety Lock
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
ISOFIX Mounts
LATCH child-seat anchor system
ISOFIX child-seat brackets
Brake Assist
Dynamic Brake Control
Dynamic Brake Control
Tyre Pressure Monitor
Standard
Tyre-pressure alert
Engine Immobiliser
Engine immobiliser
Engine immobiliser
Seatbelt Warning All Seats
Driver and front-passenger seat-belt warning sensor
Driver and front-passenger seat-belt warning sensor
Front Parking Sensors
Front Park Distance Control
Standard
AEB
Available
Not confirmed
BA
Dynamic Brake Control
Dynamic Brake Control
Curtain Airbags
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Driver Airbag
Standard
Standard
EBD
Standard
Standard
Engine Immobiliser
Standard
Standard
Hill Hold
Hill-start assist
Electric parking brake with hill hold function
Passenger Airbag
Standard
Standard
Seatbelt Pretensioners
Front and rear
Front and rear
Side Airbags
Front side-impact airbags
Front head-thorax airbags
TCS
Standard
Dynamic Traction Control
Knee Airbag
Front active knee protection
Front active knee protection
ABS EBD
Standard
Standard
Seatbelt Reminder
Driver and front-passenger seat-belt warning sensor
Driver and front-passenger seat-belt warning sensor
Stability Control
ESP
Dynamic Stability Control (ESP)
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Cruise Control
Automatic Cruise Control
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control
Automatic distance-control cruise with stop-and-start traffic response
Not confirmed
Lane Departure Warning
Optional
Not confirmed
Parking Sensors
Park-distance system
Front and rear
Rear View Camera
Optional rear-view camera with top view
Rear-view camera
360 Degree Camera
Optional camera system with rear, top and side views
Standard
Autonomous Emergency Braking
Available
Not confirmed
Auto Highbeam
Glare-free high-beam technology
Not confirmed
Auto Wipers
Rain-sensing variable-speed wipers
Rain-sensing variable-speed wipers
Rear Parking Sensors
Rear Park Distance Control
Standard
Reverse Camera
Optional rear-view camera with top view
Rear-view camera
Adaptive Cruise Control
Automatic distance-control cruise with stop-and-start traffic response
Not confirmed
Park Assist
Front and rear parking sensors
Front/rear parking assistance with multi-view cameras
Around View Monitor
Optional camera system with rear, top and side views
Standard
Forward Collision Warning
Pre-collision safety system
Not confirmed
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Seat Material
Leather
Natural-grain leather
Heated Seats
Front; standard
Optional three-stage heating, front and rear
Ventilated Seats
Optional front ventilated seats
Not confirmed
Ambient Lighting
Optional – Atmospheric Interior Environment
Not confirmed
Steering Wheel Material
Leather
Leather
60 40 Split Seat
Not Applicable
Not confirmed
Driver Seat Adjustment
Electrically adjustable with lumbar adjustment and memory
10-way electric with lumbar adjustment and two-position memory
Passenger Seat Adjustment
Electrically adjustable with lumbar adjustment
10-way electric with lumbar adjustment and two-position memory
Seat Trim
Leather
Hand-stitched natural-grain leather
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Climate Control
Individual front and rear climate controls
Dual-zone front climate control with rear ventilation ducts
Power Windows
Standard
Four one-touch power windows
Keyless Entry
Comfort Entry keyless access
Hands-free entry
Push Button Start
Keyless ignition
Keyless ignition
Sunroof
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Electric Tailgate
Smart power opening and closing luggage-compartment lid
Power-closing boot lid
Rain Sensing Wipers
Standard
Standard
AC Type
Individual front and rear climate controls
Dual-zone front climate control with rear ventilation ducts
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Length
5295 mm
5612 mm
Width
1947 mm
1987 mm
Height
1502 mm
1566 mm
Wheelbase
3112 mm
3320 mm
Doors
2 doors
2 doors
Front Headroom
1018 mm
1026 mm
Payload Capacity
480 kg
420 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity
82 l
80 l
Kerb Weight
2560 kg
2630 kg
Towing Capacity
0 kg
0 kg
Rear Headroom
963 mm
943 mm
Front Legroom
1054 mm
1040 mm
Rear Legroom
937 mm
936 mm
Ground Clearance (Default)
149 mm
132 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load)
149 mm
132 mm
Boot/Cargo Space
321 l
315 l
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
3040 kg
3050 kg
Seating Capacity
4 seats
4 seats
Number of Rows
2 rows
2 rows
Minimum Turning Radius
6.35 m
6.55 m
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Engine
6.592-litre twin-turbo V12
6.749-litre V12
Cylinders
12
12
Valves
48
48
Fuel System
Direct Injection
Direct Injection
Compression Ratio
10.0:1
11.0:1
Drive Type
RWD
RWD
Top Speed
250 km/h
240 km/h
Engine Code
N74B66A
N73B68A
Cylinder Layout
V
V
Aspiration
Twin Turbocharged
Naturally Aspirated
Bore
89 mm
92 mm
Stroke
88.3 mm
84.6 mm
Drive Modes
Low
Low
Valves per Cylinder
4
4
Launch Control
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Engine Displacement
6592 cc
6749 cc
Transmission
8-Speed Automatic
8-Speed Automatic
0-100 km/h
5.0 sec
5.8 sec
Battery Capacity
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
DC Charging Power
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Fuel Type
Petrol
Petrol
Maximum Power
420 kW @ 5250-6000 rpm
338 kW @ 5350 rpm
Maximum Torque
820 Nm @ 1600-4750 rpm
720 Nm @ 3500 rpm
Motor Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Regenerative Braking
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Hybrid System
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Combined Power
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Combined Torque
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Number of Motors
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Motor Location
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Quarter Mile
12.8 sec
Not Officially Disclosed
Rev Limiter
Not Officially Disclosed
Not Officially Disclosed
Power-to-Weight Ratio
164.1 kW/tonne
128.5 kW/tonne
Torque-to-Weight Ratio
320.3 Nm/tonne
273.8 Nm/tonne
Usable Battery Capacity
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Battery Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Battery Voltage
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Electric Range
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
AC Charging Power
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
AC Charging Time
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
DC Charging Time
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Bluetooth Connectivity
Standard
Hands-free calling
Number of Speakers
18
15
Digital Instrument Cluster
Analogue instruments with Power Reserve gauge
Traditional analogue instrument dials
Infotainment System
Multimedia interface and navigation with Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller
Navigation and infotainment system
Infotainment Screen
10.25-inch high-definition display
8.8-inch front monitor
Touchscreen
10.25-inch high-definition display
8.8-inch front monitor
USB Ports
Standard
Standard
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
LED Headlamps
Standard
Standard
Daytime Running Lamps
Standard
Standard
Roof Rails
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Headlights
Standard
Standard
Panoramic Sunroof
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Exterior Colour Options
Bespoke exterior colour commissioning
44,000 factory hues plus Bespoke custom colours
Fog Lamps
Not confirmed
Front fog/driving lights
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Wading Depth
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Terrain Modes
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4WD System Type
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Tyre Size
Front 255/45 R20 101Y; rear 285/40 R20 104Y
Front 255/50 R21 106W; rear 285/45 R21 109W
Front Brake Type
Power-assisted ventilated disc
Ventilated disc, 374 mm
Rear Brake Type
Power-assisted ventilated disc
Ventilated disc, 370 mm
Spare Wheel Type
No spare wheel; run-flat tyres
No spare wheel; run-flat tyres
Wheel Rim Size
Front 8.5 x 20; rear 9.5 x 20
Front 8 x 21; rear 9.5 x 21
Handbrake Type
Electromechanical parking brake acting on the rear wheels
Electromechanical parking brake acting on the rear wheels
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Front Suspension
Double-wishbone pneumatic suspension with newly designed self-levelling air springs, active roll control and continuous electronic damping
Double-wishbone pneumatic suspension with self-levelling air springs and continuous electronic damping
Rear Suspension
Multi-link pneumatic suspension with newly designed self-levelling air springs, active roll control and continuous electronic damping
Multi-link pneumatic suspension with self-levelling air springs and continuous electronic damping
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
CO2 Emissions
326 g/km
347 g/km
Fuel Octane Requirement
Designed for 95 RON; minimum 91 RON
Designed for 95 RON; minimum 91 RON
Spec
Dawn
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Ownership Role
Historical South African Dawn derivative launched locally in March 2016 and documented locally in 2018; the March 2022 global Dawn order-book closure is an outer bound, not proof of the exact South African withdrawal year, while production ended in 2023.
Historical South African new-car derivative: a 2007 local launch was announced prospectively, local presence is confirmed by 2011, and an April 2016 listing plus final-commission evidence establish the end-period bound; exact South African tenure remains unverified.
Performance
Dawn +2
Efficiency
Level
Safety
Dawn +21
Practicality
Dawn +3
Ownership
Level
Very close match. Final decision depends on buyer preference.
Why this scoreView full breakdown
Overall Winner
Dawn
Performance
97/100
Efficiency
31/100
Safety
92/100
Practicality
52/100
Ownership
44/100
Phantom Drophead Coupé
Performance
95/100
Efficiency
31/100
Safety
71/100
Practicality
49/100
Ownership
44/100
So, Which One Should You Buy?
🏆Rolls-Royce Dawn
wins with 67 pts
vs 61 pts for Phantom Drophead Coupé
In structured scoring, Dawn emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Phantom Drophead Coupé may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.
Other Comparisons Worth Checking
See how similar cars go head-to-head — you might find a better fit than you expected.
Buyers Also Looked At These
Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.
Questions Buyers Usually Ask
On our scoring the Dawn edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.
Efficiency scores: Dawn 31 vs Phantom Drophead Coupé 31. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.
Safety scores: Dawn 92, Phantom Drophead Coupé 71. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.
Long-term ownership scores: Dawn 44, Phantom Drophead Coupé 44. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.
Practicality scores: Dawn 52, Phantom Drophead Coupé 49. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.
Performance scores: Dawn 97, Phantom Drophead Coupé 95. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.
Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.
Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.
Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Dawn edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.
The Dawn scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.
In Depth — Breaking It All Down
The comparison between Dawn and Phantom Drophead Coupé in South Africa
evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.
Performance: Dawn scores 97 vs 95.
Efficiency: Dawn scores 31 vs 31.
Safety: Dawn scores 92 vs 71.
Practicality: Dawn scores 52 vs 49.
Ownership: Dawn scores 44 vs 44.
Final structured scoring gives Dawn
the advantage in this comparison.
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