The Silver Bullet is Rolls-Royce’s answer to the Bentley Bacalar

Rolls-Royce says the Silver Bullet is “an ode to decadence, to frivolity, to heady heydays and irreverent past times”. It evokes the spirit of the “roaring twenties” 100 years later, says the firm.

Two-seat Rolls-Royces are rarities for sure, but not without recent precedent. In 2018 Rolls offered the normally four-seat Dawn with the option of just two front chairs and a fixed carbon-fibre tonneau behind. It is thought the Dawn Silver Bullet stays true to that layout but gives it a more bespoke and youthful character for a model that will join the range as a Rolls-Royce Collection edition.

We only have drawings to go on so far but even from these it is easy to see the speedster’s signature twin-cowl design – something you definitely do not expect in a Rolls-Royce. The Aero Cowling, as Rolls calls it, is notable for the twin humps linked by a centre spine in a vapour-blasted titanium finish, giving a silver look. The car also lives up to the silver in its name with an ultra-metallic silver paint finish, contrasting with dark exterior detailing.

Has the Silver Bullet got a silver top, or will it be constantly open to the elements like its Bentley rival? There is no confirmation on this so far, but without major body or any structural changes it is possible the Silver Bullet retains the electrically operated hood from the regular Dawn, as did the two-seat tonneau version of a couple of years ago.

The open-top roadster from Goodwood gets a makeover inside aimed at living up the car’s billing as youthful and rebellious. An open-pore carbon fibre facia and a quilted transmission tunnel inspired by classic leather jackets are among the highlights. Rolls says it all amounts to a bold, contemporary expression designed for today’s non-conformists. 

The company is not being specific about power, performance and price yet, but it is likely the Dawn’s 6.6-litre V12 with 571PS (563bhp) will feature, offering performance of the order of 4.9 seconds for the 0-62mph dash. A hefty cost margin is likely over the regular Dawn’s £290,000, but staying well below the £1.5 million plus tax that Bentley wants for each of the 12 Bacalars to be built.

Speedster-style two-seaters have enjoyed a resurgence of late with new models from Aston Martin, Ferrari, McLaren as well as Bentley. Rolls’ take on the genre is uniquely Rolls-Royce, however, with the firm saying the Dawn Silver Bullet is “imbued with British eccentricity and class”.

They also say it makes the perfect platform from which to experience the very best journeys around the world. Rolls will even lay on such journeys for you. The company plans a series of epic road trips called “Silver Bullet Drives” for the 50 owners.