Pininfarina Rolls-Royce Hyperion

The rather stunning Pininfarina Hyperion is a one-off custom-built car derived from the Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe and made its world debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance over the weekend.

Named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology, to underline its architectural and figurative power, it was commissioned by Roland Hall, a collector and the owner of a Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe, who wanted a custom-built car that would evoke the appeal of the sumptuous cars of the 1930s. The famous Italian design house, Pininfarina, was chosen to deliver a car with even more presence than the standard Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupé and the result speaks for itself.

Sporting a short tail end and majestic bonnet that “surges” forward, the donor RR had to have its roof extended and rear shortened to evoke the appeal of a classic 1930s automobile. The designers also gave the Hyperion soft, fluidly flowing surfaces and a slightly more modern and inclined version of the classic Rolls-Royce grille and a front end featuring recessed Bi-xenon headlights and the latest in LED technology.

The spectacular "surging" bonnet is underlined by the muscular, taut wings, while the line that embraces the front wheels is drawn back until it disappears into the hood cover, giving a sense of movement even when the car is stationary. This feature is counterbalanced by a small tooth under the door that runs towards the rear wheel. The shape of the rear end recalls Pininfarina’s legendary sports “berlinettas” of the Fifties and Sixties, with their cut-off tails, strongly inclined downwards, with a flat closure borrowed from boat-building.

The interior remains unchanged from the standard Drophead coupe (it's hard to get anymore luxurious than a standard Rolls-Royce) but features a special watch designed specifically for the Hyperion by renowned watchmaker, Girard-Perregaux, which can be removed from the dash and attached to a bracelet to be worn on the wrist.

The Pininfarina Hyperion is powered by a 6.75-litre V12 engine developing 333 kW (453 hp) and 696 Nm (513 lb-ft) of torque.