The Novitec Group is arguably the biggest tuning company in the world. It’s tentacles run long, thanks in large part to sub-brands that cater to a specific automaker. We’re familiar with Novitec Rosso that works exclusively on Ferraris. We’ve also touched base with Novitec Torado with Lamborghini, Novitec Tridente with Maserati, and Spofec, which is responsible for developing programs for Rolls-Royce models. For this instance, the focus will be on Spofec and it’s latest tuning masterpiece, the Dawn Overdose.

You probably realize by now that the focus of this program is the Rolls-Royce Dawn. No surprises there. What you might find surprising though is the level of work that was put into creating a kit that not only adds a significant amount of extra power to the Dawn, but also gives it a wide-body kit that gives the lavish convertible a whole new level of physicality to it. The Dawn Overdose is an all-encompassing kit so if you happen to own Rolls’ newest luxury top-down and you’re itching to give it upgrades fit for a car of its status, there are few tuners who can do it about as comprehensive as the tuning company that literally gets its name from the “SPirit OF ECstasy.” Best hurry though because only eight units of the Dawn Overdose will be made created so if you miss out on any of these eight, you’ll be completely out of luck.

Continue after the jump to read more about the Rolls-Royce Dawn Overdose by Spofec

Exterior

Working on a car like the Rolls-Royce Dawn can be especially tricky for a tuner. The challenge itself isn’t so much about giving the luxury convertible a new look, but in accomplishing that while trying to navigate around the design elements that already make the Dawn stand out. This is, after all, a Rolls-Royce creation, so it’s not like a tuner can just take out certain elements of its design, change it, and then say it’s an “improvement.”

Fortunately, the people at Spofec are well-versed in the art of customization, having already build a more subtle upgrade for the Dawn in the past. Now, it’s taking it a step further with a new carbon fiber wide body kit that helps create a more muscular look to the Dawn. The kit itself includes a host of significant components, none more visually apparent than the large fenders that contribute an extra 13 cm (5.1 inches) to the overall width of the Dawn at the front axle. It’s a jarring physical transformation by itself, but the good news is that Spofec complimented it by also adding a bigger front bumper. It’s the same story at the back where new air rocker panels have been added into the mix, each carrying its own air intake on each side. The rear bumper also gets an upgrade in size to maintain the consistency of the carbon fiber wide body kit while the addition of a carbon fiber spoiler lip is instantly recognizable.

Finishing off the exterior upgrades for the Dawn Overdose kit is a new set of 22-inch SPOFEC SP1 alloy wheels that were specifically created for this program. Th wheels themselves measure 10.5Jx22 and are wrapped in 295/30 ZR 22 tires. Seeing as only eight of these kits will be made, I’d venture a guess that the wheels themselves are going to be about as exclusive as they come.

Interior

Interior upgrades are always the trickiest ones to gauge because of the level of customization and personalization that can be offered with programs like the Dawn Overdose. It’s no different here as SPOFEC’s offering for this section of the 2+2 luxury sedan involves a great deal of personalization from the customer. That said, there are a rich number of choices to pick from, at least if you’re looking to dress up your Dawns to match your personality. On that note, Spofec has an endless variety of premium and bespoke materials to choose from, be it fine leather, Alcantara, noble-wood inlays, and enough carbon trim components in a range of designs and colors that will literally make your head spin.

The example that we’re seeing here provides us a good sampling of what we can expect fro the Dawn Overdose program. It’s hard to make out what kind of shade it is, but it is more like tan leather than it is brown leather that covers just about every square inch of surface inside the cabin of the Dawn. Regardless of the technicalities surrounding the collar’s exact name, it is obvious that it’s made of premium craftsmanship, the likes of which we can only get from a tuner that’s as in sync to its clientele's needs as Spofec.

Drivetrain

If you’re familiar with the way any of the tuning companies under the Novitec Group operate, then you’ll know that all of them rely on a specific tuning kit to get those engine upgrades up and running. The kit itself is called “N-Tronic,” the tuner’s go-to, plug-and-play, processor-controlled tuning module that’s responsible for tuning the engine control unit on the Dawn’s 6.6-liter twin-turbo V-12 engine. Specific mapping for injection and ignition to go with moderate increases to the boost pressure help the Dawn increase its output to 686 horsepower and 723 pound-feet of torque. Do the math, and that adds up to an increase of 115 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of twist over the Dawn’s standard power of 571 ponies and 605 pound-feet of torque. Pretty impressive for a car that already packs quite a punch by itself.

An eight-speed automatic transmission is till the gearbox-of-choice and all that power is sent to the two rear wheels. The result of that power increase is a Dawn that can sprint from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.6 seconds, ridiculous for a car of its size. It’s also 0.3 seconds quicker, which tells you the quality of Novitec’s N-Tronic tuning module. Unfortunately, top speed sticks at 155 mph because it’s electronically-limited and Spofec didn’t think too much to even uncap it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing given that 155 mph is plenty fast enough for me.

Suspension and Brakes

Needless to say, with this much going on as far as the Dawn’s performance capabilities are concerned, the need for suspension and brake upgrades are warranted. That’s why Spofec is adding an air suspension system to the program, one that’s capable of dropping the convertible’s ride height by as much 40mm, or around 1.57 inches. This feature is only available though up to speeds of 87 mph so anything higher than that, the whole body goes back up to its original level.

Complementing the air suspension unit is a new carbon-ceramic braking system from the tuner itself. This system comes with vented discs measuring 405 x 30 mm at the front and 395 x 38 mm at the rear axle. More to that, the whole unit actually weighs 38 kilos (84 pounds) less than the standard version. That’s the kind of functionality mixed in with quality use that I can get behind on.

Pricing

Somewhat expectedly, pricing figures for the ultra-exclusive Rolls-Royce Dawn Overdose program are available on a need-to-know basis. That's usually the case with programs that offer a significant amount of personalization, largely because the scope and subsequent price of a specific upgrade may vary depending on the amount of owner-directed customization that goes on in the build of this kit.

Competition

Rolls-Royce Dawn by Mansory

It’s true that most of the non-standard Rolls-Royce Dawns we’ve seen over the years are of the special edition variety. That seems to be a specialty of Rolls-Royce anyway considering that I’ve literally lost count of the number SE Dawns that have been released since the car itself made its debut in 2015. But there have also been tuners that have worked on developing programs for the luxury convertible, one of which is a pretty familiar name to al of you. Mansory’s program for the Dawn was presented for all the world to see back in April 2016. Among other bits and pieces, that program featured its own handful of aesthetic and aerodynamic upgrades. It received a new front spoiler with larger air intakes and LED daytime running lights, a carbon fiber front lip, and a lightweight hood.

On the performance front, Mansory relied on its own versatile engine tuning module, one that was able to increase the convertible’s output up to a staggering 740 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque. Yep, that’s an increase of 177 ponies and 162 pound-feet of twist, a clear-cut indicator that the Mansory-tuned Rolls-Royce Dawn is going to lay down and roll over for everyone. Even better, the increased power of the car also helps it print from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds. It’s 0.4 seconds quicker than the standard model, though more importantly, it also beats out Spofec’s performance time by 0.1 seconds. It even has a higher top speed of 177 mph on account of the speed limiter getting its own update.

Read our full review on the 2016 Rolls-Royce Dawn by Mansory.

Conclusion

I don’t think I’m the best authority when it comes to aftermarket tuning programs that come out of the Novitec Group umbrella. Not that I don’t consider myself to be well-versed in them, but more because I’ve always had a similar reaction whenever I see a Novitec program in the news. It’s hard not to be impressed with the time and dedication that were put into creating this kit, but more importantly, there’s that consistency in creating incredible work that Spofec has become known for. I’m sure that if you own a Rolls-Royce Dawn, the itch to get more out of it has probably crept up in your mind. Well, now you won’t have to think too much anymore because what Spofec is offering for the 2+2 luxury convertible is about as good as it gets for everybody involved.

References

Rolls Royce Dawn

Read our full review on the 2017 Rolls Royce Dawn.

Read more Rolls Royce news.