The next generation of convertibles from Rolls-Royce could open up a whole new world of customization, one that was previously only available to buyers of cars with fixed roofs. CarBuzz has just found a patent from Rolls’ parent company BMW for a new way to give soft-tops a real headliner. One that can be made specific to a car with minimal cost.
Could this be the start of Starlight opening to starlight?
Convertible Tops Aren’t Exactly Aesthetically Pleasing
BMW M4 ConvertibleBMW
Look up while sitting in a convertible, and chances are you’re going to see one of the most poorly-finished parts of any car interior. Even luxury models often have exposed or visible mechanisms, along with fabric that would look sketchy even in an older Hyundai.
The fabric of a convertible top is a complex array of cuts on the inside and outside that don’t just keep the rain out, but hold the frame of the top in place. Everything is permanently attached, and the process is complex and expensive.
This patent describes adding the interior headliner as a separate piece. You could install it at the factory, but you could also install it later, perhaps at home or at the dealership, or in a neat used car you recently bought. Thanks to simple fasteners like zippers, hook and loop (Velcro), and buttons or clips, the owner could swap it in or out with relative ease.
Ideally, the new headliner would be an elastic fabric. That would let it stretch as the roof closed, and make sure your fancy new headliner wasn’t wrinkled or bunched.
Would You Order A Mini With A Union Jack Inside The Roof?
2025 Mini Cooper Convertible TopJared Rosenholtz / CarBuzz / Valnet
Making the headliner a separate piece is what opens up the possibilities for customization and more options. In the patent, BMW’s engineers say that you could choose from different materials and different colors. It would even make it easier to add more layers for sound insulation from the outside world.
With this invention, you wouldn’t be limited to the handful of material choices that the roof factory offers. It could also make adding the Rolls-Royce signature starlight headliner possible. Adding the thousands of fiber optic filaments is no easy task, but it would be much easier if you could simply zip in the liner later.
You could probably even have one made at your local upholstery shop, at least if they had an original to get the pattern from. Not that many owners would do that, but the option would certainly exist. Imagine changing your car’s ceiling for the season, or to cheer on your football team in the winter and your baseball team in the summer. It’s safe to assume BMW is imagining how much it could charge for such things.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
BMW M4 ConvertibleBMW
This patent seems so simple that we’re surprised it hasn’t already been done. Why wouldn’t you add a customized inner layer later to improve the car’s look?
We hinted at the possibilities for Rolls-Royce, but it’s more likely that this could benefit BMW and Mini. Rolls buyers are already willing to shell out half a million dollars or more. What’s another $10,000 in labor on top of that?
On a price-conscious but high-style Mini Cooper convertible or a BMW 4 Series, though? This could be a game-changer.
Patent filings do not guarantee the use of such technology in future vehicles and are often used exclusively as a means of protecting intellectual property. Such a filing cannot be construed as confirmation of production intent.
Source: DPMA
