{"id":1932301,"date":"2026-05-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1932301"},"modified":"2026-05-12T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T21:00:00","slug":"halcyon-genesis-series-review-the-ultimate-rolls-royce-corniche","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1932301","title":{"rendered":"Halcyon Genesis Series review: the ultimate Rolls-Royce Corniche?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Blimey, that\u2019s certainly not shy and retiring, is it?<\/h3>\n

Has a drop-top Rolls-Royce ever been described as such? But yes, we see what you mean. This is British company Halcyon\u2019s first \u2018remastered\u2019 Corniche<\/a>, and this particularly purple car is known as the Highland Heather commission. We\u2019re told that the colour and trim were \u201cinspired by the natural majesty of Scotland\u2019s moors\u201d.<\/p>\n

So, it\u2019s a restomod Corniche?<\/h3>\n

Well yes, but there\u2019s a fair bit more to it than that. Firstly, it\u2019s actually an electric<\/em> restomod Corniche. This car was first unveiled back in March 2025 with claims of a proper 800-volt electric architecture, adaptive suspension, cruise control and a 400bhp motor. And it doesn\u2019t have to be a convertible Corniche either. It could be a coupe or a four-door Silver Shadow<\/a>. Heck, it could even be a Bentley T-series<\/a> or Continental if you so wish.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Impressive, hit me with some more stats\u2026<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s still a little bit of development work to be done, but now that the Highland Heather commission has hit the road it\u2019s using a 77kWh battery that its makers claim provides a very respectable 250 miles of range. It\u2019ll also recharge at a peak of 230kW, with a 20 to 80 per cent top-up taking less than 30 minutes.<\/p>\n

The battery pack is actually split into two, with a big chunk of it under the bonnet and a second section where the fuel tank used to live out back. There\u2019s no impact on boot space and it weighs the same as when previously fitted with its 6.75-litre V8. Impressive. Oh, and Halcyon has also developed its own cooling system specifically for this type of stacked battery pack.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can only perform as well as your hottest or coldest module, so you need to keep the temperatures even throughout,\u201d explains COO Charlie Metcalfe.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a skateboard chassis, that’s fairly simple, because every module’s on the same plane. You can have a nice, flat cooling plate, and it performs the same for each module. When you have these unconventional shapes, the challenge is, how do you get an even amount of coolant \u2013 either cooled or heated \u2013 to each module? That\u2019s what we\u2019ve been able to develop in-house and it\u2019s a bit of IP that we’re very proud of. The ability to flexibly change the shape of the pack, so that the cooling remains uniform and standard. And then we’re also able to control the software of the packs, so that it also works in any different configuration as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

On that, Halcyon also says that it\u2019ll offer a larger 94kWh option that ups the range to 300 miles but does eat into boot space slightly. It\u2019ll also weigh a little more, but that should be offset by the fact it also sees power jump to 500bhp. Today we\u2019ve got the smaller pack, which means only<\/em> 400bhp being sent to the rear wheels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

What else do I need to know about the company?<\/h3>\n

We actually first heard about the firm back when it was calling itself Evice Technologies in late 2024. That was when it showed off a stickered up Silver Shadow prototype, but just a few months later Evice had become the parent company, and the Halcyon brand was formed.<\/p>\n

The business itself was actually started back in 2023 though, with co-founders Will Burdett, Matthew Pearson and Metcalfe having met a few years earlier while studying engineering at the University\u202fof\u202fBath.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s now up to a team of 10, with staff coming from Tier 1 suppliers, major OEMs and other electromod businesses. And yet, it\u2019s not only EVs that Halcyon will work on. It recently announced its second project, the Great Eight Series<\/a>. If you hadn\u2019t guessed from the name, that\u2019ll be a run of the same cars as the Genesis Series, but with the original 6.75-litre V8s tuned for more torque, improved responses and a raspier sound.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Come on then, what\u2019s this electric version like to drive?<\/h3>\n

Well, we had a quick go at dodging Duke of Edinburgh walkers and Lycra-clad retirees in this left-hand drive car on the very tight roads around Box Hill in Surrey, but first impressions are really rather good.<\/p>\n

It may have swapped out the entire powertrain, but Halcyon has retained the physical key to start the Corniche and rejigged its column-mounted shifter to include its three new drive modes. Nice bit of tactility. Get underway and you\u2019ll also quickly find that there\u2019s proper feel to the uprated brakes, while the hydraulic steering is light with just a touch of authentic play in it.<\/p>\n

\n

You\u2019ll quickly find that there\u2019s proper feel to the uprated brakes, while the hydraulic steering is light with just a touch of authentic play in it<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The car we drove was fitted with an open differential and torque peaked at 236lb ft, but we\u2019re told that customer cars will be getting a limited-slip diff out back that can handle more, so that will rise considerably to 435lb ft. Halcyon does say that the throttle maps will still prioritise a smooth delivery, though. \u201cAll very Rolls-Royce still,\u201d says Pearson. \u201cIt’s not trying to be a Porsche. This isn’t a Taycan Turbo S neck-snapping experience. It’s not trying to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although as you might expect, with 400bhp on tap it does pick up speed very capably, particularly in its sprightliest Spirited mode. That would ordinarily enable the strongest level of regen<\/a> too, but Halcyon has switched it off for this prototype drive as it works on the handover between that and actual pad-on-disc stopping power. And anyway, that instant electric torque really gives you the confidence to press on and make swift progress.<\/p>\n

Impressive. Is it still comfortable?<\/h3>\n

There\u2019s adaptive suspension on board and it\u2019s certainly less floaty than an original Corniche, but don\u2019t go thinking this is suddenly trying to be a sports car. In Drive and Touring modes there\u2019s a well-judged amount of body roll through corners, and under heavy acceleration it\u2019ll still lift its nose slightly as it makes a break for freedom. It feels just right for an old Roller.<\/p>\n

Weight distribution has improved to 51:49 front to rear, and it rides bumps in the road with great fluidity even in Spirited mode. There is a touch of scuttle shake when the convertible Corniche hits a particularly large pothole, but Halcyon has redesigned the trim so that nothing rattles inside, and a new brace is apparently on the way to add 20 to 25 per cent more torsional stiffness.<\/p>\n

Is it strange having no engine sound?<\/h3>\n

Well, there\u2019d be no hiding any ugly electric powertrain noise with the roof down, but actually the Highland Heather wafts along in a beautifully serene manner. There\u2019s a little bit of a hum under acceleration to let you know what\u2019s happening, but otherwise it\u2019s a wonderfully relaxing thing to cruise about in. And with the windows up it\u2019s not that windy for those in the front seats.<\/p>\n

That interior looks rather nice\u2026<\/h3>\n

Isn\u2019t it just. Halcyon completely replaces the dashboard and adds a mix of old-school dials and modern \u2013 but concealable \u2013 tech. A pioneer infotainment screen provides wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while the old black plastic switches of this 1978 car are replaced with lovely metal parts.<\/p>\n

You also get a thin-rimmed wooden steering wheel, lots of lovely leather, dramatic ambient lighting, heated seats and something called the \u2018Halcyon Gallery\u2019. That\u2019s essentially a 1.5m long piece of aluminium on the dash that can have any sort of artwork engraved into it. Lovely.<\/p>\n

How much would it cost me?<\/h3>\n

Are you sitting down? It\u2019s \u00a3395,000 excluding<\/em> the donor car, and Halcyon will help you source a good one of those if you don\u2019t have one already. Each build takes 12 months from start to finish, and the spec can be as bespoke as the client desires. Apparently the first customer build will be out for delivery early in 2027, and Halcyon has taken eight further deposits for its EV. It plans to build 60 examples.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, demand for the V8-engined Great Eight has been pretty spectacular since its reveal, but the grace of the drop-top Corniche really does suit a punchy electric powertrain too. We\u2019ll just have to have another go when it\u2019s got all of that extra torque\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Blimey, that\u2019s certainly not shy and retiring, is it? Has a drop-top Rolls-Royce ever been described as such? But yes, we see what you mean. This is British company Halcyon\u2019s first \u2018remastered\u2019 Corniche, and this particularly purple car is known as the Highland Heather commission. We\u2019re told that the colour and trim were \u201cinspired by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,237],"class_list":["post-1932301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-topgear-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1932301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1932301"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1932301\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1932301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1932301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1932301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}