Background
Preux’s work with Rolls-Royce set the standard for its luxury digital design, leading to collaborations with other high-end brands. The success of this project showcased Preux’s ability to blend heritage, prestige, and modern digital elegance—drawing the attention of Caspian Monarque, where storytelling elevated fine caviar, and Sealion Superyacht, where cinematic tours immersed visitors in opulence.
A New Vision for Luxury Car Websites
When Preux began, luxury car websites were visually striking but often outdated in UX, relying on heavy splash videos and Flash elements that disrupted the user journey. Rolls-Royce required a digital experience as refined as its vehicles—immersive, detailed, and effortless to navigate.
Our approach focused on three core UX principles:
- Refined Interaction – No intrusive pop-ups, excessive loading screens, or unnecessary animations that could diminish the brand’s exclusivity.
- Balance of Form & Function – Striking visuals complemented by seamless usability, ensuring an intuitive customer journey.
- Meticulous Craftsmanship – Precision in typography, layouts, and responsiveness, reinforcing the level of detail expected in a luxury brand.
By prioritizing these elements, we created a digital showroom that not only looked exceptional but also provided a smooth, premium browsing experience.
Objectives
- Build a personalized, adaptive digital platform reflecting Rolls-Royce’s luxury service.
- Seamlessly extend the customer journey from initial brand touchpoints into deeper engagement on the site.
- Elevate the brand’s storytelling through rich, immersive content that resonates with enthusiasts and potential buyers.
- Increase user engagement and lead generation (longer sessions, more pages per visit, higher inquiry form submissions).
Crafting the High-End User Experience
Preux worked with Partners Andrews Aldridge to adopt a user-centric and data-informed design process. The team mapped out the journeys of Rolls‑Royce’s diverse audience – from traditional clientele to younger, tech-savvy millionaires. Workshops were conducted with Rolls‑Royce stakeholders (and even a few owners) to understand what the digital Rolls‑Royce experience should feel like. The answer was unanimous: it must exude bespoke personalization, storytelling, and effortless elegance at every click.
Seamless Performance and Transitions
One of the first UX improvements over older luxury sites was performance. The redesigned Rolls‑Royce site loads and transitions silky-smooth, avoiding full page reloads where possible. Engineers used asynchronous loading and AJAX techniques so that navigating between models or content felt fluid and uninterrupted. For users, this meant browsing the site was like gliding – pages fade in gracefully, content loads in context, and there’s never an abrupt jump or waiting indicator to break the spell. In the early 2010s, this was a refreshing change – many competitor sites still had jarring page transitions or long waits. Rolls‑Royce’s new approach stood out by never making its affluent users wait. This “performance luxury” ethos online reinforced the brand’s promise of effortlessness. (After all, if a Rolls‑Royce’s cabin isolates you from road noise, its website should similarly shield you from any digital friction.) By avoiding disruptive experiences and keeping the interface responsive and quick, the site upheld a “spotless” brand perception in digital form. Internal metrics later showed this effort paid off: visitors spent significantly more time per session and viewed more pages than on the previous site – clear indicators of a successful, engaging UX
From the moment visitors arrive, the site immerses them in Rolls‑Royce’s world. High-definition video and imagery dominate the homepage, such as the Black Badge series introduction shown above, instantly conveying boldness and mystique.
Visual Storytelling & Craftsmanship
Stunning visuals were essential to this redesign. Preux collaborated with Partners Andrews Aldridge’s in-house creatives and renowned luxury photographers to curate imagery that truly reflected Rolls-Royce’s brand. A highlight was an exclusive shoot with Rankin, who was given full artistic license to reinterpret the Spirit of Ecstasy—exploring themes of power, grace, and effortless speed. The resulting images became a cornerstone of the site’s visual identity, with one series drawing over 315,000 views, demonstrating the power of compelling content in driving engagement.
Each model’s section featured full-bleed photography and immersive videos, showcasing Rolls-Royce in aspirational settings—a Phantom gliding through misty hills, a Dawn with its bespoke picnic set at sunset—reinforcing the brand’s exclusivity.
Beyond aesthetics, storytelling was a core design element. Narrative-driven pages offered visitors a deeper connection to the craftsmanship behind each car. Users could watch behind-the-scenes videos from Goodwood’s leather workshop or a “Voice of the Maker” interview with a master coachline painter. Unlike other luxury marques that isolate brand storytelling in blog sections, Rolls-Royce seamlessly integrated these narratives into the user journey. This approach ensured that even casual browsers left with a sense of the passion and meticulous craftsmanship behind every Rolls-Royce.
Bespoke Customization: A Revolutionary Configurator
Another cornerstone of the redesign was a groundbreaking car configurator. Rolls‑Royce wanted to appeal to a younger, tech-oriented affluent demographic – individuals who, as research showed, enjoy customizing online and might spec out a dream car on a whim. Preux’s task was to make the online configurator as enchanting as an in-person commissioning session. The team delivered a 3D vehicle configurator that was unprecedented in its depth. Users could rotate the car in 360°, change every exterior color (including a palette of thousands of bespoke hues), pick wheel designs, choose interior leather tones and veneers, and even select special bespoke features. This level of online customization far exceeded what luxury rivals offered at the time. As one industry observer noted, “Rolls‑Royce’s configurator…allows for an insane amount of customization” – far beyond typical car configurators. Even details like the famed Rolls‑Royce umbrella could be specified with different colors and monograms, all visualized instantly.
Rolls‑Royce’s configurator…allows for an insane amount of customization... customers can go so far as to paint the car in any color they see in the world, use any material possible for trims and embroider whatever they want into whatever they want.customers can go so far as to paint the car in any color they see in the world, use any material possible for trims and embroider whatever they want into whatever they want.
This rich interactivity wasn’t just gimmick; it was strategic. It served to both inspire younger visitors (letting them play with a Rolls‑Royce in a way previously impossible) and to move serious buyers further down the funnel. A potential customer could craft their exact vision online – and then send it directly to Rolls‑Royce or share it with a dealer, making the first contact feel more concrete. Preux ensured the UX here was smooth and rewarding: configurations could be saved to user accounts, and high-res renderings were available so users could virtually “own” their creation. The bespoke configurator experience proved hugely popular, with users spending long sessions fine-tuning their ultra-luxury cars. It exemplified Rolls‑Royce’s digital strategy of combining exclusivity with personalization. By giving users a taste of bespoke design online, the brand effectively broadened its appeal to include those younger, digitally native millionaires who expect to do everything online. Indeed, Rolls‑Royce’s marketing team later noted a noticeable uptick in younger inquiries. In the broader picture, the brand’s average client age began falling – from the 50s and 60s into the early 40s by 2020 – and while new model introductions contributed to that, the engaging digital tools like this configurator certainly helped modernize the brand’s image for a new era.
Innovative Navigation: Visual Menus and Intuitive Paths
One point of interest is that as you navigate the pages, your mouse pointer becomes a rounded pointer instead. This gives the browsing experience a posher air than the tired pointer. The smooth animation of the navigation bar makes for a good user experience while the consistently dark, sexy colors are perfect for a luxury brand. This is a great luxury website design overall.
Data-Driven Impact and Results
Behind the evocative design and innovative features, Preux’s redesign delivered tangible business results for Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars. Key metrics underscored the success of this digital transformation:
Engagement Growth
- Average time on site increased significantly, with users spending more time exploring content and customization.
- Page views per session rose, showing deeper interaction with the new UI.
- Bounce rates dropped, as visitors found relevant content quickly and stayed to explore.
Content Performance
- The Rankin Spirit of Ecstasy photo collection was viewed 315,515 times, setting a new benchmark for luxury automotive media engagement.
- Craftsmanship videos had high completion rates, proving that storytelling kept users engaged and strengthened emotional connections to the brand.
Configurator Adoption & Lead Generation
- Thousands of custom car configurations were created in the first months, with many customers arriving at dealerships with printed or digital versions of their designs.
- Users spent 30+ minutes per session customizing their Rolls-Royce, showcasing an exceptional level of engagement.
- Configurations were widely shared on social media, boosting organic traffic and attracting younger audiences.
Increased Inquiries & Sales Indicators
- Online inquiries and brochure requests surged after the new site launched.
- Rolls-Royce set a sales record, delivering 3,538 cars globally—a 31% increase over the previous year, marking the highest total in its 107-year history.
- The average client age dropped into the early 40s, reflecting successful engagement with a younger, digitally native audience.
Industry Recognition & Influence
- The redesign was featured in multiple “best of” lists for luxury and automotive websites, praised for its visual impact and seamless UX.
- Competing brands adopted elements from Rolls-Royce’s image-based navigation and immersive storytelling approach.
- The project set the foundation for Rolls-Royce’s future digital developments, including its 2020 brand refresh, where it positioned itself as a “House of Luxury” in the digital space.
By combining data-driven UX design, personalization, and immersive storytelling, Preux helped Rolls-Royce modernize its digital presence while maintaining its legacy of exclusivity and craftsmanship.
Conclusion: Insight, Innovation, and Excitement with Preux
The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars website redesign exemplifies Preux’s ability to blend luxury branding with cutting-edge UX. The project required a balance between honoring tradition and driving digital innovation—a challenge Preux was well-equipped to meet.
From early strategy sessions at Goodwood to the final refinements in seamless interactions, every aspect of the redesign was guided by precision, storytelling, and a deep understanding of high-end user experiences. The result was a website that not only looked luxurious but felt luxurious, offering a refined, intuitive, and deeply engaging digital journey.
More than a successful website launch, this case study underscores how Preux empowers luxury brands to innovate without compromise. The data, industry recognition, and influence on competitors highlight our analytical rigor and ability to redefine digital luxury. Rolls-Royce’s transformation into a digitally forward marque was not just about modernizing a website—it was about setting a new standard for how ultra-luxury brands engage online.
In an era where digital presence defines brand perception, the Rolls-Royce site has become a benchmark for elevated UX in the automotive industry. Preux is proud to have been the driving force behind this transformation, reinforcing Rolls-Royce’s legacy while shaping the future of luxury online.
The redesigned Rolls-Royce website has outperformed its predecessor across key metrics:
- 31.3% increase in online inquiry form submissions.
- 36.6% increase in average session duration.
- 19.2% increase in average time on page.
- 8.8% increase in pages viewed per session.
These gains reflect a more engaging and effective platform, with users spending more time and exploring more content than before. Crucially, lead generation improved by over 31%, converting more visitors into qualified sales inquiries. The new site also meets modern accessibility standards.
The project earned industry recognition for its innovative approach to luxury digital design. The Rolls-Royce “Perfect Host” website received an Honorable Mention on Awwwards and was also featured on FWA and in Communication Arts. By harmonizing personalized content, storytelling, and design craftsmanship, Preux delivered a digital experience on par with Rolls-Royce’s renowned in-person service.
