OVERVIEW
The 3.5 RL body design has been honed to perfection. While displaying
a muscular stance and dynamic appearance, it maintains an enduring
elegance and sophistication. The body of the 3.5 RL provides generous
interior space and headroom, especially in the rear seats, coupled
with a more substantial exterior appearance. With new body-colored
lower side sills, splash guards, and roof strips, the 3.5 RL has a
strongly masculine appearance, with an efficient, aerodynamic front
grille/fender/bumper area.
With an extremely low drag coefficient of 0.32 and a lift coefficient of 0.102, the RL offers impressive high-speed stability and a quiet interior environment.
PRECISE FIT AND FINISH
The RL is engineered and painstakingly assembled to have a level of
fit and finish second to none in the luxury sedan class. Panels have
been combined and integrated, wherever possible, to eliminate gaps
and seams.
VISIBILITY
The tall, spacious-feeling greenhouse of the RL is designed to give
the driver and passengers a clear, panoramic view of the road ahead
and the surroundings to the sides and rear for enhanced safety. The
driver's front, side and rear views are largely unobstructed, due to
slim, yet highly rigid, roof pillars. The body is designed to give
the driver a clear sense of the boundaries of the car, for more
secure maneuvering and parking.
UNDER-CHASSIS SPOILER
A special spoiler, located immediately behind the front bumper,
streamlines airflow under the RL, thereby reducing the high-pressure
air under the front of the body and diverting it to flow around the
sides and over the top of the vehicle. This reduces drag and
front-end lift and also reduces wind noise, helping to give the RL a
remarkably quiet interior, even at high speeds.
PAINT PROCESS AND CORROSION PROTECTION
The RL is built with a high proportion of galvanized steel panels,
most of them galvanized on both sides for superior corrosion
protection. All visible surfaces are protected by a 23-step, 4-coat,
4-bake paint process, with special antichip primer and chip-resistant
paint used in areas that are likely to be struck by stones or other
debris. The paint process is so precise and exacting that painting
personnel wear special contamination-free clothing while working and
are regularly checked for colognes or other cosmetic chemicals that
might cause the slightest contamination of the painting environment.
Chassis panels are protected by corrosion-resistant undercoating
material, and body cavities are injected with an oil-based
anticorrosion wax that displaces moisture for even better protection.
The 2002 RL is available in eight colors: Indigo Blue Pearl, Nighthawk Black Pearl, Premium White Pearl, Firepepper Red Pearl, Satin Silver Metallic, Vermont Green Pearl, Quantum Grey, and Shoreline Mist.
CRYSTAL-FACETED TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY
The ultra-high quality appearance of the RL is enhanced by a special
crystal structure cast into the inner surface of the RL rear
outer-lens assembly.
SIDE-MIRROR AIR DEFLECTORS
RL rearview mirrors underscore the extraordinary lengths taken to
reduce wind noise. The outside rearview mirrors are designed with a
small wind deflector, or spoiler, that directs oncoming air down and
away from the mirror assembly. By separating or breaking up the
airflow under the mirror, the deflector reduces the pressure between
the air rushing around the mirror housing and the still air behind
the mirror, eliminating the "whistling" effect that has been
identified as a cause of wind noise in the wind tunnel.
AUTO-OPEN POWER MOONROOF
The RL's innovative power moonroof consists of an outer moonroof
panel with one-touch tilt or open controls. Heat-rejecting privacy
glass is used, and the moonroof is programmed to pause at the 130 mm
position during closing to help ensure passenger safety.