Rolls-Royce looks to the heavens with diamond-encrusted Celestial Phantom

Wed, 06 Nov 2013

The Middle East is a vital market for Rolls-Royce, particularly in the Gulf emirates. So the British automaker wouldn't let the region's premier auto show go by unnoticed, and to that end has rolled into the Dubai Motor Show with an array of special editions.

Chief among them is the Celestial edition Phantom, a customized limousine that initially debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show but has returned to Dubai with the addition of 446 diamonds hand-set into the door panels, center console and cabin privacy partition. Taking the spirit of the Phantom's trademark starlight headliner even further, the Celestial edition reproduces overhead the constellations exactly as they were on the evening of January 1, 2003, when Rolls-Royce delivered the first Phantom to its owner, as verified by the South Downs Planetarium in Chichester, England.

The Bespoke division also fitted the Celestial Phantom with inky blue leather, special glassware and a custom picnic set. The wheel hubs are also engraved and the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament uplit, demonstrating just a few of the possibilities awaiting those with the means not only to buy a new Rolls-Royce, but also commission special features from the Bespoke department.

The Celestial Phantom is joined at the Dubai Motor Show by the Chicane edition Phantom Coupe and the Alpine Trial edition Ghost, as well as the Middle Eastern debut for the new Wraith coupe.

ROLLS-ROYCE AT THE DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW

- Bespoke Celestial Phantom unveiled
- 446 diamonds extend car's Celestial theme
- Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai presents Phantom Coupé Chicane
- Rolls-Royce Wraith makes Middle Eastern public debut

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' Bespoke offering took centre stage at the Dubai International Motor Show with the unveiling of the Celestial Phantom, Alpine Trial Centenary Collection and Chicane Phantom Coupé.

The Celestial Phantom

This extraordinary motor car that first debuted at the Frankfurt IAA to great acclaim and is presented with one important addition; 446 diamonds meticulously hand-set into the door-cappings, centre console lid and rear-privacy divider.

"The Middle East is the largest market for Bespoke in the world and in celebration of this we sought to create something truly special for the Dubai International Motor Show. Every Rolls-Royce is crafted with only the finest materials, extending the Celestial Phantom's starry night theme with one of the rarest and most precious commodities in the world." said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

This one-of-a-kind masterpiece celebrates a seminal moment in Rolls-Royce history - the handover of the first Phantom to its owner at midnight on 1 January 2003.

The exterior colour scheme evokes the night sky – integrating fine glass particles into the paint to achieve an alluring sense of depth and light. The theme continues when one opens the coach doors of this very special Phantom Extended Wheelbase.

Upon entering the car, occupants are welcomed with a new take on Starlight Headliner, a Bespoke feature that has captivated Rolls-Royce's discerning customers more than any. The constellations, exactly as they were at midnight on that historic evening, are represented by over a thousand fibre optic lights hand-woven into the Celestial Phantom's headlining.

The finest leathers, presented in a 'Dusk' hue, allude to the inky quality of a cloudless night sky. Bespoke glassware and an exquisitely appointed picnic set express the manner in which a customer's lifestyle and passions can be seamlessly integrated into their personal, highly Bespoke Rolls-Royce.

Hallmark attention-to-detail is evident throughout. The night-sky constellation arrangement was verified by the South Downs Planetarium to ensure authenticity, whilst hand-stitching to the headliner subtly maps out the constellations.

The exterior is finished with engraving to wheel centres while an uplit Spirit of Ecstasy figurine elegantly alludes to the car's ethereal theme.

Dining under the stars takes on a new dimension with a themed re-imaging of the famed Rolls-Royce Picnic Set. The glassware features a beautifully hand-engraved Celestial motif whilst celebrated porcelain maker Nymphenburg was commissioned for the set's plates, providing an exquisitely presented image of the constellations.

Phantom Coupé Chicane

The Bespoke Phantom Coupé Chicane car also made its world debut. AGMC, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' authorised dealer for Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates commissioned the car during a recent visit to the Home of Rolls-Royce and the adjacent Goodwood Motor Circuit.

"I wanted to create a motor car that captures the unique atmosphere and history of the Goodwood Motor Circuit. The Home of Rolls-Royce's connection to such an important centre of British motoring heritage is something that fascinates my customers," said Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai Brand Manager, Mohammed El-Arishy. "The experience of working with Rolls-Royce's world-class designers to create the beautifully executed Chicane Phantom Coupé was exhilarating. The creativity, vision, skill and attention-to-detail employed in the crafting of these one-off motor cars is unsurpassed in the super-luxury world."

The result, the one-of-a-kind Chicane Phantom Coupé, incorporates design cues and materials that evoke Goodwood's rich motor sport history.

A traditional interior wood-finish makes way for carbon fibre, alluding to the materials used in modern racing machines. This highly contemporary theme extends to the exterior of the car, with the bonnet and windscreen surround finished in matte black, perfectly complementing the Gunmetal exterior paint.

Coloured wheels matching the main exterior paint finish are also specified, the first time such a feature has adorned a contemporary Rolls-Royce motor car.

Hand-crafted details throughout allude to the car's historic motor racing theme with chequered flag otif stitching to the seats echoed on the exterior with a matching Bespoke coachline. The elegant homage is completed with a metal plaque expressing the car's name and Goodwood's famous track layout located discreetly in the glove compartment.

Alpine Trial Centenary Collection

The first ever Bespoke Collection to take inspiration from a heritage Rolls-Royce also debuted at the Show.

A century ago, four Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts embarked on the Austrian Alpine Trials, the most arduous test of automotive endurance of the time. The cars performed without fault, emphatically establishing the marque's reputation as purveyor of 'the best car in the world'.

This limited edition Rolls-Royce Ghost features exquisitely crafted design cues that pay tribute to the 1913 Alpine Trials cars.

The exterior paint hue, for example takes close inspiration from Radley's original Silver Ghost, a car that participated in this year's re-enactment in Austria of the 1913 Alpine Trial, as part of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Works Team.

The Radley car's distinct black grille and wheels are also replicated across the collection – the first time a painted grille has adorned a contemporary Rolls-Royce motor car.

The cabin plays host to Bespoke details that elegantly tell the story of the Alpine Trial. The clock displays the stages of the rally and timings, whilst inlays to rear picnic tables and the front fascia express the topography and distances of the Alpine route. Each element is meticulously hand-crafted and researched to ensure accuracy, epitomising hallmark Rolls-Royce attention-to-detail.

A hand-painted coachline referencing the four Rolls-Royce motor cars that took part in the rally and headlining, colour-matched to the hood of Radley's car, completes a beautiful homage.

Rolls-Royce Wraith

Wraith, the most powerful, dynamic Rolls-Royce in history also made its Middle Eastern debut. Following a series of exclusive closed-room events and test-drive opportunities, this highly contemporary expression of Rolls-Royce luxury has already captured the imagination of a new generation of discerning Middle Eastern customers.

With a striking fastback design, performance delivers on the promise of its bold exterior styling. 624 bhp is derived from a twin-turbo V12, delivering a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds. However, Wraith is every inch a refined and luxurious Rolls-Royce, with every possible comfort that one would expect from the pinnacle marque.

Hallmark Rolls-Royce effortlessness is augmented with a suite of specially developed technologies. Satellite Aided Transmission, for example, processes GPS data to predict the driver's next move, automatically selecting the correct gear for the road ahead. A one-touch call button akin to an on-board valet, allows navigation, telephone and multimedia to be controlled via voice commands.

The finest materials constitute an interior that cossets occupants. Canadel Panelling, a tactile open grain wood named after Henry Royce's winter home at the Cote d`Azur, sweeps around the lower hull of Wraith's interior, whilst a Starlight Headliner completes the glamour, bathing the cabin in a warm glow via thousands of tiny fibre-optic lamps hand-woven into the roof-lining.

By Noah Joseph