Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unveiled the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis Private Collection, which draws inspiration from the wonder of a solar eclipse. These stunning cars capture the interplay of light and darkness, recreating the breathtaking moment when the Moon completely covers the Sun.
According to Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis is inspired by the rarity and beauty of solar eclipses. The designers, engineers, and craftspeople of the Bespoke Collective have created extraordinary details that embody the brand’s culture of ambition and excellence.
The Rolls-Royce Ghost, infused with the Black Badge spirit, provides the perfect canvas for these bespoke creations that express the beauty of the universe.
The launch of the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis Private Collection coincides with the annular solar eclipse visible in parts of the Western Hemisphere on October 14th. All of these unique cars have already been assigned to clients around the world.
EXTERIOR: GOLDEN DARKNESS
The motor car’s exterior color, called Lyrical Copper, captures the mysterious and ethereal light of a solar eclipse. This bespoke finish contains powdered copper pigment that appears darker until it catches the light, creating a rich and dramatic iridescence. Mandarin accents adorn the Pantheon Grille inserts and brake calipers, symbolizing the intense pulses of sunlight witnessed during an eclipse. The hand-painted coachline also features the Mandarin hue, showcasing an abstract representation of the transition from sunlight to darkness as the Moon covers the Sun.
ANIMATED STARLIGHT HEADLINER
The Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis features a fully bespoke Starlight Headliner with a special animation inspired by the eclipse. Closing the coach doors and starting the engine triggers a mesmerizing sequence: the ‘stars’ in the headliner darken, replicating the totality of a solar eclipse when the Moon obscures the bright light of the Sun. The headliner displays a circle of 940 ‘stars’ representing the bright corona of light around the lunar silhouette, surrounded by 192 illuminating ‘stars’ that recreate the spectacle of stars visible during daylight, which only occurs during a total solar eclipse.
This animation lasts precisely seven minutes and 31 seconds, the longest duration of a total solar eclipse. Afterward, the full constellation of stars in the night sky is restored. This intricate feature required a year of meticulous development, including the creation of three separate prototypes to perfect the design and sequencing of the ‘stars’.
ILLUMINATED FASCIA AND ‘DIAMOND RING’ TIMEPIECE
The illuminated fascia of the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis is adorned with 1,846 laser-etched ‘stars’ that symbolize the timeline of a total eclipse. A single bespoke designer was responsible for adjusting each ‘star’s’ size and position to create the mesmerizing effect, a delicate and meticulous process that took over 100 hours to complete.
The composition culminates in a bespoke timepiece featuring a brilliant-cut 0.5-carat diamond, reminiscent of the ‘Diamond Ring’ effect observed during a solar eclipse. The bezel geometry has been modified to accommodate the precious gem, marking the first time a gemstone has been integrated into a Rolls-Royce clock’s bezel. Rigorous adhesion tests, including extreme temperature cycling, ensure the diamond’s secure placement. The timepiece’s dark aluminum surround is etched to reveal the bright metal underneath. This masterpiece of contemporary craftsmanship went through 14 design iterations.
PANORAMIC SUNSET INTERIOR
The interior of the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis captures the golden twilight that surrounds viewers during a solar eclipse, creating the illusion of a 360-degree sunset. The seats feature a unique perforated artwork with over 200,000 individual perforations, showcasing bi-colored Mandarin leather. The black-tinted leather reveals the brighter contrasting color underneath, resulting in a visual effect of extraordinary depth and subtlety. Using computational design tools, the Bespoke Collective developed a distinctive pattern through seven trials and iterations.
Additional bespoke finishing touches include illuminated treadplates, umbrellas with Mandarin piping concealed in the coach doors, and a unique indoor motor car cover bearing the Private Collection’s wordmark.
All Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis Private Collection cars have already been allocated to clients around the world.
Image Source: betto rodrigues / Shutterstock
