Despite producing several new one-offs and innovative creations every year, Rolls-Royce continues to find ways to raise the bar for automotive luxury, and the one-off Phantom Arabesque is yet more evidence of this. Commissioned through the marque’s Private Office Dubai, the one-off may appear to have an intricate paint job from afar, but it’s actually a showcase for a recently patented laser-engraving technique, and this is its first application. The design is inspired by mashrabiya latticework, as found in traditional Middle Eastern houses, palaces, and courtyards. This design doesn’t only appear on the world’s first fully laser-engraved Rolls-Royce hood, with the theme continuing throughout the one-of-one Phantom.
Laser-Engraved Hood Took Half a Decade to Perfect
Goodwood says the new engraving technique took its Exterior Surface Centre five years to develop, using numerous methods to experiment and test until the finish was worthy of a Rolls-Royce. The end result is inspired by an Italian pottery design technique called sgraffito (to scratch), wherein the artist scratches through a hard surface’s coating to reveal an underlying layer of a different color, thus creating an intricate pattern. Similarly, the hood is first painted in a dark color (Diamond Black), then given several layers of clear coat before a lighter, silver top layer is added. Once cured, the paint is engraved at a depth of just 145-190 microns, exposing the dark bottom layer.
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This finish creates a textured look that appears three-dimensional, and then the artowrk is hand-sanded to smoothen the finish. Other highlights of the exterior include an illuminated Pantheon grille bordered with a Dark Chrome surround and illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, a hand-painted Coachline with a mashrabiya motif, and 22-inch semi-polished wheels.
A Masterful Interior for the One-Off Phantom Arabesque, But We Can’t See It
Inside, the Gallery (Goodwood’s term for a dashboard) gets a custom marquetry artwork made from Blackwood and Black Bolivar wood with the mashrabiya design repeated. An offset clock also appears here, while the rest of the cabin boasts Selby Grey and Black leather upholstery, the latter color used for the seat piping and headrest mashrabiya motifs. The doors get Selby Grey piping with Black contrast stitching and feature Rolls-Royce’s signature Starlight illumination. More light appears in the sill treadplates, where a cross-section of the motif on the hood reappears. Sadly, most of these elements have not been included in the images Rolls-Royce has revealed.
Still, Phantom Arabesque is a mesmerizing creation that shows there truly are no limits to how a Rolls-Royce can be customized, so long as your pockets are as deep as a Saudi oil well. We look forward to seeing how the next Rolls-Royce commission takes bespoke design to a new level, but this will be tough to beat.
