The Floral Artwork on Rolls-Royce’s New One-of-a-Kind Phantom Orchid Took Two Years to Complete
If you need a suit that fits perfectly, you go to the best tailor you can find. If you need a luxury saloon customized to exacting standards, you can go to Rolls-Royce.
The British marque’s bespoke division has been hard at work over the past year, unveiling eye-popping, one-of-a-kind models like a futuristic Wraith for Justin Bieber and a collaboration with Hermès for a Japanese billionaire. Adding to that elite list, the luxury automaker has just debuted a one-of-a-kind Phantom inspired by the natural landscape of Singapore.
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Dubbed the Rolls-Royce Phantom Orchid, the saloon was handcrafted by the marque’s Bespoke Collective at Goodwood and features orchid-themed artwork inside and out. And, as you might expect, these aren’t any old orchids. The hand-sculpted silk and printed flowers are the handiwork of award-winning artist Helen Amy Murray and in-house designer Yohan Benchetrit. Their work was inspired by three aspects of the flower—its resilience, strength and beauty. The bespoke Phantom Extended model took two years to complete, with Murray logging over 200 hours designing its ornate decorations with a team of six.
Rolls-Royce
The centerpiece of the vehicle is the dashboard, or “Gallery,” which is enclosed with glass to protect the vivid floral artwork. To create the flowers beneath the glass, Murray illustrated the designs by hand before creating a digital version that was then printed directly onto a fine silk crepe satin. These layers were then sculpted by hand to create a 3-D effect, according to the automaker. Floral flourishes can be found throughout the vehicle, including on the rear picnic table inlays, which feature orchids on top of a Piano Black veneer, and its Bespoke treadplates. The interior and exterior also feature a color palette designed to invoke an orchid sanctuary.
“I started by focusing on the actual orchids, which promptly led me to realize that color was key to capturing the essence of the species,” Murray said in a statement. “I have created artworks featuring orchids in the past, but my idea for the Gallery was to create something in realistic full color, which pushed us to refine our digital printing skills.”
To top it all off, literally, the Phantom Orchid is finished in a unique coat of paint. Arctic White was selected for the base color and then blended with a hint of violet. The mixture was then combined with fine glass particles that give the coat a shimmering effect that is even more apparent under bright lights.
Although the floral artwork is what distinguishes the Phantom Orchid, the car beneath the decoration is no slouch. Rolls-Royce didn’t provide any specs, but the bespoke vehicle is based on the Phantom Extended, which is usually powered by a 6.75-liter, twin-turbo V-12 engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The potent mill is capable of kicking out 563 hp and 664 ft lbs of torque. So, it’s fair to say this Phantom will offer both beauty and brawn.
Check out more images of the Phantom Orchid below:
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