Rolls-Royce Unveils Black Badge Ghost Ekleipsis Private Collection
A mesmerizing seven-minute recreation of a solar eclipse commences every time the luxobarge’s twin-turbo V12 is ignited.
Rolls-Royce’s storied Starlight headliner has been reimagined in homage to one of our solar system’s most awe-inspiring celestial events.
Limited to 25 hand-crafted examples, the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ekleipsis Private Collection was launched in conjunction with the recent October 14 solar eclipse.
The project was spearheaded by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective, described as “an elite team of engineers, designers and craftspeople [that] take inspiration from historical events and figures, renowned artworks, personal artefacts, nature and the architectural world.” The Bespoke Collective is not to be confused with Rolls-Royce Bespoke, the British marque’s customization division.
Many of the vehicles’ design elements were inspired by the solar eclipse, the most notable being the Starlight Headliners. On the twin-turbo V12’s ignition, the headliner’s star-like lights dim, replicating the ecliptic dimming phenomenon caused by the the moon’s obscuration of the sun.
A circle of 940 “stars” then forms, representing the bright corona of light around the lunar silhouette, while a further 192 surrounding lights symbolize the flickering of surrounding celestial bodies that are visible during a daytime eclipse.
The entire animation lasts seven minutes and 31 seconds, which is the longest possible duration of a total solar eclipse. After, the Starlight headliner’s more typical nighttime sequence runs for the duration of the vehicle’s trip.
Additionally, the illuminated dashboard is emblazoned with 1,846 laser-etched “stars” and a bespoke timepiece, featuring a .5 carat diamond in reference to the eclipse’s “diamond ring” that forms in the split seconds just before and immediately after the moon obscures the sun. Bi-colored seats clad in tinted black Mandarin leather are covered in 200,000 individual perforations, revealing a solar-like orange hue beneath.
The same orange hue surrounds the exterior in the hand-painted coachline the inserts below the Pantheon Grille, and the brake calipers, contrasting with the body’s base Copper brown color. Together, this exterior scheme serves as an abstract representation of the transition from sunlight to darkness as the moon covers the sun.
All 25 examples within the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis Private Collection have been spoken for.
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