personalisation Archives

‘Reindeer Eight’ shows the expertise of Bentley Mulliner to meet any customer request

While most of Bentley’s customers would prefer not to be identified, there are some who allow the company to tell the world about the cars they have commissioned. From time to time, we are treated to some very personalised models prepared by the company’s bespoke and personal commissioning division, Mulliner. As it is Christmas time, Bentley can show off the ‘Reindeer Eight’, a unique and festive Flying Spur V8 commissioned by ‘a world famous customer’.

Every commission is important and this was in fact, one of Bentley Mulliner’s most important yet because of the customer’s own global and extensive list of expectant fans. It drew on its rich history and expertise of fine craftsmanship to meet the specific requirements of the customers.

One of 62 shades from Extended Range
The one-off ‘Reindeer Eight’ is finished to the exterior in deep red Cricket Bauble paint finish, a unique shade created for the customer based on Cricket Ball which is available as one of the 62 shades offered by the Extended Range.

Leading the car from the front, a gold three-dimensional printed reindeer can be found in lieu of the Flying B mascot, and to the sides the V8 badges have been replaced by a special ‘Reindeer Eight’ badge signifying the powertrain the customer is more familiar with.

Following the lead reindeer, the standard chrome bonnet strip has been re-trimmed in gold, and coordinating hand painted fine line details shimmer from the rear of the Bentley wing badges.

Maximum aerodynamic performance
To emphasise the speed and performance required to cover the significant distance planned by the owner, a gold styling specification has been included, comprising of a carbonfibre diffuser to the front and rear bumper, carbonfibre side sills and a bootlid spoiler – for maximum aerodynamic performance at cruising altitude.

The Mulliner Driving Specification with 22-inch golden wheels and diamond finish, representing the snow peaks crossed, completes the exterior theme. Given the cold climate of the customer’s primary residence, All Season tyres have been fitted.

Personalised embroidery with 11,100 stitches
The interior of the ‘Reindeer Eight’ showcases Bentley’s expertise in creating a modern cabin of unrivalled luxury and innovation, capable of comfortable seating for four or five. The customer specified a monotone Cricket Bauble interior with gold personalised embroidery and hand cross-stitching, including his name stitched into the driver’s seat and that of his wife alongside.

Festive gold hand cross-stitch highlights the attention to detail and skill of those working at the Bentley factory. It takes 18 hours for a craftsperson to complete the 11,100 hand-sewn stitches throughout the cabin, and consumes 115 metres of special thread (equal to the height of Big Ben).

The seats of the ‘Reindeer Eight’ feature a twin-flute design and increased functionality, including heating, ventilation, multi-mode massage, adjustable bolsters and top tilt which should keep the customer alert yet relaxed over the extensive mileage that he will be covering. With the Mulliner Driving Specification chosen by the customer, the new three-dimensional leather combines with traditional stitching and embroidery work.

Sweeping horizontal veneer flows across the dashboard and into the doors, emphasising the spacious width of the cabin. At Mulliner’s suggestion, the Grand Black veneer displays a North Pole winter night scene with inlays to fascias and door waistrails to depict the end of the night’s journey.

The industry-first Bentley Rotating Display features in the ‘Reindeer Eight’. When the engine start button is pressed, and after a welcome sound of sleigh bells jingling, the veneer section in the middle of the dashboard rotates to reveal a 12.3-inch touchscreen, displaying multiple menus. A Naughty and Nice list integrated in the navigation system allows the customer to quickly know whether his fans have been bad or good.

The second side of the display reveals three elegant analogue dials showing outside temperature, a compass (vital for the customer to find home at the end of the long work night) and a chronometer. Finally, the third side offers the seamless Grand Black veneer fascia, continuing around the cabin, representing the North Pole winter night scene.

“What fun it is to ride in a 542 horsepower sleigh. Plus, there’s space in the back for all my subordinate Clauses. I’m looking forward to putting 66 million kilometres on the clock before the end of the year,” said the bearded customer.

Bentley Motors offers customers a multitude of customisable features, making their car truly and uniquely theirs from the inside out. The Continental GT V8 is no exception and where colours are concerned, there’s a very broad spectrum of choices for them to express themselves and show off their personalities. To further enhance the exterior, owners can also opt for the Blackline Specification which replaces the exterior body brightware with black-painted trim and other items. Customers can discuss with their dealer, Bentley Kuala Lumpur in the case of Malaysia, on the wide range of options available to ensure they get exactly what they desire.

Click here for other news and articles about Bentley.

SC20 by Lamborghini Squadra Corse – a road-legal track car

Some customers of Lamborghini are not satisfied buying the production models that are manufactured in a number of units. They want true exclusivity (and can pay for it) with a car that is completely personalized to their wishes. The project to meet such a demand has seen the creation of the SC20, a unique specimen of an open-top track car type-approved for road use.

Second one-off model
The SC20 is the second one-off model engineered by the carmaker’s motorsports department, Lamborghini Squadra Corse. It brought to reality a customer’s dream car and the customer was also involved in the project from the very first drawings by Lamborghini’s designers.

The common goal was to build a unique vehicle, extreme in its design and performance, and able to combine aerodynamic solutions taken from racing Lamborghinis incorporating unprecedented lines and exclusive details.

“Two years after the SC18 Alston, the SC20 was a new, intriguing challenge. The chief sources of inspiration were the Diablo VT Roadster, Aventador J, Veneno Roadster and Concept S, and the result is a dramatic combination of creativity and racing attitude,” explained Mitja Borkert, Head of Design Lamborghini Centro Stile.

Inspiration from racing Lamborghinis
The carbonfibre body was polished and slicked down by hand by the Lamborghini aerodynamic engineers to deliver optimal airflow for both performance and the cockpit’s occupants, ensuring comfortable open-air driving even at high speeds. The pronounced front splitter is framed by two fins and the air intakes on the bonnet are inspired by those of the Huracan GT3 EVO.

The sculpted body sides reflect the solutions adopted on the Essenza SCV12, and the muscular rear is topped by a large carbonfibre wing that can be set in three different positions: Low, Medium and High Load.

Exclusive details
The SC20 features exclusive details starting from the body colours on a Bianco Fu (white) base, created for the customer, on which the Blu Cepheus (blue) livery stands out. The same shade is found in the interior, alternating with Nero Cosmus (black) and Bianco Leda (white).

The most significant element of the passenger compartment is the visible carbonfibre used for the dashboard cover, rear wall, door panels, centre console and steering wheel trim, in addition to the monocoque. The lightweight material is also used for the shells of the seats upholstered in Alcantara and leather. The door handles on the other hand, are machined from solid aluminium. Lastly, the air vents are created using 3D printing technology at the factory.

“The SC20 is a combination of sophisticated engineering, Italian craftsmanship, sportiness and advanced design. It is also an example of applying our V12 engine and carbonfibre to a radical open-top vehicle that unmistakably carries the Lamborghini DNA,” said Maurizio Reggiani, Chief Technical Officer of Automobili Lamborghini.

Its engine is based on Lamborghini’s flagship V12 – the 6498 cc 12-cylinder that delivers 770 ps at 8500 rpm and 720 Nm of torque at 6750 rpm. It is managed through the optimized 7-speed Independent Shifting Rod (ISR) gearbox. The power reaches the four wheels through a 4-wheel drive system with a central electronic differential. To give the required grip are Pirelli PZero Corsa tyres are mounted on single-nut aluminium rims, 20 inches in front and 21 inches at the rear.

“The SC20 is one more technical and styling exercise that associates Squadra Corse experience with Lamborghini design, masterfully interpreted by our Centro Stile based on the customer’s wishes, which was the focus of the project during the entire vehicle development and construction process,” said Giorgio Sanna, Head of Lamborghini Motorsport.

Road-legal Lamborghini Huracan STO draws on motorsport heritage

‘Neon Nights’, a vibrant trilogy of Rolls-Royce cars

Customers of Rolls-Royce can personalise their car to almost any extent (as long as it’s legal) and most do, with the help of the company’s Bespoke division. And for those who just don’t know how they want something exclusive to look, the Bespoke division can also come up with many ideas which can be adapted further to the customer’s tastes.

One of the recent ideas presented is ‘Neon Nights’, a vibrant trilogy of cars. Inspired by nature, they are finishing in a newly developed Bespoke paint applied to the Black Badge variants of Wraith, Dawn and Cullinan.

Inspired by the natural world
Taking cues from the natural world – an Australian green tree frog, a Hawaiian tree flower and an exotic butterfly – these limited hues show a Black Badge model bolder in colour, appealing to patrons around the world who want to be different.

“Any pre-conceived notion that Rolls-Royce’s Black Badge variants all have to be black is comprehensively laid to rest by the super-solid Neon Nights colours,” said Sami Coultas, Bespoke Designer Colour & Trim.

Only three of each colour
Created initially for clients in the USA, three further iterations of each colour are available for commission worldwide, making a limited run of just four of each colour.

The Wraith Black Badge (above) is finished in Lime Rock Green, a near-luminous hue naturally bestowed on the Australian green tree frog, which Rolls-Royce Bespoke Paint Specialist Sami Coultas first encountered on a trip Down Under. The interior (below) is swathed in Scivaro Grey leather, with Lime Rock Green accents in the form of stitching and piping.

The striking Eagle Rock Red created for this Dawn Black Badge (above) mimics the flowers of ‘Ōhi‘a lehua, an evergreen tree native to Hawaii. The interior is finished in Selby Grey leather with Koi Red stitching and piping details.

For the Cullinan (below), the Bespoke Collective looked to an exotic butterfly, Rhetus periander for inspiration. Known as the Periander metalmark, this species is found across Central and South America; the vibrancy of its wings is faithfully captured on the Cullinan’s Mirabeau Blue finish. The Arctic White leather interior detailed in Lime Rock Green provides a dramatic contrast.

In all three cars, the Technical Fibre fascia is embellished with a spectacular graphic. The paint effect provides an intense neon glow and depicts the distortion of artificial light with speed.

The Neon Nights cars follow a suite of Black Badges that grabbed headlines at the 2019 Pebble Beach event. There, the Ghost, Wraith and Dawn were presented in Bespoke pastel colours. Such was the demand for these cars that the colour palette was embraced and developed, inspiring a new and dynamic colour palette for Black Badge.

Exclusive Rolls-Royce Wraith with an astronaut’s view

Exclusive Rolls-Royce Wraith with an astronaut’s view

The limitations of the COVID-19 notwithstanding, work still goes on at Rolls-Royce building cars and at the Bespoke department, the specialists continue to create exclusive cars for customers. One such project for a customer in the Middle East is the ‘Wraith – Inspired By Earth’, commissioned through Rolls-Royce Abu Dhabi.

The latest creation takes its design cues from the entire Solar System, and our own beautiful planet as seen from space. The exterior is finished in Royal Blue, representing the 75% of the Earth’s surface that is covered by water. There is also a hand-painted Emerald Green coachline incorporating the Sun and the eight planets of the Solar System – Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

The most striking feature, however, is the bonnet artwork, which depicts a satellite’s view (or that of an astronaut on the International Space Station) of the Middle Eastern region. Centred on the United Arab Emirates, the panorama extends across the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman, all meticulously air-brushed by hand – not just an artwork pasted on – in a process that took over 100 hours to complete.

By contrast, the interior aesthetic focuses on the Earth’s surface and the human and natural life that inhabits it. The seats are made from Moccasin leather to mimic the sands of the Emirates’ deserts; Navy and Cobalto Blue accents are suggestive of rivers and lakes and Emerald Green piping symbolises nature in all its forms. Arctic White ‘RR’ monograms and stitching hint at clouds and translucent running water.

The rear waterfall features a spectacular scene of atmospheric clouds rendered in minutely detailed embroidery using Photoflash technology. On the fascia, the Piano Milori veneer is embellished with a satellite image of the Middle East, so realistic that it appears to be a photograph but in fact is skilfully air-brushed.

The customer’s chosen theme is ideal for having the Bespoke Starlight Headliner overhead. Often showing constellations in the night sky, the headliner in this Wraith is embroidered to illustrate all the planets of Solar System, centred on the Sun.

Other Bespoke details include treadplates, a clock with metal radial background, and inlays showing the planets in silver, with planet Earth accentuated in gold.

“We’re used to clients bringing us grand visions for their Bespoke Commissions, but this provided a new perspective altogether. In our response to the brief, we’ve worked at both the ‘macro’ level, referencing the Sun and planets of the whole Solar System, and the much more personal ‘micro’ level, centring our view of the world on the place the customer calls home,” explained Michael Bryden, Lead Bespoke Designer at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

The Bespoke department is where customers’ most ambitious and personal visions are brought to reality by a collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople. Today, almost every car that leaves the Rolls-Royce factory has also been enhanced and personalised by the specialists Bespoke.

The Starlight Headliner – Bringing the starry sky inside a Rolls-Royce

Aston Martin can design an exclusive garage for you too

Aston Martin is well known for its fine and exclusive cars and even offers personalisation services to make them more exclusive. For those who also want the same design excellence for their homes – or just the garage to house their cars – the British carmaker also offers design services.

Service from Q by Aston Martin
The new design service was introduced a year ago and is an additional business of Q by Aston Martin, the division which does personalisation services for the cars. Known as Aston Martin Automotive Galleries and Lairs, it offers the opportunity for clients to work with the Aston Martin Design Team to create a home that has the car as the centrepiece (if desired).

Ultimate space for automotive displays
Understanding that, to the car enthusiast, the garage would be an important area of the house, a special auto gallery can be designed that either focuses on showing off the car or is part of a larger, integrated entertainment space. It would be the ultimate space to showcase automotive works of art.

One design concept shown as an example for an automotive space houses works of art including the Aston Martin Valhalla and the iconic DB5 in a subterranean circular space. The chosen car sits at the centre of this extravagant design that focuses attention on the car, whilst providing entertainment and leisure areas, along with living space for guests.

Automotive Galleries & Lairs can also come up with a design to fit the era if a customer has a heritage car. The spaces can be for a single car as a piece of automotive art or a full collection of cars in a private museum. These spaces provide an opportunity for people to create their own unique world where they can share their passion for cars with their guests.

The team has already produced interior design work for the 66-storey Aston Martin Residences in Miami, Florida, as well as collaborated on the design of Aston Martin’s global brand centre in Tokyo. The interiors of numerous Aston Martin dealership centres have seen involvement by the design team.

The first private residential estate designed by the Aston Martin service is Sylvan Rock (shown above), in collaboration with S3 Architecture. Located on 22.3 hectares of land in Rhinebeck, 90 minutes from Manhattan in the US state of New York, Sylvan Rock firmly embraces the natural landscape. It is described as ‘a truly visionary example of elegant, post-pandemic design thinking’.

[All images by Aston Martin]

AMR-C01 – the ultimate racing simulator from Aston Martin

Lamborghini offers customers Ad Personam personalisation services online

In the post COVID-19 world (we’re not there yet), close contact is going to be avoided or discouraged to minimise spread of coronavirus infection. Many industries will have to change the way they do things whether within their organisations and for those which deal with the outside world, interaction with customers and clients.

The auto industry, being one of those that has much interaction with customers, is undergoing change with processes that promote social distancing and contactless transactions. Greater attention is being paid to hygiene and the health of staff.

For carmakers like Lamborghini, which has long maintained a personal touch with its customers, there is also a need to review the interactive activities. In particular, the Ad Personam customisation program now has to take into consideration customers who may not wish to travel (or cannot) to the specialist department in Italy.

For such customers, there is now a new Ad Personam virtual studio offering consultation sessions to customers worldwide who want their new Lamborghini to be personalized. From this month, these customers can pre-book an initial consultation of around 2 hours via their dealership, either joining their sales specialist at the showroom or from another location, for their dedicated session with Lamborghini’s specialists.

They will be able to view extensive Ad Personam options on display during the video call to the Ad Personam studio. With the model present, design proposals and configuration suggestions from the Ad Personam team can be discussed using smartphones for walkarounds and to see close-up details. The virtual consultation is followed up with full proposals sent to the client, including renderings and even material samples.

“Lamborghini is always thinking dynamically about the best solutions to challenges, and our new virtual Ad Personam studio consultations have been carefully devised to support clients who, in times where we are all cautious about international travel, still want the special, one-to-one experience of creating an entirely personalized car,” said Giovanni Perosino, Chief Commercial Officer of Automobili Lamborghini.

“We still look forward to welcoming clients to Sant’ Agata Bolognese in the future but we expect more than 150 Ad Personam consultations to take place virtually within this year, and continuing as an option for the future. With the support of our dealers worldwide, who also have significant personalization experience and of course, samples and materials in their own dealerships, we have the exciting opportunity in an increasingly digital age to create one-off Lamborghini models virtually,” he explained.

To celebrate the new Ad Personam facility, Lamborghini announces the Aventador SVJ Xago special edition. Only 10 units are available to those customers specifying their Aventador SVJ virtually. Inspired by the hexagon cloud shapes at the North Pole on the planet Saturn and the strength of the hexagon in nature, the Xago celebrates the iconic ‘hexagonita’ theme in Lamborghini design.

The exterior of the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Xago edition features a specially-created fading hexagonal silver effect, with a unique Ad Personam contrast colour livery for each car and gloss black Nireo Ad Personam rims.

The interior features an exclusive seat pattern with hexagonita theme, and special contrast colour matching the exterior. Each of the Aventador SVJ Xago models will be identified by a numbered plate.

Lamborghini started its Ad Personam program in 2013 and opened its Ad Personam studio in 2016. Today, more than 50% of its cars are given additional attention by Ad Personam specialists after leaving the factory. This percentage has tripled over the last 3 years, with customers in the USA, Asia and UK being the largest number using the personalisation service.

Pearl Capsule gives Lamborghini Urus buyers additional colour choices

Pearl Capsule gives Lamborghini Urus buyers additional colour choices

110 years ago, if you wanted to buy the popular Ford Model T, you had a choice of just one colour – black. Henry Ford decided to offer only one colour, largely because he wanted to maximize economies of scale by buying the biggest volume of paint so costs would be lower. Black was also quick-drying which appealed to him because he wanted to accelerate production.

Today, however, apart from limited edition models, a single colour would not go down well with customers who like freedom to choose. Still, there is a limit to colour choices for mass-produced models because the paint shop can only cater to a certain number of colours at one time. And of course, volume is again a consideration but definitely, there’s more than one colour to choose from!

More exclusive colour choices
Because Lamborghini sells cars which are expensive and exclusive, it is willing to meet almost any demand by customers when it comes to colours. Its dedicated paint shop which opened in 2019 incorporates benchmarking Artificial Intelligence applications alongside combined craftsmanship and technologies, extending the potential and volume for exclusive color choices.

As well as the new pearl colours in yellow, orange and green, reflecting the customer demand for sporty and vibrant exteriors, it has now come out with a new design edition, Pearl Capsule, for ‘new adventures in colour’ for the Urus Super SUV.

First exclusive customization option
This first exclusive customization option for the Urus is created by Lamborghini’s Centro Stile design department. The assertive two-tone exterior finish embraces Lamborghini’s traditional high-gloss 4-layer pearl colours of Giallo Inti, Arancio Borealis and Verde Mantis in combination with high-gloss black roof, rear diffuser, spoiler lip and other details. The sporty matt grey tailpipes are complemented by 23-inch high-gloss black rims with body colour accent.

The interior trim is based on a unique 2-tone color combination, featuring the hexagon-shaped upholstery stitching Q-Citura with logo embroidery on the seat, plus carbonfibre and black anodized aluminium details. Available exclusively on the Pearl Capsule, the optional fully-electric seat features airy perforated Alcantara for exceptional comfort.

The Urus Pearl Capsule for the Urus offers an extended range of colors and features following the first full year of Urus production in 2019. With more than 8,300 SUVs delivered worldwide since its launch, the most popular colour options have been elegant hues of greys, closely followed by Lamborghini’s trademark yellow.

Enhancements for coming model year
Alongside enhanced standard and optional equipment, including the most comprehensive ADAS equipment in its segment, Urus owners will now be able to match their personality even more. They can choose from an updated standard colour palette and a continuously-expanding range of special colours, as well as further interior customization offered by Lamborghini Ad Personam.

“The Lamborghini Urus has attracted an extremely diverse clientele since its launch, with exceptionally varied lifestyles,” said Automobili Lamborghini Chairman & CEO, Stefano Domenicali. “Nearly 80% of those customers – of whom around 10% are women – are new to the Lamborghini brand, enjoying the versatility of their Urus whether for business, family outings or of course, leisure time. The colours preferred by owners has varied enormously, with a strong mix of more understated choices as well as traditional sporty Lamborghini colors.

“The next step for the Urus, appealing to a broad client base looking to continue their adventures everywhere from the city to the sand dunes, from the countryside to ski resorts, is to extend our Super SUV’s features and customizability. Lamborghini’s Ad Personam program and Lamborghini colors are an integral aspect of our brand. The new options allow Urus owners to choose exteriors and interiors reflecting their personality, lifestyle, and their chosen adventures in the Urus,” he explained.

Besides more colours choices, the coming model year of the Urus will offer the richest level of standard equipment in terms of technology, safety and ADAS. Notable product improvements include an exclusive new key design and updated optional Parking Assistance Package, including state-of-the-art Intelligent Park Assist. This system allows the car to park itself by managing steering, throttle and brake for automatic parallel and perpendicular parking, at just the push of a button. Optional equipment includes a new premium Sensonum sound system, featuring a 730W amplifier and 17 speakers.

Lamborghini Huracan EVO Rear-Wheel Drive – for the purists

Lotus shows more views of its Evija all-electric hypercar via a configurator

Only 130 people in the whole world will get to own the Lotus Evija all-electric hypercar. With production of the 2,000 ps car set to start later in 2020 (now dependent on the lockdown situation in Britain), customers will soon be able to specify their personalisation requirements.

The exclusive nature of the Evija means every customer’s car will be unique. Requests for personalisation on every aspect – from striking exterior paint colour combinations to highly detailed interior trim – are all part of the enhanced ordering process.

The starting point for every car’s specification is an all-new touchscreen configurator. Designed especially for Lotus, its ultra-powerful graphics processor creates stunning high-definition ‘photo-realistic’ images and animations. Developed using advanced gaming software, these allow the buyer to build and personalise their own car from the ground up and visualise it from every angle, inside and out.

Thanks to an advanced imaging technique known as ray-tracing, they can even place their Evija into multiple environments around the world to see how localised sunlight levels will affect their choices. The final element is the creation of a fully personalised ‘360-degree fly-through’ film exclusive to each customer.

Lotus has released a series of all-new images of the Evija captured from the configurator. They show a car set inside the Lotus Design studios and finished in stunning Atomic Red with Carbon Black accent pack. They are accompanied by a new animation which additionally reveals the car in Solaris Yellow and Carbon Black.

The configurator is just one element of the Evija experience. At regular intervals during the purchase process, each customer will receive from Lotus a unique gift to reflect the exclusive and technical nature of the Evija. That will culminate in a beautiful handcrafted build book, packed with stunning imagery of the customer’s individual car during key moments of its assembly. The book will be presented to the customer with their Evija key as part of the handover celebrations.

“We know every customer journey will be unique and our highly experienced customer relations team is ready to support any requests. With state-of-the-art digital tools such as the new configurator, we can accommodate customer preferences and requirements from anywhere in the world at the touch of a button,” said Simon Clare, Executive Director for Global Marketing at Lotus.

Lotus Evija prototypes complete high-speed testing as electric hypercar debuts in China (w/VIDEO)

90 options for the Porsche Taycan owner who wants a more personalised car

For some time to come, owning a Taycan – Porsche’s first all-electric sportscar – will already be something special. But there will be owners who want a higher degree of personalisation and for these customers, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur offer up to 90 exclusive options to choose from. The special equipment packages for the exterior and interior are hand-finished with high-quality components so they are of the same standard as the rest of the car.

The highlights among the exclusive options offered by the company’s own manufactory include the Sport Design package in three variants and 21-inch Exclusive Design wheels with carbon aeroblades.

Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur has extended its capacities to coincide with the launch of the Taycan. The factory space was expanded by a third to 2,000 square metres and 4 new lifting platform workstations were added. 150 square metres of storage space was also created and the vehicle logistics were optimised with a direct connection to the finished vehicle loading facility. The team has also grown with the additional vehicle finishing experts.

Exterior options
Three variants of the Sport Design package are available, all giving a more dynamic look. They differ with respect to the inlays in the lower front apron, in the sill panels and in the side fins of the diffuser. Depending on the package, these are painted in the exterior colour or in Black (high-gloss) or are made of carbonfibre.

The LED matrix headlights with Dynamic Light System Plus are available with a 3-dimensional circuit board graphic in the headlight housing as well as daytime running light elements in Glacier Ice Blue. The 21-inch Exclusive Design wheels with aeroblades made from forged and milled carbon combine excellent aerodynamics with lightweight construction: The weight reduction per wheel set is more than 3 kgs compared with a similar wheel variant.

Sporty, high-quality interior
The Carbon interior package is inspired by motorsports. Large areas in the front and rear doors as well as trim elements on the sides of the centre console are finished in matt carbonfibre. The accent package also offers a choice of contrasting colours in the interior, with the front and rear door trims painted in the exterior colour.

The Taycan’s sporty character is accentuated by the seatbelts available in the colours Graphite Blue, Truffle Brown, Lime Beige, Crayon, Blackberry, Meranti Brown, Slate Grey and Bordeaux Red.

About Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur
The customisation of production vehicles is the core competence of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. The more than 30 employees have access to an extremely wide range of visual and technical customisation options for the exterior and interior.

Added to this is a wide range of special colours and high-quality materials such as leather, carbonfibre, aluminium and elegant wood finishes for interior elements. Even customer wishes that are not covered by the 600 order options in the customisation programme can be realised by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur for selected models. The requirements for quality, technology, road safety and full compliance with international laws are all met.

The facility has specialised in personalisation work since 1986. Besides the special customer cars, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur also manufactures limited production runs, such as the recent 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series. As part of the Heritage Design strategy, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur works together with the Style Porsche design department on designing exceptional vehicle concepts which combine the footsteps of history with the contemporary cars of today. The objective is to give exclusive sportscars the finishing touch using contemporary interpretations of design elements from past icons from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Star Wars theme for Porsche Taycan debut in Asia-Pacific region

Creating a rose garden within a Rolls-Royce Phantom

It’s often said that Henry Ford told customers that his Model T was available ‘in any colour as long as it’s black’ and he had valid reasons. The man who put the world on wheels by using mass production processes was obsessed with reducing the time it took to complete a car and by limiting colour choices, it was possible to simplify and speed up assembly. Black paint seemed to dry the fastest too. But that was in the early part of the 20^th century when just having a car was already special.

In the 21^st century, car-buyers have more colour choices and in the upper strata of the market, they can also customise their cars – in the same way as some of the cars in the early 20^th century because they were handbuilt to order. While the majority of car-buyers will accept whatever specifications are offered – but can still choose the colours – those who want something exclusive have many options and services to give them whatever they want.

The challenges from customers
The Bespoke Division at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars offers such services and the company reports that demand for its services has kept growing in recent years. Its designers, craftspeople and engineers are constantly challenged by customers who present unique requirements for their Rolls-Royce. Like the Stockholm-based entrepreneur with an extraordinary passion for flowers.

The customer, with a wife and two of four children named after flowers, challenged the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective to envision a car that immerses its occupants in a beguiling floral scene. The result is the Rose Phantom – a sanctuary of true luxury, a vision of flowers, created with a million embroidered stitches.

[Click here to view the video of the owner talking about his special Rolls-Royce]

Inspired by a rose garden
The Rose Garden at the Rolls-Royce headquarters and factory served as the primary point of inspiration for Ieuan Hatherall, a Bespoke Designer for Rolls-Royce. This Rose Garden is the only place in the world that the Phantom Rose is grown. Bred exclusively for Rolls-Royce by British Rose Breeder Philip Harkness of Harkness Roses, the Phantom Rose grows in the courtyard of the marque’s Global Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence at Goodwood in West Sussex, England.

The Peacock Blue exterior of the Rose Phantom is punctuated with a Charles Blue twinned-coachline that intertwines organically like the stem of a rose, combining to introduce the rose motif, an indication of both the colours and the treatment within. The wheels echo the design and are embellished with a twinned pinstripe, also in Charles Blue.

The rose garden within
On opening the coach doors, one first encounters the embroidery on the inside of the rear doors, but it is not until entering the rear cabin that one fully encounters the extraordinary extent of the satin stitch creation. The Phantom Rose is illustrated in varying stages of maturity, from bud to full bloom, in an asymmetrical design that appears to grow across the roof lining, from the rear of the car. The marque’s fabled starlight headliner illuminates the scene as the roses are interspersed with individually placed fibreoptic lights.

In the rear compartment, Serenity Seating with a soft calf rest cushion adopts the inverted colourway of the exterior as sumptuous Charles Blue leather is accented with Peacock Blue piping. From here, one can admire Phantom’s Gallery, created as a centrepiece of the interior. Stems of embroidered roses climb through the glass fronted fascia, providing a spectacle for the occupants.

At the request of the patron, colour has been introduced in the form of Peacock and Adonis Blue butterflies, imbuing movement to the elegant motif. The family members also played a creative role with his wife designing the umbrellas while his daughter, Magnolia, defined the exterior hue of this Phantom.

Commenting on the work of the Bespoke Collective, Torsten Müller Otvos, Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: “The Rose Phantom is a stunning iteration of a contemporary Rolls-Royce. Our extraordinary craftspeople at the Home of Rolls-Royce have achieved, with this car, something which can only be described as sublime. The work of our Bespoke Collective is the best in the world. When I look at creations like this car, it is with a sense of pride that I know that these skills could not be replicated anywhere else in the world. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest Rolls-Royce Phantoms of its generation.”

Black Badge Cullinan – The King of the Night completes the Rolls-Royce Black Badge family

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