ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM ARABESQUE: WORLD’S FIRST LASER-ENGRAVED BONNET HONOURS MIDDLE EAST’S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE – AutoMart Canada

• First-ever laser-engraved Rolls-Royce bonnet: a technique five
  years in the making
• One-of-one commission by Private Office Dubai honours Middle
  East’s cultural legacy
• Inspired by mashrabiya latticework, a feature of traditional
  Arabian architecture
• Gallery marquetry artwork mirrors geometric mashrabiya patterns
• Mashrabiya design recurs as hand-painted, embroidered and
  illuminated motifs

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continuously seeks to extend the
vocabulary of contemporary craft, developing new techniques and
materials to interpret time-honoured forms that resonate across
generations and cultures. Phantom Arabesque speaks to that ambition,
exploring Middle Eastern architectural heritage through a newly
patented laser-engraving technique, developed at the Home of Rolls-Royce. 

Curated by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Private Office Dubai, one of
five invitation-only commissioning hubs in key global luxury
destinations around the world, this one-of-one Phantom Extended
celebrates the forms and geometry of traditional mashrabiya
latticework – a defining feature of traditional houses, palaces and
courtyards throughout the Middle East. The mashrabiya pattern is
reinterpreted in various ways: as the first laser-engraved bonnet ever
created for a Rolls-Royce, as an intricate Blackwood and Bolivar
marquetry Gallery artwork, and as a suite of Bespoke motifs subtly
placed throughout the motor car.

ARCHITECTURAL INSPIRATION

In an architectural setting, mashrabiya is built using
intricately carved wooden screens that create privacy, allowing those
inside to look out without being seen. The latticework also encourages
airflow, providing natural cooling for the building’s interior.
Decorative, functional and perfectly attuned to the region’s climate,
these geometric forms are a hallmark of regional craftsmanship and
architectural identity.

“Mashrabiya is one of the Middle East’s best-known and most
enduring design languages. For Phantom Arabesque, we were
inspired not only by its beauty but also by the privacy, light and
airflow it creates. Our aim was to interpret these qualities in ways
that feel both culturally rooted and unmistakably
Rolls-Royce.”
Michelle Lusby, Bespoke Lead Designer, Private
Office Dubai

 
LASER ENGRAVING: A NEW CRAFT FORM BY ROLLS-ROYCE

Phantom Arabesque is the first Rolls-Royce in history to be
graced with a fully laser-engraved bonnet. This newly patented
technique is the result of a five-year development programme led by
the marque’s Exterior Surface Centre. It draws inspiration from the
Italian sgraffito technique – the artistic practice of revealing
contrasting layers of colour by precisely removing upper surfaces.
Five years of experimentation, testing and calibration were required
to perfect a process capable of delivering the depth, clarity and
consistency demanded by Rolls-Royce artisans.

To achieve the effect, the bonnet is first painted in a darker
colour, then sealed beneath multiple layers of clear coat before a
lighter top layer is applied. The geometric mashrabiya pattern is then
engraved to a depth of just 145–190 microns into the uppermost
surface, revealing the darker tone beneath. The result is a richly
textured, three-dimensional surface that catches the light and invites
exploration: a pattern intended to be discovered by both the eye and
the hand.

Each of the engraved areas is meticulously hand-sanded to ensure
an even, sculptural finish. By integrating the pattern within the
paint itself rather than applying it on top, this method achieves an
exceptional level of refinement and durability, while variations in
laser velocity and intensity create subtle visual shifts as light
moves across the surface. The project brought together the full
expertise of the Exterior Surface Centre, with every team contributing
to the development of this new craft form.

“Laser engraving allows us to create a surface that is both
technically precise and visually alive. Developing this patented
process required years of experimentation by the entire team.
Phantom Arabesque is the first expression of a technique that opens
entirely new creative possibilities for future
clients.”
Tobias Sicheneder, General Manager, Exterior
Surface Centre

Phantom Arabesque is presented in a Bespoke two-tone finish,
with the main body in Diamond Black and the upper surfaces in
contrasting Silver. The same colour is used for the single
hand-painted Short Coachline, which is elevated with a mashrabiya
motif. The exterior is further enhanced with an illuminated Pantheon
grille, set within a Dark Chrome surround and complemented by an uplit
Spirit of Ecstasy figurine, as well as 22-inch part-polished alloy wheels.

INTERIOR: A STUDY IN COOL RESTRAINT

Phantom Arabesque’s interior centrepiece is presented within the
Gallery, which runs the full width of the front fascia. An intricate
Bespoke marquetry artwork crafted from Blackwood and Black Bolivar
wood echoes the mashrabiya design cues and is subtly elevated with an
offset clock presented in a complementary dark colourway. 

The interior suite is finished in serene Selby Grey and Black
leathers with Black seat piping and carpets, elevated by contrasting
Black mashrabiya motifs embroidered on the front and rear headrests.
Mesmerising Starlight Doors are trimmed with Selby Grey piping and
Black contrast stitching. Illuminated treadplates bearing a
cross-section of the bonnet engraving motif complete this landmark
commission.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Arabesque was delivered to the commissioning
client from the Middle East, taking its prominent place within their collection. 

Phantom Extended: WLTP combined: CO2 emissions: 373-362 g/km; Fuel
consumption: 17.2-17.7 mpg / 16.4-16.0 l/100km.