This arresting new iteration of Phantom is inspired by Time - how it passes, and how it can be made seemingly to stand still. The collection is strictly limited to just 20 examples, all of which have already been allocated to clients.
The design of the Phantom Tempus
Collection encompasses various aesthetic and intellectual themes
relating to time and the cosmos. A key component is a rare astronomical
phenomenon, the pulsar, unknown until 1967 and found only in the deepest
reaches of space (the nearest yet discovered is 280 light years, or
1,680 trillion miles, from Earth). These very dense, white-hot stars
emit electromagnetic radiation in extremely regular pulses, making them
some of the most accurate clocks in the universe.
In the Phantom
Tempus, this remarkable force of nature is rendered as a centrepiece in a
Bespoke Starlight Headliner consisting of fibre-optic lighting and
intricate Bespoke embroidery, creating the unique and beautiful Pulsar
Headliner.
Another aspect of time - the illusion of its standing
still - is captured in the ‘Frozen Flow of Time’ Gallery. This unique
artwork is housed in the fascia from which the clock is deliberately
omitted to signify patrons’ freedom from time and its limitations. A
single billet of aluminium is milled to form 100 individually contoured
columns, representing the 100-million-year period of a rotational spin
of a pulsar star. Each column is black-anodised and hand-polished to
reflect the light. As the eye travels along it, the whole structure,
though entirely solid, appears to ripple and flex.
A description
of the Gallery can be found on an engraved plaque in the glove
compartment, together with a quotation from Albert Einstein, "The
distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly
persistent illusion".
A swirling, twisting pattern of stars is
presented on the interior of the doors. Created by hundreds of
illuminated perforations, additional perforations in contrasting leather
add a greater depth and detail to the effect, providing an atmospheric
aura even when not illuminated.
The exterior of the Phantom
Tempus Collection is presented in a new Bespoke paint finish, Kairos
Blue, created to embody the darkness and mystery of space. The paint
incorporates jewel-like blue mica flakes, which glitter and glint as
they catch the light, representing the stars. This effect is highlighted
by black exterior detailing.
Gracing the bonnet of the Phantom
Tempus is the Spirit of Ecstasy, now in her 110th year, personalised
with a unique date and location of particular significance to the
client. A marriage, the birth of a child or even a major business
success, can be engraved as a timeless reminder on the base of the
iconic figurine.
As a finishing flourish, a unique accessory has
been developed to accompany the Collection. Based on the widely
acclaimed Rolls-Royce Champagne Chest, the Tempus Champagne Chest
incorporates a distinctive element of the Collection. A pulsar artwork
is hand-painted onto the table, below which, the perfectly appointed
chest houses thermal flasks for chilling both champagne and caviar, four
hand-blown crystal champagne flutes arranged to evoke the cylinders of a
V12 engine and a fine mother-of-pearl caviar spoon.
In response
to continuing travel restrictions and limitations on face-to-face
interactions in dealerships, Rolls-Royce has created a Virtual Reality
presentation for the Phantom Tempus, accessible via the Google Cardboard
app. Providing patrons with a fully immersive, 360° walkaround of the
Collection’s interior and exterior, clients are able to relish the
Phantom Tempus’ extraordinary presence at a time to suit them, wherever
they are in the world.
