Singapore's first hypercar, the all-electric Dendrobium concept, has made its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show

• Singapore's first hypercar, the all-electric Dendrobium concept, has made its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show
• High performance zero emission two-seater comes from Singapore electric mobility experts Vanda Electrics
• Striking design features an automatic roof and doors, which open in a synchronized manner
• Performance targets are a top speed in excess of 200mph and 0-60mph in 2.7 seconds
• Vanda Electrics' technical partner is Williams Advanced Engineering, the technology and engineering services division of the Williams Group

The covers have come off Singapore's first-ever hypercar, the Dendrobium, which has made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The brainchild of Singapore electric mobility experts Vanda Electrics, Dendrobium is a two seater all-electric sports car concept, which features a striking design and a target top speed in excess of 200mph.

Specializing in battery technology, research, innovation and design, Vanda Electrics is one of Singapore's leading e-mobility companies. Its revolutionary strategy is to develop a range of global electric products that capitalize on the trend towards zero emission mobility and focus on three key segments: luxury, consumer and industrial.

With the launch of a fast-charging zero emission electric light commercial vehicle (http://vandaelectrics.com/pro-anttruck/) and electric mini scooter (http://motochimp.com) taking place later this year, the company has chosen the 2017 Geneva Motor Show to unveil its most exciting model yet, a high performance halo product that will sit in the luxury sector.

A project that has resided within the design team for many years, Dendrobium is finally being realised thanks to the rapid advancements in electrification technology, which allows headturning styling to be combined with high performance, compact e-powertrains.

Vanda Electrics has also engaged a small number of key partners to develop the Dendrobium concept car.

Technical partner is Williams Advanced Engineering, the technology and engineering services division of the Williams Group. The division specialises in a number of core areas that are highly relevant to Dendrobium, including aerodynamics, lightweight structures, vehicle integration and, of course, electrification. Williams Advanced Engineering has taken the project from the design stage to dynamic concept car.

Innovative, dramatic design

Designed by Vanda's in-house team, Dendrobium's remarkable shape incorporates an automatic roof and doors, which open in a synchronized manner, resembling a fully-opened dendrobium flower, a genus of orchids native to Singapore.

This unique feature is not just for show either - it also improves access to the cockpit, making ingress and egress easier than other hypercars. The tear drop shape that forms around the cockpit and ends in the tail - where the plug-in port is located, just behind a panel above the charging light, which shows the status of the car's battery - is a design feature that has remained a key part of Dendrobium from the initial sketches.

Other highlights of Dendrobium's exterior are the aerodynamic floor, rear double diffuser and front splitter. At the back, the rear light bar elegantly floats over the tail of the car, and throughout the design there is pure, motorsport-inspired functionality, such as the exposed double wishbone front and rear suspension. That motorsport theme is continued in the materials used. In order to meet its target weight of 1,750kg, Dendrobium features a composite monocoque chassis, carbonfibre body panels, carbon ceramic brake discs and lightweight alloy calipers inside 20-inch front and 21-inch rear alloy wheels, wrapped in Michelin high performance tyres.

Driver-focused interior

Carbonfibre is also used extensively in the interior, fitting with Dendrobium's minimalist but functional design brief. Step inside and it is immediately obvious that the driver is the absolute centre of attention. He or she enjoys a bright red body-hugging sports seat - which contrasts dramatically with the predominately black interior. Both driver and passenger seats feature stitching and motifs inspired by muscle fibres.

The interior of the Dendrobium concept has been trimmed using leather from Scotland's Bridge of Weir Leather Company, which sources the best hides from the best heritage breeds and has adopted the very latest technology. The result is the lowest carbon tannery and leather product in the world - the perfect material for a zero emission halo model.

Sitting in the driver's eye line is a digital dashboard flanked by two rear-view displays, which take feeds from wing-mounted cameras. All of the dashboard buttons are hexagon-shaped: a recurring design theme throughout Dendrobium, replicated in the air vents, front grille and headlight bezels.

Hyper-mobility: target in excess of 200mph

Although strictly a concept car at this stage, performance targets for Dendrobium are a top speed in excess of 200mph and 0-60mph in 2.7 seconds. The project will feature the latest lithium-ion battery and electric powertrain technology calling on Vanda Electrics' own expertise and, of course, that of technical partner Williams Advanced Engineering.

The Grove-based organization is an electrification world-leader; it is currently the sole battery supplier to Formula E and an electric motor and e-powertrain integration expert thanks to its pioneering F1-bred hybrid systems and its key role in the rapid development of the Jaguar C-X75 supercar.

Should Dendrobium go into production, a layout featuring two inboard-mounted electric motors per axle, with a single-speed gearbox and differential at the front and a multi-speed gearbox and differential at the rear, is envisaged. If Vanda Electrics receives enough positive interest at the Geneva Motor Show, the first model is expected to hit the road by 2020.

Larissa Tan, Vanda Electrics CEO said: "Dendrobium is the culmination of a dream. Our design team has had sketches of an electric hypercar on the drawing board since the mid-90s, but that vision was many years ahead of its time. As electric technology has advanced, we have been able to revisit this vision and now, as we launch our revolutionary global e-mobility strategy, the timing is finally right for us to take the wraps off a halo model.

"Dendrobium is our interpretation and expression of what pushes the boundaries in the development of an electric performance car. We have engaged some expert partners to help us achieve this such as Williams Advanced Engineering. With its skills in electrification, aerodynamics, lightweight structures, vehicle dynamics and integration - and even lowvolume build - we could not think of a more appropriate partner.

"We are looking forward to seeing the world's reaction to Dendrobium. This electric hypercar may just be a concept for now, but we have every intention of putting it into production. It sits at the top of our range and the production version will be a fitting showcase for the best in design and e-technology."

GENEVA - The next Q model from Audi has arrived, the Q8 Sport Concept, and the range continues to grow.

• 3.0 TFSI V6 engine with mild hybrid technology
• Eight-cylinder performance with the consumption of a four-cylinder
• Electric Stop&Go and parking

At the 2017 Geneva Motor Show advanced Electrically Powered Compressor (EPC) technology first used by Audi in the SQ7 TDI will flex its muscle in a TFSI petrol engine for the first time in the Audi Q8 sport concept. 

Demonstrating the vision Audi’s developers and designers have for the dynamic yet efficient SUV of tomorrow, the latest Q8 study combines its EPC with a six-cylinder TFSI and a mild hybrid system – a world first that enables it to deliver an exceptional 476PS output with the efficiency of a four-cylinder equivalent.

Augmented by the compressor and Mhev system the 3.0 TFSI engine powers the Q8 sport concept from 0 – 62mph in just 4.7 seconds and keeps going until it reaches its top speed of 170mph. 

Meanwhile, its range of more than 745 miles ensures it is also suitable for long journeys. Thanks to the superb recuperation performance of 20 kW, this imposing SUV holds a considerable fuel economy advantage over a model equipped with a regular TFSI six-cylinder engine without mHEV system, and its CO2 output also shows a 25 g/km improvement.

“The drive system of the Audi Q8 sport concept is a major step towards optimising efficiency and sustainability in large-volume series production. The combination of mild hybrid technology and a TFSI engine sets a new benchmark for the synthesis of electromobility and combustion engines. In the future, this combination will be used in many Audi models,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management at AUDI AG.

Highly efficient power package: the drive system

The architecture of the drive system in the new Audi Q8 sport concept is revolutionary: for the firsttime ever, Audi is combining a 450PS 3.0 TFSI six-cylinder engine with an electric powered compressor and an effective mild hybrid system for recuperation. The starter generator positioned between the crankshaft and the transmission handles recuperation and, if required, can work in the opposite direction as an additional electric motor. The 48-volt electrical system assures the supply of electrical power.

For the customer, this approach has a number of advantages: the energy recovered as part of recuperation can, if required, be used to increase performance. During boost operation – where the combustion engine and electric motor are used simultaneously – the electric motor’s additional 20 kW of output and its torque of 170 Nm (125.4 lb-ft) open up a total of 350 kW of power to the engine and bring its total torque up to 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft). The result is forceful acceleration at any speed and any point in the rev range.

Positioned at the rear under the luggage compartment, the lithium-ion battery with an energy storage capacity of 0.9 kWh makes it possible to keep moving slowly in stop-start traffic with the combustion engine switched off, as well as allowing for manoeuvres and parking under electric power alone. During braking, efficient recuperation using the 20-kW-strong starter generator quickly recharges the battery to ensure that the vehicle can regularly be driven under electric power.

In addition to the two exhaust gas turbochargers, the electric powered compressor provides the Q8 sport concept with an additional kick by supplying the three-litre six-cylinder engine with fresh air. The electric powered compressor supports the turbochargers at times when the exhaust gas is insufficient for rapid development of power. It therefore opens up delay-free acceleration to the V6 petrol engine – something previously only known to diesel engines and electric motors. It’s a recipe for success which already works impressively in the series production Audi SQ7.

The electric powered compressor is positioned in a bypass downstream of the intercooler, i.e. close to the engine. Instead of the turbine wheel, it integrates a compact electric motor. It accelerates the engine’s compressor wheel up to 70,000 rpm in less than 250 milliseconds. With the support of the electric powered compressor, the power of the 3.0 TFSI is always rapidly available as soon as the accelerator is depressed, even at low engine speeds. When driving off, the SUV immediately takes a lead of several metres ahead of the competition. During comfort-oriented driving, the electric powered compressor technology prevents unnecessary downshifts and thus keeps the engine speed at a low level. Meanwhile, keen drivers will appreciate the instantaneous delivery of power when exiting corners.

The Q8 sport concept drive system with its V6 TFSI and additional electric motor supplies the performance of a true eight-cylinder engine, yet with the fuel consumption of a frugal four-cylinder. That’s because, compared with a similar engine without mild hybrid system, the consumption reduces by more than a litre per 100 kilometres, despite serving up 20 kW of additional power. The total range of the Q8 sport concept equipped with an 85-litre fuel tank is more than 745 miles.

When driving, the drive system management controls the operating states of the Audi both intelligently and flexibly: the luxury SUV can boost, coast and recuperate as appropriate for the situation. The predictive efficiency assistant is a standard feature which supports the driver by supplying greatly detailed information on the vehicle surroundings to the control unit. Route data from the navigation system and Car-to-X services from Audi connect are also taken into account.

High-tech from production models: drivetrain and suspension

In the Audi Q8 sport concept, the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system transfers the power of the drive system to the road with supreme control. Even for its wide-track chassis, the technology study makes use of the latest high-end solutions from the luxury-class product portfolio. The adaptive air suspension sport – an air suspension system with controlled damping – allows for a broad spectrum of ride characteristics, ranging from cushioned cruising to firm and tight handling. Furthermore, it sets the ground clearance in five levels with 90-millimetre height differences, selecting the ideal level in each case. The front and rear axles are engineered as lightweight five-link constructions.

Audi mounts 305/35 tyres on the large 11J x 23 wheels. The five intertwining Y-spokes project a powerful image. Ceramic brake discs measuring 20 inches in diameter effortlessly decelerate the Audi Q8 sport concept.

Dynamic lines and high-tech design details

At first glance, it is clearly a highly dynamic and luxurious Audi – that’s how the Audi Q8 concept study was received at the 2017 Detroit Motor Show. The debutant in Geneva is an even more sporty variation of this composition and is also an elegant alternative to the robust presence of a classic Sport Utility Vehicle. The Q8 and Q8 sport concept are synonymous with prestige and technology in all areas.

At 5.02 metres long, the Audi Q8 sport concept makes an impressive mark on the luxury class. Thanks to a wheelbase of three metres, the show car offers plenty of space for passengers and luggage. Despite the sloping, coupe-like roofline, even the rear-seat passengers enjoy ample head and shoulder room. The new operating concept uses large touchscreens in the cockpit, rounded out by an expanded version of the Audi virtual cockpit and a contact-analogue head-up display. The latter uses intelligent augmented reality technology that merges the real and the virtual worlds.

Viewed from the front, the 2.05 metre wide Audi Q8 sport concept looks imposing. A distinguishing feature here is the octagonal Singleframe grille. It is a sculpted piece and is significantly wider than in today’s Audi production models. Its surface has a honeycomb lattice structure overlayed with aluminium segments, whilst the surround is painted in a contrasting colour. As is typical of Audi Sport models, the outer air inlets are much larger compared with the basic model – a sign of the greater air requirements of the high-performance power unit. A distinctive body-coloured blade forms the bottom edge of the bumper.

The flat, wedge-shaped headlights of the Audi Q8 sport concept are integrated into the front end and, from a design perspective, are connected with the adjoining air inlets. The individual light elements have a glass cover, but the entire headlight units are not enclosed. This creates the impression that they are free in space. Their aluminium housing carries over the sculpture of the Singleframe. An x-shaped, blue laser light signature accentuates the digital Matrix laser technology used for the low and high beams. Broken down into more than one million pixels, their light can illuminate the road in high resolution and with precise control. Located below the edge of the bonnet is a narrow LED light guide that emits the light for the dynamic turn signals and the daytime running lights. It wraps around the outside of the headlights, where its ribs create an innovative e-tron signature. All lighting functions are dynamic.

Powerful: the side view

The silhouette of the Audi technology study also evokes tautness. The doors have no window frames and thus contribute to the flat roofline. The Audi Q8 sport concept is 1.70 metres tall. All lines on the body climb upward dynamically toward the rear – the bottom edge of the side windows, the shoulders, the dynamic line and the sill line. The surfaces of the fenders, doors and side panels are athletically curved. The lower section of the doors form a deep fillet. Other design features are the quattro logo milled below the rear doors as well as the carbon-fibre exterior mirrors with their multifaceted edges. The doors are opened using touch elements: as soon as the sensors in the Audi rings on the B or C pillar are touched, the door simply pops open to a defined position.

The extremely flat and very wide C-pillar is reminiscent of the original Audi quattro from the 1980s, as are the strongly flared shoulders over the wheels. This places the concept car in a logical line with the show cars of the Audi Prologue series. The balanced proportions of the Audi Q8 sport concept emphasise the front and rear wheels equally – that, too, is typical quattro. Compared with the Q8 show car from Detroit, the wheel housings have been widened by a further 12 millimetres. The strongly accentuated wheel arches feature a double design. The sill region of the doors shines in brushed aluminium, ensuring an intriguing contrast to the show car’s krypton orange paint finish.

Flat and compact: the rear

A long roof edge spoiler shades the extremely flat rear window of the Audi concept car. A doubly-shaped spoiler lip below it forms a distinctive contour on the power luggage compartment hatch. The light strip extending over the entire width of the rear end is part of the distinctive light signature. It serves as both the tail and brake lights as well as the dynamic turn signals.

The outer light elements are edged by aluminium blades whose inner strut is drawn broadly into the rear of the vehicle. The individual elements of the tail lights are also designed to be open, and all lighting functions are dynamic.

The license plate on the Audi Q8 sport concept is located under a black trim strip between the lights. The diffuser is made of aluminium, while its crosspiece is in high-gloss carbon fibre. Set in the diffuser, the oval exhaust tailpipes are equally striking in their design thanks to their brushed aluminium surface.

Luxury lounge for four: the interior

The interior of the Audi Q8 sport concept offers opulent spaciousness for four persons and their large suitcases. The luggage compartment has a capacity of 630 litres. Widely stretched lines lend the cockpit an elegant ambiance. Virtually floating above the centre tunnel is a console for the shift-by-wire lever with which the driver controls the eight-speed tiptronic transmission purely electronically.

The wrap-around begins in the front doors. This large, horizontal arc runs along the lower edge of the windscreen and frames both the driver’s and front passenger’s seats without hemming in the occupants. The sport seats as well as the two individual seats in the rear are made up of segments that appear to be separate geometric bodies, from the pronounced side bolsters to the head restraints. A horizontal aluminium trim piece divides the backrests at the height of the window belt line.

The instrument panel with its distinctly horizontal character descends in steps toward the interior. The central control and display surfaces are integrated into the “black panel” – a glossy black strip framed by an aluminium surround. When switched off, the screen is invisibly embedded in the surface and the lines flow harmoniously. When the display is in operation, it assimilates perfectly into the design line. In the front passenger area, the black panel features a graphical quattro badge. The arrow-shaped inlays in the doors pick up the expressive design. Filigree aluminium bars integrated into them serve as door openers. When dark, LED light guides illuminate the interior with white light.

The colours and materials in the Audi Q8 sport concept provide for a cool and dynamic atmosphere. One highlight is the three-dimensional, engineered grain on the instrument panel, doors and floor. High-gloss carbon-fibre applications with a new, abstract woven structure, as well as aluminium strips and frames set accents. Their brushed finish is comparatively dark. Brightness increases gradually from the headlining to the centre console in graduated grey tones from steel grey to pastel silver.

The technical materials in the Audi Q8 sport concept contrast with the soft surfaces. The seats are covered in a combination of Fine Nappa leather and Nubuk leather, both in pastel silver. The upholstery is pulled around the trim piece that divides the backrests – here, the inside becomes the outside. The head restraints are covered with a structured textile of a colour similar to that of the leather elements.

New ways: controls and displays

The elegant interior architecture of the Audi Q8 sport concept merges with a ground-breaking control and display concept. Information and commands are passed primarily through touch displays augmented by the Audi virtual cockpit future and a contact-analogue head-up display. All displays feature a new “digital design” that concentrates systematically on only the most important things.

The contact-analogue head-up display projects important displays onto the windshield in the driver’s direct field of view, seemingly placing them in the real environment. A navigation arrow, for example, appears in the same position as an actual arrow on the road – an intelligent application of augmented reality. The notifications from the driver assistance systems also merge the virtual and physical worlds.

The Audi virtual cockpit future is even more dynamic thanks to new functions and, with a resolution of 1,920 x 720 pixels, it displays graphics with more detail than ever before. In “auto” display mode, the 12.3-inch TFT display offers generous space for maps, lists and additional information. The top-down map view visualises the selected route. When zooming in, the current position and surroundings are displayed in 3D. Through the buttons on the steering wheel, the driver can switch to “performance” mode. The needles of the speedometer and powermeter now appear in a three-dimensional perspective display.

All other screens in the Audi Q8 sport concept are touch displays. The great strength of this principle is the direct, fast and intuitive operation. Drivers select each function exactly where they see it. By implementing touchscreens, Audi was also able to further reduce the number of buttons, switches and levers. The interior now appears even neater and more streamlined.

The MMI display in centre of the dashboard is used to control the infotainment system and vehicle settings. A display for the climate control system is integrated into the diagonally sloping section of the centre console. While using this display, the driver’s wrist can be rested comfortably on the low selector lever of the eight-speed tiptronic.

If the sensors in the seat detect a front-seat passenger, the touchscreen shows their climate control settings. If the driver is alone, this function is deactivated. Another smaller touchscreen to the left of the steering wheel is reserved for the lighting functions.

GENEVA - Rolls ROyce will showcase why it is the best brand in the world at this years show.

At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Rolls-Royce will show why it is considered to be the world’s leading luxury house by showcasing the full breadth of its Bespoke capabilities. 

The facets of Bespoke tailoring, Bespoke engineering and Bespoke jewellery will demonstrate to every connoisseur who commissions a Rolls-Royce that they can count on having their desire for a truly personal motor car, that reflects who they are, fulfilled in the most fitting manner to them. In short, they can be assured that Bespoke is Rolls-Royce.  

‘Dawn - Inspired by Fashion’ will, with its Spring/Summer 2017 collection of three colour schemes, show how Bespoke means complementing the fine couture our patrons wear from day to day. 

Wraith Black Badge, a motor car Bespoke-engineered to suit its younger, edgier customers will demonstrate that at Rolls-Royce, Bespoke is anything but skin deep.

And one patron has allowed Rolls-Royce to show the Geneva crowds that only they can “create the unimaginable” by showing the Elegance, the ultimate expression of luxury with the luxury world’s first Diamond paint finish.

Such cars are considered works of art by their collectors and owners, and in homage to this status, Belgian artist, Charles Kaisan, has created a Bespoke sculpture for the Rolls-Royce Art Programme that will adorn the Rolls-Royce stand for the duration of the Geneva Salon.

Elegance

This year, Rolls-Royce brings Elegance to the Geneva International Motor Show, a car inspired by something that cannot be bought, but is innate…style. 

The lifestyle of the Rolls-Royce customer is like no other. They are unapologetic in their lifestyle choices and are proud to showcase this to the world. In the words of Coco Chanel, “Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future.”

One such connoisseur of luxury has chosen to share their personal vision of elegance with those who attend the Geneva Motor Show this year; the Rolls-Royce Ghost Elegance, the first luxury motor car to be finished in a paint created from diamonds.

Only Rolls-Royce, with the skilled craftspeople who reside in its paintshop, could have created a paint made from 1,000 crushed diamonds. Named ‘Diamond Stardust’, this is the most luxurious and lustrous exterior ever seen on a motor car, and the most expensive paint to grace the body of a Rolls-Royce.

Commissioned for an individual collector, this unique motor car takes the term Bespoke to the next level.

This exclusive paint was created by the craftspeople at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood by subjecting 1,000 ethically-sourced diamonds to a special process.

This process saw the diamonds go through extensive testing to ensure their radiance when used in a paint. Goodwood’s Technical Laboratory Leader, Paolo Travaglia, and his team of paint specialists, Rawdon Evernden and Joseph Piotrowski, spent two months of concentrated testing to achieve the perfect result. Examining the dimensions of the precious stones with the use of a high-powered microscope, the team carefully analysed their transmission and reflection of light. The density and strength of the diamonds created a challenge for the team to produce an easy marriage with the clear paint and its ability to spread gracefully over a surface, leaving the diamonds undetectable to the touch.

This process resulted in the creation of a very fine diamond powder which was then mixed into the paint. Additionally, a new and unique paint process was developed, including the application of an extra final layer of lacquer to protect the diamond particles during the hand-polishing process. This process added an extra two days of paint application by hand and a further day of finishing.

Applied to the top section of the car, the paint finish glistens like no other, making this a motor car to be recognised and appreciated. Just like its owner, the car exudes unapologetic luxury and grandeur.

The final elegant exterior touches to this one off Rolls-Royce Ghost have been applied by master coachline painter, Mark Court, with a squirrel-hair paint brush. The flanks of the motor car are accented with Mugello Red and Black twin coachlines. To enhance the exterior further, the centre of the 21 inch wheels are hand-painted with a Mugello Red pinstripe. Last but not least at the prow of the car, showcased in all her glory, an uplit Spirit of Ecstasy guides this unique Rolls-Royce, and its owner, into the future.

The interior of this unique Rolls-Royce Ghost also communicates the elegant tastes of its owner. Chauffeur and passenger areas are clearly demarcated as in the early days of luxury motoring. The chauffeur’s ‘cockpit’ features black leather seats with accents of Mugello Red stitching on the doors, and piping on the seats. The colour black is continued in the lustrous carpet and lambswool footmats. The detailed fascia of smooth open pore Tudor Oak veneer is also complemented with a Mugello Red single stitch along the top of the dashboard, and finished with a Bespoke clock.

Adorning the rear sanctuary, the lounge seat is contoured with Selby Grey soft leather and also accompanied with Mugello Red stitching and piping. The inner pockets of the rear doors are lined with a favourite material of the owner; a Grey, Black and Red Tartan. 

Haute Couture meets Rolls-Royce 

“Style is very personal. It has nothing to do with fashion. Fashion is over quickly. Style is forever.”

Ralph Lauren

For the first time at a public motor show, The House of Rolls-Royce presents its full Spring/Summer 2017 Couture collection that is ‘Dawn - Inspired by Fashion’. 

The world of Fashion and Rolls-Royce have created a shared value of providing their clients with the ability to have the finest luxury goods, tailored to their tastes and lifestyles. It is Rolls-Royce clients who are seen in the front rows of the best Couture shows, a part of the world’s fashion elite. As today’s taste makers, it is their take on design and style which transforms the direction fashion moves in.

Design Director, Giles Taylor, and his team of talented designers at the Home of Rolls-Royce in West Sussex, who are responsible for the most intricate embroideries and textiles offered by the brand, carefully selected Andalusian White, a pure colour from the eclectic palette of the Rolls-Royce paints, to be the canvas for the motor car accented in three vibrant colours; Mugello Red, Cobalto Blue and Mandarin. The 2017 Geneva Motor Show is the first time all three choices have been seen together.

Like the clients who will be drawn to this collection, the car represents simplified, classic style. As featured on numerous catwalks throughout London Fashion week, colour blocking, said to have originated from the artwork of Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian, is a bold trend that sees opposite colours paired together to make interesting and complementary combinations. This current fashion trend features as the main garment on the car, a brightly-coloured canvas roof that unfolds in a ‘Silent Ballet’.

The Arctic White leather of the seats, truly a bold and distinctive colour, displays seamless handcraftsmanship through the piping, stitching and embroided RR monograms on all four headrests. The dashboard is lacquered with a clean Piano White wood finish, whilst the interiors of the coach doors are accented with that classic fashion staple, Black. Setting off this monochromatic treatment, the inside of the door pockets are lined with fine-to-the-touch patterned tailored silk, in one of the three vivid colours, a colour that also flows onto the hand-stitched two-tone steering wheel, which sits in the owner’s hand as comfortably as would any fine holdall or handbag.

Wraith Black Badge

“Black Badge is an attitude to life, an aspect of the Rolls-Royce brand that appeals to those people who are elusive and defiant, the risk takers and disruptors who break the rules and laugh in the face of convention. They are driven by a restless spirit. They play hard and they change theworld.”

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars 

Bespoke is not simply a cosmetic exercise for Rolls-Royce, as demonstrated by the world’s leading luxury brand at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show when it launched Black Badge, the alter-ego of the marque. In addition to creating a Rolls-Royce that appealed visually to the aesthetic of a younger, edgier customer, the marque understood that those customers also demand something more – bespoke engineering that delivers on what this Rolls-Royce’s looks promise.

Sir Malcolm Campbell, Howard Hughes, Keith Moon, Yves Saint Laurent, Muhammad Ali and our own Charles Rolls to name a few, young gentlemen in a hurry, driven by their restless spirits to change the world in their own way. Untrammelled by social convention, these disruptors lived life on the edge, believing the ultimate power to be self-empowerment, pushing every boundary to realise their personal vision. Glamorous and daring, they lived fast, worked hard and played hard.

Today’s generation of young, self-empowered, self-confident rule-breakers are just as uncompromising and unapologetic in their choice of living and lifestyle as their predecessors. They follow the road less travelled, live the unconventional life, darkly obsessed by their own pursuits and accomplishments from which they derive a pure adrenaline rush.

Over recent years, many such individuals have gravitated towards the revitalised Rolls-Royce Motor Cars as the brand most appropriate to encapsulate their truly individual lifestyles, much as their celebrated predecessors did in days past.

Always pushing their own boundaries, they have asked Rolls-Royce to do the same. Excited by the infinite possibilities that its Bespoke approach offers, they have asked the marque “to produce a Rolls-Royce like no other, a Rolls-Royce that not only appeals to, and projects, our sensibilities, but is fundamentally different – like us.”

And, always ready to deliver a truly Bespoke answer to meet the customer’s desire, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has once again demonstrated its true luxury credentials as the world’s leading super-luxury brand. Rolls-Royce has transformed the very icons of its brand to access a darker side of its character more suited to this breed of successful people.

The result is Black Badge.

Already the most powerful Rolls-Royce in the world at 623hp (465kw), Wraith has always been the most driver-focused car in Rolls-Royce’s model range. However, understanding how driven this new breed of customer is and their wish to push the boundaries of life, Rolls-Royce’s engineering team worked painstakingly to give this most phenomenal fastback coupé a uniquely discernible extra edge.

By combining an extra wave of torque (+70Nm) with the already existing high power output, a completely redesigned air-suspension set up, new drive shafts and uprated 8-speed transmission, Rolls-Royce has produced an even more driver-focused, agile Wraith, while at the same time preserving the intrinsic elements of the effortless Rolls-Royce Magic Carpet Ride.

This Bespoke engineering, combined with the Black Badge aesthetic of the inverted RR-badge, Black Spirit of Ecstasy, blackened brightwork, and more masculine colour-blocking in the interior have proved a transformative moment for Rolls-Royce, opening it up to a new alternative clientele who expect something different from the brand. 

Charles Kaisin 

“Rolls-Royce, for me, signifies ultimate luxury. To be given the opportunity to partner with such a marque is a great privilege. Rolls-Royce has provided me with an enriching environment which has in turn allowed me the freedom to explore and push the boundaries of my own work.”

Charles Kaisin

In collaboration with the Rolls-Royce Art Programme, Belgian-born Artist Charles Kaisin has created a magnificent art installation for the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. 

The piece,3.1m in height, 2m in width and 2.1m in depth, is truly a magical piece which floats gently in the air. Created from individual hand-made origami pieces, it replicates Rolls-Royce’s captivating muse, a figure which graces the bonnet of every Rolls-Royce, the beloved Spirit of Ecstasy. 

To encapsulate the full silhouette of the Spirit of Ecstasy, each piece of 25cm by 25cm mirrored square, is hung precisely, to avoid compromising the muse’s true form.

In total, the art installation consists of 3,000 identical hand-crafted origami pieces. From multiple angles, the unique design demonstrates the level of craftsmanship, inventiveness, vision and attention to detail that Kaisin, Design teacher at Saint-Luc, Architecture School in Brussels, excels in. Just like the graceful figure that proudly guides each Rolls-Royce, this breath-taking framework, reflects light from its mystical figure allowing shadow and light to collaborate. 

Kaisin has showcased the attitude of freedom and the pursuit for individuality, an attitude that is reflected in many customers who truly embrace their liberty to create Bespoke Rolls-Royces. 

The installation takes a team of three people, three days to complete. Like a Rolls-Royce, this is an unprecedented piece of hand-crafted excellence.

To view this truly Bespoke collection of motor cars and this art work, Rolls-Royce invites members of the press to a Champagne reception at 16.30 on Tuesday 7^th March 2017 on the Rolls-Royce stand (6041, Hall 6) where Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, will give a short speech confirming that Bespoke is indeed Rolls-Royce.