Phantom Arabesque: Rolls-Royce Laser-Engraved Bonnet
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continues to expand the language of contemporary craft. It develops new techniques and materials that interpret time-honoured forms and resonate across generations and cultures. Phantom Arabesque reflects that ambition. It explores Middle Eastern architectural heritage through a newly patented laser-engraving technique developed at the Home of Rolls-Royce.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Private Office Dubai curated this commission. It operates as one of five invitation-only commissioning hubs in key global luxury destinations worldwide. This one-of-one Phantom Extended celebrates the forms and geometry of traditional mashrabiya latticework, a defining feature of houses, palaces and courtyards across the Middle East. The design team reinterprets the mashrabiya pattern in several ways. It appears as the first laser-engraved bonnet ever created for a Rolls-Royce. It also features intricate Blackwood and Bolivar marquetry as a Gallery artwork. It then continues as a suite of Bespoke motifs placed subtly throughout the motor car.
In architecture, craftspeople build mashrabiya using intricately carved wooden screens. These screens create privacy and allow those inside to look out without being seen. The latticework also encourages airflow and provides natural cooling for the building’s interior. These geometric forms combine decoration and function. They suit the region’s climate and stand as 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. We aimed to interpret these qualities in ways that feel both culturally rooted and unmistakably Rolls-Royce”, Michelle Lusby, Bespoke Lead Designer, Private Office Dubai.
Phantom Arabesque becomes the first Rolls-Royce in history to feature a fully laser-engraved bonnet. This newly patented technique comes from a five-year development programme led by the marque’s Exterior Surface Centre. It takes inspiration from the Italian sgraffito technique, the artistic practice of revealing contrasting layers of colour by precisely removing upper surfaces. The team completed five years of experimentation, testing, and calibration to perfect a process that delivers the depth, clarity, and consistency that Rolls-Royce artisans demand.
The team achieves the effect by painting the bonnet in a darker colour first. It then seals the surface beneath multiple layers of clear coat before applying a lighter top layer. The laser then engraves the geometric mashrabiya pattern into the uppermost surface n to a depth of 145–190 micrometres, revealing the darker tone beneath. The result creates a richly textured, three-dimensional surface that catches the light and invites exploration. The pattern encourages discovery by both the eye and the hand.
Artisans then hand-sand each engraved area with meticulous care to ensure an even, sculptural finish. This method integrates the pattern within the paint itself rather than applying it on top. It delivers exceptional refinement and durability. Variations in laser velocity and intensity also create subtle visual shifts as light moves across the surface. The project drew on the full expertise of the Exterior Surface Centre, and every team contributed to developing 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.
Rolls-Royce presents Phantom Arabesque in a Bespoke two-tone finish. It finishes the main body in Diamond Black and the upper surfaces in contrasting Silver. It uses the same colour for the single hand-painted Short Coachline and elevates it with a mashrabiya motif. The exterior also features an illuminated Pantheon grille set within a Dark Chrome surround. It pairs this with an uplit Spirit of Ecstasy figurine and 22-inch part-polished alloy wheels.
The interior centres on the Gallery, which runs the full width of the front fascia. A Bespoke marquetry artwork crafted from Blackwood and Black Bolivar wood echoes the mashrabiya design cues. It also frames an offset clock presented in a complementary dark colourway.
The interior suite combines Selby Grey and Black leather with Black seat piping and carpets. It adds contrast through Black mashrabiya motifs embroidered on the front and rear headrests. Starlight Doors create a mesmerising effect and feature Selby Grey piping with Black contrast stitching—illuminated treadplates bearing a cross-section of the bonnet engraving motif complete this landmark commission.
Rolls-Royce delivered the Rolls-Royce Phantom Arabesque to its commissioning client from the Middle East, and it now holds a prominent place within their collection.
