Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan Blue Shadow: A bespoke journey to the edge of space

Rolls-Royce is delighted to present the stunning Black Badge Cullinan ‘Blue Shadow’ Private Collection, exploring the beauty and mystery of space. For this unique creation, leading Rolls-Royce designers drew inspiration from the Kármán Line, the invisible boundary 62 miles above the Earth’s surface, where our planet’s atmosphere ends and outer space begins.

In this mystical, ethereal region, the blue of the sky we see on Earth fades into the blackness of space, creating an intense dark-blue zone where darkness becomes visible. It is a beautiful, silent, mysterious world reserved for a select and adventurous few, perfectly encapsulating the essence of Blue Shadow. This new Bespoke interpretation of Black Badge Cullinan is available exclusively through the marque’s Private Offices and is strictly limited to just 62 examples globally, one for every mile from Earth to the Kármán Line.

The extraordinary, shimmering new Bespoke ‘Stardust Blue’ exterior paint captures the deep blue colour of the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. The finish of the thermal tiles used to shield homebound Space Shuttles from the intense heat of atmospheric re-entry are recalled in the satin-tinted grille surround and aero bumper insert sets.

Drawing further from the materials used in spacecrafts, the Spirit of Ecstasy is created using 3D printing techniques in titanium and finished with a thin layer of blue-tinted lacquer which adds pearlescence while revealing the titanium’s grained texture. The Black Badge infinity logo and ‘Blue Shadow’ Private Collection name are engraved on the Spirit of Ecstasy base and infilled with Charles Blue. Completing the exterior aesthetic, Blue Shadow’s wheels are subtly darkened using a translucent lacquer.

At the Kármán line, the visible edge of Earth’s atmosphere appears as an ethereal blue halo. This transition from blue sky to the inky darkness of space is captured on Blue Shadow’s unique painted fascia and door panels. These were created using six layers of paint, combining five different shades of blue with a deep black hue to produce a mesmerizing three-dimensional effect. The final touch is a clear-coat layer incorporating blue and clear glass particles to add further depth and lustre – the ratio was precisely identified down to a fraction of a percent: it is exactly 0.05%.  The fascia is completed with a Bespoke clock, unique to the Private Collection, which features light blue anodized details and ‘Blue Shadow’ engraving.

With ‘Blue Shadow’, Rolls-Royce have taken the marque’s fabled Starlight Headliner to an even more stellar level: an intricate Moon embroidery, surrounded by an array of ‘stars’, teleports the passengers to the edge of space.  Representing the Moon’s surface with its multitude of craters in three dimensions, the embroidery incorporates five different colours of thread, each applied with a different technique to produce a distinctive texture. In total, the embroidery is created from 250,000 separate stitches – a process that takes two entire days to complete.

Filling the cabin with a gentle glow and a sense of wonder, the Starlight Headliner contains a total of 1,183 ‘stars’ – 799 white and 384 blue – each individually placed in the leather canvas through perforated holes, precisely chalked and punched by hand. To add to the Headliner’s mystique and ambience, the twinkling effect of the fibre-optic ‘stars’ is further enhanced for an even more enchanting glow.

In a first for Rolls-Royce, the front and rear seats feature a unique perforated artwork, inspired by the view of Earth from space. Formed from a multitude of tiny perforations in the leather, the pattern conjures up the impression of organic, ever-shifting clouds swirling over the continents and oceans.

Black Badge Cullinan ‘Blue Shadow’ is available exclusively via the Rolls Royce Private Office. All 62 examples have been allocated to clients worldwide.