Rolls-Royce has unveiled the Phantom Hummingbird, a bespoke extended-wheelbase model commissioned by the Private Office in Dubai. The vehicle features intricate interior inlays crafted from abalone shells, marking the first time the manufacturer has utilized this material for automotive decoration.
The design centers on hummingbird motifs, symbolizing joy and resilience. Each hummingbird inlay on the rear picnic tables consists of 53 individual pieces of abalone shell and mother-of-pearl, with 18 pieces dedicated to the wings. Additionally, the rear waterfall panel features a floral pattern composed of 84 shell fragments.
The development process spanned over nine months, requiring six trial attempts to master the delicate processing techniques for the brittle abalone material. The interior combines these inlays with ash burl and silver birch wood veneers, cream-colored leather, and a starlight headliner.
The exterior is finished in a dual-tone paint scheme of White Sand and Wildberry, complemented by a hand-painted coachline featuring a hummingbird. The vehicle retains the standard 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine, delivering 563 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque.
Built on the second-generation Architecture of Luxury, the car achieves a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 5.4 seconds. The use of abalone shells was chosen for their natural iridescence, which mimics the light-refracting properties of hummingbird feathers.
