The limits of our atmosphere end at a point 62 miles (100 km) above the planet, and the boundless void of space begins. The barrier between our blue sky and the pitch-blackness of space is marked by a dark blue shadow that is known as the Kármán Line.
Only a few daring explorers have been able to view this line, which is the focus of Rolls-Royce's most recent design. A fresh, limited-edition vehicle from its Black Badge customisation division is the 2023 Cullinan Blue Shadow.
Only 62 of these superbly created vehicles, which utilise a brand-new leather-working process that adds a whole new canvas to the Rolls-Royce range, will be made by the carmaker to commemorate the Kármán range's distance from the planet.
The Cullinan Blue Shadow's leather seats have a design made possible for the first time in the brand's history by the use of two different widths of perforation. These serve as the design's foundation and are meant to symbolise the earth, the oceans, and the clouds that can be seen sweeping over our world from 62 miles above.
The Kármán Line may be seen arcing over the dashboard and onto the door panels as your attention rises up towards the dashboard. Six coats of paint and five distinct tones of blue are used to depict it. The trim is then given a depth and lustre by a clear-coat coating that contains blue and transparent glass particles, making it seem very distinctive.
The interior top then becomes further darker until it reaches the "Edge of Space" headliner, which is made up of 1,183 fibre optic lights (799 white and 384 blue), which together resemble the stars.
However, Rolls-Royce's upholsterers have sewed an embroidered moon onto the headliner to make it genuinely unique. It has 250,000 individual stitches and uses five different colours of thread. It takes two entire days to finish.
The Cullinan's exterior is completed in a new, glittering shade of "Stardust Blue" that aims to imitate the hue seen at the furthest limits of space. A satin-finished grille and bumper inserts that were modelled by the thermal tiles used by returning space shuttles to reflect heat complete the design. The "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament, meanwhile, is composed of titanium that was 3D printed and was then given a thin coat of blue lacquer to give it a pearlescent appearance.
The SUV will also come with a variety of accessories, including a special luggage set and an interior vehicle cover with a pattern modelled after the perforations in the seat leather. For individuals who truly want to celebrate their new Cullinan Blue Shadow, a 1:8 scale replica of their exact example with functional exterior and interior illumination may also be ordered.
The cost of the Cullinan Blue Shadow has not been disclosed by Rolls-Royce, and the SUV is only offered through its Private Office.
