Rolls-Royce Celestial Phantom at Dubai Motor Show most expensive ever

Rolls-Royce unveiled their most valuable car in history, the Celestial Phantom, at the 2013 Dubai Motor Show. It was made to celebrate the handover of the first Phantom to its owner back in January 2003. Other Rolls-Royce models to make their GCC debut were the Phantom Coupe Chicane, the Alpine Trial Centenary Collection and the Wraith.

The Celestial Phantom gets a special paint with embedded fine glass particles. Inside, it gets high-quality leather everywhere in ‘Dusk’ hue. Features are aplenty, including bespoke glassware and a picnic set. The car that was featured on the first day of the Dubai Motor Show has already been sold and has already been shipped out to the customer living in another part of the world.

Also making its debut was the Bespoke Phantom Coupe Chicane. It incorporates design cues and materials that evoke Goodwood’s rich motor sport history. The interior gets wood-finish with carbon-fibre inserts. The exterior gets gunmetal shade of paint, with the hood and windscreen surround finished in matte black. Coloured wheels matching the main exterior paint finish are also specified, the first time such a feature has adorned a Rolls-Royce.

The Alpine Trial Centenary Collection was inspired by a key moment in Rolls-Royce’s history. A century ago, four Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts embarked on the Austrian Alpine Trials, the most arduous test of automotive endurance of the time. The cars performed very well on those tests to increase the brand’s reputation as one of the best cars built in the world. This is the first time a Bespoke model has taken inspiration from a heritage Rolls-Royce, with this limited edition of Rolls-Royce Ghost featuring design cues that pay tribute to the 1913 Alpine Trials cars.

The Rolls-Royce Wraith coupe also made its Middle East Debut at the Dubai Motor Show, although it’s already on sale for a while now. The Rolls Royce Wraith is the fastest Roller ever and is powered by a 624 hp V12 engine with 799 Nm of torque, mated to an 8-speed automatic. The 0-100 kph run takes 4.6 seconds, and to keep you quick on twisty roads, the automatic transmission shifts gears using a new satellite-guided tech that works with GPS to pre-select the right gear for the road you’re driving on, as well as seeing what road is coming up ahead.

Other features include the “on-board valet” voice commands to input instructions and data into the navigation and infotainment systems, while a “Spirit of Ecstasy” rotary controller accepts inputs via a touchpad that offers pinch-to-zoom and character-drawing functionality. There’s also lots of leather and wood trim, as well as the unique Starlight fibre-optic headliner from the Phantom coupe, for that starry effect at night.

For prices and specs, check out the Rolls-Royce buyer guide.