Someone better tell Pac-Man that he’s got another ghost to contend with. Gaming’s 8-bit era served as the surprising inspiration for the latest one-of-one vehicle to roll out of Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke division. Though it may sound corny in concept, the finished product somehow merges top-shelf 21st-century coachbuilding and 1980s video arcades.
The Black Badge Ghost Gamer’s exterior sports a two-tone finish featuring Salamanca Blue on the main body and Crystal over Diamond Black on the upper body, an abstract automotive interpretation arcade cabinet color schemes and their displays. A more obvious nod to the theme is the “Cheeky Alien,” a retro motif created from 89 hand-painted 3mm by 3mm “pixel” squares who peaks over the coachline.
“Cheeky Alien” is really the appetizer to the interior’s buffet of geeky elements, beginning with seatback embroideries reading “Player 1” through “Player 4” in 8-bit-esque neon font and headrests featuring the pixelated extraterrestrial. The carbon fiber area between the rear seats, dubbed the “Waterfall,” features inlaid stainless steel flying saucers hovering above a hand-painted lunar scene, which was inspired by early video game cabinets, per Rolls-Royce. The seemingly simple image required more than two weeks of development and several paint swatches before it was created by handvia a combo of brushwork and a sponging technique.
Above that scene is a “Pixel Blaster” rendition of the starlight headliner, featuring a formation of 80 bitmapped battlecruisers that have commandeered Rolls-Royce’s signature “shooting star” light show to instead simulate laser fire. Similarly, the dashboard features a gunship composed of 85 individual stars that illuminate in sequence to create the illusion of motion. The commission is completed with the “Cheeky Alien’s” final appearance on the rear picnic table and illuminated treadplates reading “PRESS START,” “LOADING…,” “LEVEL UP” and “INSERT COIN.”
Being a Black Badge, this Ghost also gets the hi-po version of Rolls’ 6.75-liter V12, featuring 603 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, good for 60 mph in 4 seconds. While the base vehicle probably ran the client around $420,000, there’s no telling how much the “Gamer” facelift cost. “Over the course of a month, we immersed ourselves in the 8-bit aesthetic that defined late 70s and early 80s gaming—from the games themselves and archive imagery of arcade halls, to original promotional and cabinet artwork,” said Rolls-Royce Bespoke designer Joshua McCandless.
“As well as capturing the distinctive color palette, mood and atmosphere of this rich source material, we wanted the client to feel that the motor car itself was an immersive experience—that every time they stepped inside, it would recreate the same thrill they felt when they pressed ‘start’ on an arcade machine for the very first time.”