Extraordinary trip

Tokyo By Night…In Rolls Royce

Tokyo is a city of seductive juxtapositions. With contrasts at every turn and an underlying current of adventure, it is a city as playful as it is formal, never failing to surprise and delight.

By Frank Declerck
Night’s lights in Tokyo, surrundings the Rolls Royce series. Photo MARK RICCIONI

Thus, Tokyo forms the perfect palette for Rolls-Royce’s dark interpretation of the Black Badge, showcasing both bold and ultramodern facades and adventurous, fast-paced characters that go against their own. historical and cultural depth. ‘Black Badge: Tokyo After Hours’ presents the three Black Badge models – Dawn, Wraith and Ghost Black Badge – through the lens of three international photographers. Each of them brings a different take on a shared story that involves playing hard in the metropolis after dark before retreating into the quiet solitude of the city limits. The series of 18 photographs, taken between 2017 and 2019, are brought together here for the first time.

The incomparable luxury of a Rolls Royce interior … Photo MARK RICCIONI

The Japanese photographer Yoshifumi Ogawa looks at his hometown with fresh eyes, starting with the Black Badge Wraith amid the bustling glow of Ginza before winding through the city on the elevated highways and crossing the Rainbow Bridge with the two. black Wraith and black Ghost badges, the skyscrapers forming an urban forest in the shadow of which lie the ancient palace moat and the tranquil temple grounds.

The special opening of the Rolls Royce Dawn Black Badge’s doors. Photo MARK RICCIONI

British photographer Mark Riccioni, fresh off the ‘Phantom Off-duty’ series of photographs in London, is the first of two outsiders to enter the equation. In Tokyo, order and routine quickly give way to a labyrinth of intricate alleys with a life of their own. Mark begins his Dawn Black Badge expedition to Akihabara, the hive of technology and gaming, where neon signs glow in the car’s magma red paint. From there, he ventures into the nocturnal calm of the sleeping industrial giants that are the reclaimed islands of Tokyo Bay, for an open-air view of an open-air theater of lights. As the sun rises, it returns to the residential streets of Nakameguro, a trendy and prosperous town, home to cutting-edge street wear.

Even with its soft top, the Rolls Royce Dawn Black Badge keeps a nice look. Photo MARK RICCIONI

The third perspective comes from photographer Darren Chan. Darren, raised amid the city lights of Singapore, is first drawn to the vivid glow of Shinjuku where the Black Badge Wraith stands like a black stallion in a field of electric flowers. After a bowl of midnight ramen, he quickly leaves town for the freeways that run along Tokyo Bay, the precise and effortless dynamics of the Wraith providing the perfect leaf to clear his head after the intensity of the daily work. In doing so, he makes a modern automotive pilgrimage to the legendary Daikoku Futo – quiet in the early hours – before making a final morning stop at Tsukiji’s timeless outdoor markets, today under the Ghost Black Badge, including the evil orange bus line. lets escape his daring touch.

The Spirit of Ecstasy, symbol of the most luxurious luxury car manufacture. YOSHIFUMI OGAWA

Paul Harris, Regional Director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Asia-Pacific, said: ‘Just as the Black Badge’s aesthetic is at home in the city of Tokyo, these incredible Rolls-Royces have struck a chord with our customers. Japanese customers – just over 40% of the Ghost, Wraith and Dawn models we supply in Japan are in the form of their Black Badge alter egos. The visual diversity of Tokyo’s cityscape is testament to the diversity of the companies that have made the success of Rolls-Royce customers in Tokyo – technology and commerce on the one hand, creative industries and traditional arts on the other. I thank and commend the photographers for capturing the essence of the Black Badge so well in Tokyo.’

The Rolls Royce Black Badge Wraith in the heart of the business district imposes a very ‘business’ darkness. YOSHIFUMI OGAWA

The images will be on display at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Tokyo, 2-7-17 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo from Monday July 8 to Saturday July 13, along with the full range of Black Badge models shown in the photos.

A dream coupe in Tokyo: the Rolls Royce Black Badge Wraith. Photo DARREN CHAN

CO2 emissions and consumption

Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge: CO2 emission: 382-380 g/km; Fuel consumption: 16.7-16.8 mpg / 16.9-16.8 l/100km (#)
Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge: CO2 emission: 378-374 g/km; Fuel consumption: 16.9-17.0 mpg / 16.7-16.6 l/100km (#)
Rolls-Royce Wraith Black Badge: CO2 emission: 370-365 g/km; Fuel consumption: 17.2-17.4 mpg / 16.4-16.2 l/100km (#)

https://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/en_GB/showroom/black-badge-wraith.html

https://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/en_US/showroom/wraith.html

Some watches to wear while driving a Rolls Royce:

For a driver who loves technology:
https://www.my-watchsite.com/blog/as-hard-as-a-diamond-as-light-as-a-feather-n2542/

For an unusual driver:
https://www.my-watchsite.com/blog/dior-grand-bal-the-collection-that-takes-the-watchmaking-world-waltz-a-thousand/

Superb film … to watch with serenity.
If you like champagne and chic aperitifs, this is for you … #maketimealifestyle!