The launch of the original Cullinan, back in 2018, marked a “reformulation” of super-luxury motoring, allowing lucky Rolls-Royce customers to experience the brand’s traditional “magic carpet ride,” regardless of the terrain. through which they circulated and the ability to reach any corner of the world on board it. In the six years since then, the Cullinan has managed to attract entirely new groups of customers to Rolls-Royce, profoundly altering perceptions of what a double “R” car is.
When the Cullinan was marketed, the British firm began to observe a trend: that of owners driving their vehicles themselves. Before, less than 70% were the ones who drove; Today, almost all Cullinans are owner-driven, and less than 10% of customers use the services of a chauffeur.
Likewise, Rolls-Royce’s first SUV had a lot to do with the rejuvenation of the brand, contributing to a drop in the average age of customers from 56 years in 2010 to just 43 years old today. The Cullinan is also the most sought-after Rolls-Royce in the British firm’s product portfolio and its owners are concentrated in urban areas, from the world’s largest metropolises to rapidly growing cities in emerging regions, where they use them as their vehicles. diary.
The Cullinan Series II has been created to build on that success by integrating new technologies, new materials, meticulously executed design updates and innovative opportunities for self-expression through Bespoke programs that project each owner’s character.
From a performance and engineering point of view, the ultimate super-luxury SUV (with a 6.75 liter V12 engine and around 600 HP), continues to have true off-road capabilities worthy of the most demanding and hostile environments on the planet. , while offering incomparable comfort.
For its evolution, Goodwood designers, engineers and craftsmen relied on a more energetic, focused and expressive approach, in line with the priorities of today’s super-luxury consumers. In its new appearance, it remains simple throughout and faithful to its aesthetic principles: solidity with serenity, refined robustness and an interior with bolder color combinations and finishes to reflect the exquisite contemporary craftsmanship that characterizes the brand.
To meet the high demands of the super-luxury segment, the most substantial change in the cabin is the pillar-to-pillar glass panel on top of the dashboard, an elegant and versatile design element that brings both digital and physical. The gauge cluster in front of the driver and the new permanently visible central information display are part of the new digital interface that was first introduced in the electric Specter; For this reason, the Cullinan Series II marks the first application of the SPIRIT system in a Rolls-Royce with a V12 engine.
Directly in front of the passenger is an illuminated dashboard panel that is available for the first time on the Cullinan family. This modern craftsmanship technique was previously used in the Ghost and the Specter. This is an urban graphic inspired by the skyscrapers of the world’s megacities at night. This is created using a specially developed technique whereby 7,000 dots are laser etched into the back of toughened and darkened safety glass, each at minutely different angles and dimensions to create the perception of depth.
Another curiosity is the small inserted ‘showcase’ that shows an analogue clock and an illuminated figure of the Spirit of Ecstasy. The figure is constructed of solid stainless steel and stands on its own stage with a matte black back panel and high-gloss side panels to create a reflection effect. Continuing with the chapter of the “eccentricities” that are so valued in this segment, it is worth mentioning the use of botanical-inspired materials for the coverings and upholstery of the Cullinan II.
Among them stands out the use of gray stained ash, a natural open-pore wood with rich grains and a delicate shine. All logs of this species are individually selected and the veneer “leaves” are subsequently dyed by hand; a process that involved more than four years of development.
As for textiles, Rolls-Royce continues to “explore” and uses in this new model a new rayon fabric made from bamboo, called Duality Twill. For a complete Duality Twill interior, up to 2.2 million stitches, about 18 km of thread and 20 hours of construction are required.
The Cullinan Series II integrates another new contemporary artisanal technique developed by the brand’s masters; perforation into the leather creating a pattern inspired by the ever-changing shapes and shadows of the clouds over Goodwood. It is made up of up to 107,000 perforations of 0.8 and 1.2 millimeters, each controlled by a single craftsman to guarantee absolute uniformity.