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Not every Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge comes in black

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — When Rolls-Royce recently unveiled the Cullinan Black Badge, the released press photos were of a very black car in a very black environment. But that did not match the car that was actually shown to the press. Quite the opposite, actually. The small event at the BMW Zentrum factory in South Carolina took place at night under a set of bright lights, and the car that came through the curtain wore a bright white body. We were fortunate enough to spend a brief time with the white Black Badge and snapped some photos of its details. As a reminder, all Black Badges have upgraded performance on top of the altered visual cues. Its twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V8 has been upgraded to make 600 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, and the brakes, suspension and exhaust have been retuned as well. We spent an extremely limited amount of time in the Black Badge, so we cannot offer full comments about how it drives, but we can say the exhaust offers a nice insulated grumble in "Low" mode, the quickness off the line doesn't make any sense for a vehicle its size (trust us, it is huge), and it seemed controlled while cruising up the curves onto the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, where these photos were taken.  The white paint exaggerates the parts Rolls-Royce darkens on all Black Badge models. The Spirit of Ecstasy, the grille surround, the inverted badging, the side frame finishers, the trunk handle, the trunk trim, the lower air inlet finisher, and the exhaust pipes have all gone black. Inside, this particular Cullinan has a red leather interior with patterned carbon fiber accents. It also has light contrast stitching, which includes infinity signs, a symbol used on Sir Malcolm Campbell's Rolls-Royce-powered Blue Bird K3 hydroplane. Check out all the details, including the built-in event seats in the trunk, in our massive gallery above. Featured Gallery White Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan View 55 Photos Design/Style Rolls-Royce Luxury rolls-royce cullinan

Recharge Wrap-up: Google Street View maps gas leaks, Rolls-Royce helps kids build electric racer

Google Street View is looking for gas leaks. Natural gas leaks are not only extremely dangerous, they're a terrible waste of resources and, as a greenhouse gas, a threat to the environment. Unfortunately, with the decaying infrastructure in many of America's older cities, they're pretty common, too. That's why Google is teaming up with the Environmental Defense Fund to map gas leaks. With sensors attached to the Street View cars, they are sniffing out methane leaks and documenting them. So far, they've covered Boston, Staten Island and Indianapolis, with Los Angeles and Syracuse up next. Read more over at Gizmodo. Consumer and environmental groups are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to change the way car advertisements disclose fuel economy. Nine groups, including Sierra Club, Union of Concerned Scientists and Consumers Union, want mpg figures to be clearer and more complete. They have requested that when mpg is advertised, that it includes the EPA's city, highway and combined ratings. They also, among other requests, want mile-per-gallon-equivalent ratings for electric cars to state that they are for comparative purposes only, and to include separate gas and electric ratings for plug-ins and range extended EVs. See what else the groups have requested at Kicking Tires. Rolls-Royce has a new electric car, and it's not the 102EX. The luxury automaker worked with a group of elementary school students in the UK to build an electric car for the IET Formula Goblin project, where students build and race their own electric "car." Rolls-Royce lent the 9, 10 and 11 year-olds a bit of engineering and manufacturing assistance to build the car, which they then raced at the Goodwood Motor Circuit. Read more at World Car Fans, or check out the press release, below. ROLLS-ROYCE SUPPORTS LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOL'S RACING DEBUT A team of school children mentored and supported by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars successfully completed the Greenpower IET Formula Goblin race at the Goodwood Motor Circuit on Sunday. The group of 10 boys and girls from Years 5 and 6 built and piloted a specially developed electric car in a race against teams from schools across the UK. 'Team March', from the March CE Primary School adjacent to the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, finished well up the order and scooped the prize for 'Best Bodywork'.

Rolls-Royce Dawn becomes two-seater Silver Bullet convertible

Rolls-Royce has transformed the Dawn, the only convertible in its range, into a two-seater roadster named Silver Bullet. It's a limited-edition model that's part of the company's client-commissioned Collection Cars line. The stately Silver Bullet is "a contemporary interpretation of the classic roadster spirit and driving experience," according to the BMW-owned firm. It's clearly based on the Dawn, both models share their front and rear fascias, but it's finished in a specific hue named Brewster Silver Paint that's a tribute to past Rolls-Royce models, like the Silver King and the Silver Silence. Subtle black trim add a finishing touch to the low-key design. Bigger modifications are found inside, where designers removed the Dawn's rear seats and replaced them with a tonneau cover the brand calls an Aero Cowling. It features a finisher made with vapor-blasted titanium. The images released by Rolls-Royce don't fully reveal the Silver Bullet's interior, but it previously noted each example will feature an open-pore carbon fiber insert and a quilted transmission tunnel inspired by leather jackets. We'd expect nothing less from the purveyors of the most expensive regular-production SUV in the world. Power likely comes from the Dawn's 6.6-liter V12 engine, which is twin-turbocharged to 563 horsepower and 605 pound-feet of torque in its standard configuration. We think the 593-horsepower, 620-pound-feet evolution of the 12 found in the Black Badge model would suit the roadster's touring intentions much better, however. It was designed to be driven, and the brand will organize road trips to encourage owners to put miles on their Silver Bullet rather than storing it in a heated garage for a couple of years and later selling it at a big-name auction. Rolls-Royce noted it will build 50 examples of the Silver Bullet, though how many have been earmarked for the American market hasn't been revealed yet. Pricing information remains under wraps, too, but keep in mind the standard Dawn carries a base price of approximately $350,000 before options enter the equation. Autoblog asked whether any build slots remain available, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Related Video: