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New Rolls-Royce Cullinan spied with production-spec lighting

Few brands ooze luxury like Rolls-Royce. Like Rolex, the name Rolls-Royce conjures up an image of opulence and a certain level of refinement. Just look at all the details on the new 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom. This hard-earned reputation is well-deserved. Still, there's an SUV-sized gap in the automaker's lineup. Crossovers are selling like mad and are easy money for any automaker. Fellow ultra-lux automaker Bentley has already thrown its hat into the ring with the Bentayga. Rolls-Royce's entrant, the Cullinan, looks to be nearly ready for production. We've seen plenty of spy photos of the Cullinan, with each batch revealing more and more. Hell, Rolls-Royce itself anticipated these leaks and released a couple of highly camouflaged official photos. These new photos show off the A- and B-pillars as well as part of the roof. It's not much, but it is more than we've seen until now. The rear end also looks to be much further along in development than before. This is our first look at what appears to be production-spec rectangular taillights. The Cullinan will share a platform with the Phantom, so expect plenty of shared parts. That means the Cullinan will likely get Rolls-Royce's 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 and eight-speed automatic. The 563 horsepower would be down compared to the Bentley Bentayga, but no one buys a Rolls-Royce for pure performance. A hybrid powertrain taken from the BMW 7 Series is also likely. Look for the wraps to come off the Cullinan sometime in the next few months. Related Video:

One-off Boat Tail is the tapered tip of Rolls-Royce's coachbuilding iceberg

Rolls-Royce is open to taking additional requests for one-off cars from its wealthiest clients in the coming years. It doesn't plan to make coachbuilt vehicles the norm in order to maintain their exclusivity, however. Rumored to cost nearly $30 million, the Boat Tail (pictured) introduced in May 2021 demonstrated what the BMW-owned British firm is capable of when money is truly no object. It's the product of a four-year development process that presumably cost several million dollars, and it was built at the request of three anonymous clients. It's the first car made since Coachbuild was promoted to a standalone division with the group, and it's very likely not the last. "Our idea is to maybe do one project every second year. Whether it's three cars or one car will hinge very much on the idea of the clients, and also on our appetite for doing it," explained company boss Torsten Muller-Otvos in an interview with British magazine Autocar. He added Rolls-Royce has the luxury to turn down requests it doesn't like. Precisely what will receive the firm's proverbial green light for production hasn't been specified. We're guessing future one-offs will need to adhere to the company's image, so transforming a humble Fiat 500 into a luxury car, Aston Martin Cygnet-style, is probably very low on the firm's list of priorities. Regardless, one-of-a-kind models won't roll out of the Rolls-Royce workshop on a weekly basis. Executives want to keep them "very rare," the CEO added, even if they receive numerous requests. Supply won't necessarily keep up with demand. What comes next depends on what customers request (and are willing to pay for). Rolls-Royce is open to experimenting with different body styles and different powertrain types, including a fully electric system. It's reportedly working on its first electric model, which could be called Silent Shadow when it enters production, and this foundation could be used to make a coachbuilt car if a customer commissions it. "There is no intention to boost any volume, because the intention clearly is to create projects that are significant for the brand's history in 70 or 100 years or so, and that are truly unique pieces. That also fits quite nicely into the heritage of Rolls-Royce with coachbuilding projects in the 1920s and the 1930s," Muller-Otvos concluded. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Rolls-Royce mulling V16 roadster, SUV

Rolls-Royce may be working on a new, mega-powerful roadster for 2017. CAR reports the convertible would conceivably boast a V16 engine. Of course, the report gets a little muddled here, with CAR saying the engine would be very similar to that of the one that powers the Bugatti Veyron - the French machine makes use of a W16 mill. Even so, the article says the Rolls-Royce version could put down around 700 horsepower. Design wise, we're told the creation will feature a suitably long nose with the passenger compartment pushed far to the rear.
Of course, 2017 is a long way off, and the thought of a 16-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine bowing under the crush of ever more stringent government fuel efficiency and emission regulations seems unlikely. We'll just put this one in the wait-and-see file for the time being. In the interim, you can hop over to CAR for a closer look at the magazine's rendering of the would-be roadster. If a V16 convertible does happen, look for a smug look on Rowan Atkinson's face.
Oh, and about that SUV? There's not much to report, though CAR does note that officials are keeping a close eye on rival Bentley and its plans for a luxury utility vehicle. Rolls brand boss Harald Krüger has even gone so far as to admit "we're regularly debating whether to take action."