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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:

Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge combines elevated power, style, luxury

For once, a black-themed special-edition vehicle actually has some depth. And it had better, because it's a Rolls-Royce. The new Cullinan Black Badge is not simply an SUV with black exhaust tips, a black grille, and black trim work, though it does have all three. In addition to a myriad of design treatments, some of which have never been applied to a Rolls-Royce, the Cullinan BB has increased power, a sportier drive setup, and unique features specific to this vehicle.  One of the most significant upgrades between the base Cullinan and the Black Badge is the performance. Rolls-Royce finessed the twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter to make 600 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, both up from 563 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque. Zero to 60 takes only 4.9 seconds, and it tops out at 155 mph. The Black Badge also has "intuitive throttle," which makes the ZF eight-speed transmission shift a little more aggressively, and a "low" button on the gear shift opens up a deep-voiced exhaust note. Furthering the package, Rolls-Royce made changes to the suspension components and settings to ready for lively driving. A higher brake point in the pedal travel and redesigned high-temperature-resistant brake discs help keep the SUV in check. This is also the first time ever a Rolls-Royce has used colored brake calipers.  Said to represent the style of a younger generation, "permanent bespoke" Black Badge vehicles undergo a dark transformation. We say dark, because black is not the only paint option. A white model was also shown at the unveiling and contrasted well with other darkened parts on the SUV. Apparently, each paint job is hand-polished for up to five hours to ensure peak shiny. Rolls-Royce emphasized how big of a deal it was to use a black Spirit of Ecstasy, which changed color thanks to a chemical process, not paint or wraps. The inverted badging, grille surround, side frame finishers, trunk handle, trunk trim, lower air inlet finisher, and exhaust pipes also received black makeovers, and new 22-inch black and silver wheels adorn each corner. Inside, "The King of the Night," as Rolls-Royce says (guess that title is available after the last season of "Game of Thrones"), has more all-new features. Crafted with a leather headliner and 1,344 fiber optic strands, the Starlight ceiling is introduced to the Cullinan with eight white shooting stars integrated into the pattern. The carbon fiber has been redesigned with aluminum weave and shows off a 3D geometric pattern.

Six luxury-car features I'm ashamed to admit I love

A hot compress felt wonderful on my sore back. The methodical kneading of my shoulder blades loosened the knots that formed over several hours of driving. The Swedish-style pulses firing into my lumbar region released more tension.
I wasn't getting a much-needed massage following a recent road trip. I was getting it during the road trip.
I grew up riding in the back seat of a 1976 Chevy Nova. But once you use these lux features, it's easy to go soft.