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Mansory-tuned Rolls-Royce Cullinan is dubious decadence

German tuner Mansory doesn't do subtle, but its latest take on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan goes above and beyond in the flamboyance department. It celebrated the opening of its first showroom in Dubai by giving the British SUV a love-it-or-hate-it redesign inside and out. Nearly every part of the Cullinan's exterior has been modified. Mansory installed a full body kit that adds a deeper front bumper with extra air intakes and a splitter, vents chiseled into the fenders, side skirts, a spoiler above the rear window, and a sizeable rear diffuser. Flared wheel arches cover 24-inch forged wheels, and many of the exterior add-ons feature a black, gray, and white finish that almost looks like granite, a resemblance we're guessing is intentional. And, don't look for chrome: The bright bits were made black to give the SUV a more sinister look. Inside, the granite-esque finish appears on most of the trim pieces, and Mansory fitted leather upholstery with a wave-like motif on the door panels and on the center consoles — there are two in the Cullinan. The passenger sitting in the back enjoy individual power-adjustable seats upholstered in different colors, tray tables integrated into the front seatbacks, and an outline of the United Arab Emirates in the headliner. The same outline is stitched into the rear headrests and into the seatbelts, which also gain a white Mansory-branded stripe. Mansory didn't publish precise technical specifications, but we know that it didn't leave the drivetrain untouched. It quotes an output of 610 horsepower and 701 pound-feet of torque, while the stock Cullinan's 6.75-liter V12 posts 563 and 627, respectively. Another detail that hasn't been released yet is pricing. But, if you need to ask, odds are you're not the kind of customer that Mansory wants to lure into its showroom. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Blacked-out Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge returns with new design

Rolls-Royce's blacked-out Cullinan Black Badge was popular enough to warrant a follow-up. Designed for buyers who want a less traditional look, the Cullinan Series II-based Black Badge features specific exterior details and carbon fiber trim that takes 21 days to manufacture. BMW-owned Rolls-Royce isn't the only carmaker that offers a blacked-out trim level, but it takes the look further than most. Up front, the illuminated grille is finished in black with contrasting silver accents, though buyers can alternatively order an all-black grille, and all of the exterior trim pieces (including the power-retractable Spirit of Ecstasy emblem, the trim around the window, and even the door handles) are black as well. Black Badge-specific 23-inch wheels and red-painted brake calipers round out the list of major exterior changes. Inside, one of the highlights is the Technical Carbon trim also found in the original Cullinan Black Badge. Rolls-Royce notes that this trim is finished with six coats of lacquer, cured for 72 hours, and hand-polished. There are 23 individual trim pieces; making them takes 21 days. One of the numerous upholstery options is a type of cloth called Duality Twill. It's made from bamboo and inspired by the bamboo grove in Le Jardin des Mediterranees, which is a park located in the south of France that's home to numerous exotic plants from around the world. Here again, the amount of work that goes into each detail is stunning: Rolls-Royce notes that making a full Duality Twill interior requires up to 2.2 million stitches and 11 miles of thread. Other upholstery types are available, and the list of options includes a champagne cooler. Power comes from a stock, 6.75-liter V12 that's twin-turbocharged to 591 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. It spins the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Rolls-Royce added a driving mode called "Low" that changes the exhaust system's tone and volume and makes the shifts 50% quicker when the throttle is pushed at least 90% in. It also decreased the brake pedal's travel. There's no word yet on how much of a premium the Black Badge carries over the standard Cullinan Series II.

Drive like a prince: Join us for a walk through Monaco's car collection

Small, crowded, and a royal pain in the trunk lid to drive into during rush hour, Monaco sounds like an improbable location for a huge car museum. And yet, this tiny city-state has been closely linked to car culture for over a century. It hosts two major racing events every year, many of its residents would qualify for a frequent shopper card if Rolls-Royce issued one, and Prince Rainier III began assembling a collection of cars in the late 1950s. He opened his collection to the public in 1993 and the museum quickly turned into a popular tourist attraction. The collection continued to grow after his death in April 2005; it moved to a new facility located right on Hercules Port in July 2022. Monaco being Monaco, you'd expect to walk into a room full of the latest, shiniest, and most powerful supercars ever to shred a tire. That's not the case: while there is no shortage of high-horsepower machines, the first cars you see after paying ˆ10 (approximately $11) to get in are pre-war models. In that era, the template for the car as we know it in 2023 hadn't been created, so an eclectic assortment of expensive and dauntingly experimental machines roamed whatever roads were available to them. One is the Leyat Helica, which was built in France in 1921 with a 1.2-liter air-cooled flat-twin sourced from the world of aviation. Fittingly, the two-cylinder spun a massive, plane-like propeller. Government vehicles get a special spot in the museum. They range from a Cadillac Series 6700 with an amusing blend of period-correct French-market yellow headlights and massive fins to a 2011 Lexus LS 600h with a custom-made transparent roof panel that was built by Belgian coachbuilder Carat Duchatelet for Prince Albert II's wedding. Here's where it all gets a little weird: you've got a 1952 Austin FX3, a Ghia-bodied 1959 Fiat 500 Jolly, a 1960 BMW Isetta, and a 1971 Lotus Seven. That has to be someone's idea of a perfect four-car garage.  One of the most significant cars in the collection lurks in the far corner of the main hall, which is located a level below the entrance. At first glance, it's a kitted-out Renault 4CV with auxiliary lights, a racing number on the front end, and a period-correct registration number issued in the Bouches-du-Rhone department of France. It doesn't look all that different than the later, unmodified 4CV parked right next to it. Here's what's special about it: this is one of the small handful of Type 1063 models built by Renault for competition.