2015 Rolls-royce Wraith on 2040-cars

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Rolls-Royce Cullinan spotted playing in the snow

This is no ordinary Phantom. Not that you'd call any Rolls-Royce ordinary, considering the brand's stratospheric pricing and hand-built pedigree. But this one is extra special, because it's a test bed for the British luxury brand's very first SUV, tentatively known as the Cullinan. We've known Rolls-Royce was out and about testing this brand-new, all-aluminum platform in the wild, but this is the first time we've seen it so clearly. It looks a little bit like a shortened Phantom sedan, with big swathes of metal seemingly cut away from the rear doors, but it's more than that. We can't be certain, but there's probably a big V12 engine underhood sending torque to all four wheels, and it looks to be riding high enough to offer some legitimate off-road capability. The aggressive tires are another giveaway that this Rolls may be going places no Phantom before it has dared. With Bentley finding success in the luxurious 'ute market with the Bentayga, we're sure Rolls-Royce is pushing to get its Cullinan into the driveways of one-percenters the world over as soon as possible. See the mule for yourself in our high-res image gallery above. As for us, well... we're just wondering what happened to that sweet rear spoiler. Related Video: Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce Cullinan: Spy Shots View 10 Photos Spy Photos Rolls-Royce Crossover SUV Luxury rolls-royce cullinan

Rolls-Royce Cullinan configurator delivers a near-bespoke experience

Earlier this month we configured a McLaren Senna with the assistance of two representatives of McLaren Special Operations. In that piece we wrote about few chances there are for the online "shopper" to get a feel for the coachbuilt experience; the Ferrari LaFerrari configurator offered just three color options, for instance, and Bugatti removed the few variables it presented for the Chiron. McLaren didn't build a public configurator for the Senna. It's the Rolls-Royce Cullinan to the rescue — at least for now — with a brand new configurator that can keep you busy for hours. The Cullinan configurator lists seven categories: Inspired Specs, Exterior Style, Exterior Options, Interior Style, Interior Options, Personalization, and Accessories. Inspired Specs comprises eight themes, such as the sassy Urban (Hero), and the self-evident Wellness or Indulgence. To play outside the lines, go to Exterior style to choose one of 16 colors, 23 Coachlines (pinstripes) in single or double lines, seven wheels, and two wheel detail options — whether or not to have the wheel centers matched to the body color. Polish the exterior details with four options for the Spirit of Ecstasy, a satin silver hood, or a tow hitch. View 30 Photos Take a breather and a cup of Lady Grey tea, then dive in again with the interior, starting with six potential "schemes" or a bespoke interior module. We haven't worked out the permutations, but you can create a wildly large number of different cabins with the 20 different interior colors. The seats alone offer color choices for the inserts, gussets, inners, main body, and valance and seat backs. You can specify a color for the sun visors. Harley Quinn would love it. And after all that, you've still got three more categories to work though. We chose a Cullinan in Anthracite, with a double coachline in Creme Light, on 22-inch wheels, and with a trailer hitch — to tow our Icon A5 amphibious plane, because we already have a Ford F-450 Super Duty for the boat. A Tan interior mixed with Seashell accents should be a fine place to hear nothing of the outside world thanks to Rolls-Royce's sandwiched windows. But we're considering going with Ardent Red instead, so we'll see you over at the configurator. 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.