If you’re going to turn up late to a party, you need to make an entrance. With the SUV soireé in full swing — Bentley, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lamborghini, Porsche and Maserati all having had their champagne topped up at least twice by now, the party-crashing Roller has arrived with a large presence. Two and a half tonnes of weight, a 6.75 ltr. V12, and an obscene backside – a 526 ltr boot.
Pushing the notion of #EffortlessEverywhere, Rolls-Royce is looking to prioritise the experience over inner-city luxuriance — lavish desert retreat over the penthouse suite of a Four Seasons. Very democratically, they built the Cullinan due to popular demand, their customers increasingly expecting “to go everywhere in luxury, effortlessly and without compromise, conquering the most challenging terrain to enjoy life’s most enriching experiences, wherever they may be.”
Cory Richards, the National Geographic photographer who test-drove and produced the press imagery and videos for the car claims “you don’t so much drive as you float and it seems to get almost smoother the faster you go”. Perfect for those Chinese potholes possibly.
The Cullinan, named after the largest diamond ever discovered which now resides in the British Crown Jewels, lives up its title by offering an array of sparkling new features. Touch screen for the first time ever in a Rolls-Royce, electrically deployed tow-bar, an exceptionally high driving position and closing front doors at the touch of a button. Of course, it would not be Rolls-Royce if it didn’t have umbrellas stowed in the doors, but now they match the interior — a subtle improvement.
You might well be skeptical of this machine’s off-road capabilities, whilst the Range Rover’s credentials have long been cemented, it remains to be seen for the Cullinan. It has apparently been “tested to destruction all over the planet”, and the “leaked” videos online are a good indication that the car’s off-road ability will shock even the harshest of cynics.
The first cars will be dispatched in the first quarter of 2019, with prices between £250,000-£300,000.
If you want the watch to match, the King of Rock’s diamond encrusted timepiece is up for auction…
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