Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge
With the fabulous fan fair of a Burberry or Vivian Westwood fashion show the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan made its world debut traversing a crisp white runway. When we drove the Rolls-Royce Cullinan about a year ago, we were awestruck with the marriage of fine luxury and exceptional on and off-road prowess. The Cullinan attracted a younger buyer who has made this stunning SUV their primary, or secondary ride. These Cullinans are on the road and being driven – not stowed away in multicar garages for off-road or inclement driving. How do you impress those that are already impressed, those that want even more of what is already exceptional? Introduce a Black Badge. Rolls-Royce debuted Black Badge with Wraith and Ghost in 2016 followed by Dawn in 2017. Today, the family is completed with the introduction of Black Badge Cullinan, the darkest and most urban statement of Black Badge to date. Rolls-Royce first created the Cullinan to satisfy overwhelming demand from younger, more adventurous; Cullinan was launched to global acclaim and fast became the world’s pinnacle super-luxury SUV. When the white Black Badge Cullinan rolled down the runway a dramatic and boldly British design statement was heralded. Combining luxury in its purest form with genuine practicality and off-road capability, Cullinan unequivocally delivered on the promise of an experience that is effortless, everywhere.
Photograph at the Hotel Domestique by Jeff Perez
The Black Badge Cullinan will conquer new urban frontiers with its unique edge and its style will turn heads and provoke admiration from passers-by. Clients can draw on the marque’s 44,000 ‘ready to wear’ paint options or commission an entirely individual Bespoke one; many will opt for Black Badge’s signature Black. We love the fashion white Cullinan that came down the runway. Multiple layers of paint and lacquer are meticulously applied and hand-polished 10 times at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex, representing the most comprehensive surface finish process ever applied to a solid paint color.
The imposing proportions and confident stance of the Cullinan are dramatized by all-new 22-inch forged alloy wheels, which are reserved exclusively for Black Badge Cullinan. Designed in the Black Badge house style, the gear-like graphic emphasizes the model’s vast reserves of power while also recalling an infinitely occurring lemniscate. As we took to the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina near Asheville, with its mountain views and curvy roads our twin-turbo V12 powered Black Badge Cullinan had us feeling the benefits from a Bespoke transmission and throttle treatment that creates a sense of urgency without ever undermining its Rolls-Royce peerage. The drive-train, ZF 8-speed gearbox and both front and rear steered axles work collaboratively to adjust the levels of engagement depending on throttle and steering inputs. Changes to suspension components and settings add to the suite of dynamic technologies that ensure an appropriate balance between dynamism and refinement as we navigate.
In the spirit of Sir Henry Royce’s founding philosophy, “When it does not exist, design it”, a collaboration between the marque’s designers, engineers and craftspeople saw the creation of a new luxury material. Inspired by masterpieces of urban architecture, a naked-weave carbon-fiber finish has been developed to create highly accurate repeating geometrical shapes that produce a powerful three-dimensional effect. In true Rolls-Royce style, the Starlight Headliner has joined historical Rolls-Royce iconography such as the Spirit of Ecstasy, Pantheon Grille and ‘Double R’ monogram. Its presence in Black Badge Cullinan intensifies the cabin’s ambiance by casting a low light over the lavish leather seats. Black Badge reflects the desires of a distinct group of Rolls-Royce clients: men and women who take risks, break rules and build success on their terms. Reflecting the marque’s bespoke philosophy, Black Badge Cullinan benefits from a near-infinitely configurable interior color palette. Black Badge clients often use interior space as a stage to create dramatic high contrast colorways, so for Cullinan Rolls-Royce’s Color and Trim designers created a bold new leather color, Forge Yellow, to offer as part of the brand’s curated collection. As with all leather colors, this can be commissioned for the motor car’s Viewing Suite or incorporated into the design of a highly Bespoke Recreation Module tailored to the client’s exacting specification. In our short time drive in the Cullinan Black Badge from Greenville to Ashville, we understood that this ultimate Cullinan is a moving work of art of the highest order. A standout among mere 4 wheeled creatures. The Cullinan luxury is unquestionable and the bespoke configurations options become an extension of the individuality, and a statement-making fashion-forward revelation of the owners’ creative expression. Black Badge.
