Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan Series II evolved

Since its launch 5 years ago, the clientele profile of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan has evolved, Today, self-expression, individuality and boldness are demanded more than ever before and to satisfy these is the Cullinan Series II which offers innovation and new modes of self-expression.

Unveiled tonight, the latest version of the Cullinan has unique exterior coachwork and interior details, with more overt and expressive application of contemporary materials and technologies.

More appeal to the younger generation
An increasingly urban focus and a decisive shift towards self-driving has influenced the surface treatment and detail of Cullinan Series II’s exterior. Rolls-Royce also reveals that the Cullinan, especially, contributed to a fall in the average age of Rolls-Royce customers from 56 in 2010 to just 43 today.

All exterior body detail elements and brightwork, including the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine, are also finished in black. For the first time in the history of Black Badge, this now extends from the window surrounds and door spears to the door handle.

Other darkened elements, including the rear tailgate and bumper accents as well as the car’s exhausts, are treated with a specific chrome electrolyte to achieve the mirror-black effect.

A key theme is verticality, which echoes illuminated skyscrapers in the megacities where the Cullinan is increasingly at home. This is most apparent in the new lamp treatment, where tall daytime running light graphics ensure easy identification, day and night.

The front view is composed of simple feature lines and crisp edges, with an emphasis on clean, monolithic surfaces that amplify the car’s generous proportions and presence. The bumper lines form a shallow ‘V’ from the lowest point of the daytime running lights to the centre point, recalling the sharp bow lines of modern sports yachts. Underneath, new air intakes angle outwards assertively, visually lowering the car when viewed head on.

The centrepiece is the illuminated pantheon grille, the first time that the Cullinan has been provisioned with an illuminated grille, which has been further refreshed with a lower leading edge. It also incorporates a new polished horizontal ‘horizon line’ between the daytime running lights, providing a clear visual link to the marque’s pinnacle product, Phantom Series II.

In profile, further changes to the surfacing are evident. While the front wings retain their sheer, vertical lines, the marque’s designers added a restrained yet precise feature line leading from the taillight forwards to the centre of the floating ‘RR’ centre caps on the rear wheel. a 23-inch wheel is available for the first time on a Black Badge Rolls-Royce.

This creates a subtle taper and impression of movement, further amplified by the updated lower valance surfaces, which lift at the rear. They are presented in a rich high-gloss black, which reflects the road below, creating a sense of motion on these fixed forms.

Viewed from behind, the exhaust treatment is a bold statement of power – each surround is presented in mirror-finish stainless steel, cleanly integrated and visually flush to the body. Changes at the rear conclude with a brushed stainless-steel protective plate running between the exhausts, which flows underneath the SUV.

In addition to the evolved exterior form, Rolls-Royce colour specialists developed a new paint finish in which to present Cullinan Series II. Inspired by a richly-veined brown marble, Emperador Truffle is a contemporary, minimalist solid grey-brown. when combined with the Bespoke ‘Crystal Over’ finish, a lacquer infused with glass particles, it gains a subtle shimmer reminiscent of fresh snow under morning light.

What’s new inside
New features within include a new Clock Cabinet vitrine, Duality Twill seating (incorporating 2.2 million stitches with almost 18 kms of thread), a new Placed Perforation seat pattern with up to 107,000 individual perforations.

Directly in front of the passenger is an Illuminated Fascia panel – a feature that debuted with the Ghost before appearing in Spectre and now, for the first time, is available within the Cullinan family.

In this guise, it features an illuminated Cullinan wordmark and a unique Cityscape graphic inspired by the skyscrapers of the world’s megacities at night. This is created using a specially-developed technique whereby 7,000 dots are laser-etched onto the rear of the darkened and toughened security glass, each at minutely differing angles and dimensions to create the perception of depth.

Bringing the Spirit of Ecstasy inside
Alongside the Central Information Display on the passenger side of the fascia is the new Spirit of Ecstasy Clock Cabinet. This unique inset vitrine displays both an analogue timepiece and an up-lit Spirit of Ecstasy figurine. The figurine is constructed from solid stainless steel and placed on her own stage with a matte black back panel and high gloss side panels to create a reflection effect.

Incorporating the Spirit of Ecstasy into the interior of the car was the product of four years of development, and a unique partnership between analogue and digital craftspeople to create a dramatic and meticulously orchestrated flow of light.

This sequence begins with the illumination of the driver’s display upon entering, followed by the Central Information Display, then the Illuminated Fascia, where light sweeps inwards towards the vitrine, lighting the timepiece. The Spirit of Ecstasy is illuminated from below initially, reminiscent of a spotlight on a debut performance, before her stage lighting settles to a soft glow.

The gauge cluster panel in front of the driver and permanently visible Central Information Display are redesigned to form a stage for the advanced SPIRIT operating system. This digital interface was first introduced on the all-electric Spectre, and the Cullinan Series II marks the first application of SPIRIT in a V12-powered Rolls-Royce.

It also presents opportunities for Bespoke personalisation to extend from the physical to the digital world – owners can tailor the colour of the instrument dials to complement the interior palette or exterior finish.

Connectivity has been refined throughout the car, especially for those in the rear. The occupants are able to connect up to two streaming devices to the rear screens, which now incorporate a Bespoke interface for streaming car management and seating functions such as massage, heating and cooling.

Technical excellence maintained
Running technical changes have been made over the past 6 years and the cumulative improvements are preserved for the Black Badge Cullinan Series II. It continues to be powered by the twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V12 engine which generates a total output of 600 ps/900 Nm. To exploit all that power is a ZF 8-speed gearbox.

Depressing the ‘Low’ button on the gear selection stalk continues to unlock further Black Badge technologies. When activated, drivers experience a change in tone and volume from the Bespoke Black Badge exhaust system. Low Mode also increases the speed of gear shifts by 50% when the throttle is depressed to 90%. To fully exploit the Black Badge Cullinan Series II, the brake pedal travel has been decreased to create a more immediate response to driver inputs.

“In 2018, Cullinan reframed super-luxury motoring, enabling Rolls-Royce clients to experience the brand’s hallmark magic carpet ride regardless of the terrain and in every corner of the world. In the 6 years since, Cullinan has attracted entirely new groups of clients to Rolls-Royce and profoundly altered perceptions of what a Rolls-Royce motor car is, and what it can mean to its owner. Cullinan Series II has been created to build on that success,” said Chris Brownridge, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

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