Rolls-Royce planning V16 roadster, luxury SUV

[tristatez28lt1]

2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan To Be Revealed To Customers This Summer

The SUV to rule all SUVs as far as luxury is concerned. Or “all-terrain, high-sided vehicle” in Rolls-Royce jargon. That’s the Cullinan for you, or whatever it will be called once the veil will be taken off in the summer.

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The information comes from Automotive News, which claims the Phantom’s high-riding brother will be shown in “closed-room events starting this summer.” As for the world premiere of the Cullinan, that’s set for late in the summer, with sales to start at the end of 2018 for MY 2019.

We’ve first heard Rolls-Royce jumping on the utility vehicle bandwagon back in 2013, with confirmation coming in 2015 through an open letter. A preview showing the pre-production Cullinan followed in 2016, and based on the latest photographic evidence, development is almost finished.

Shorter than the Phantom VIII, the Cullinan shares the Architecture of Luxury with world’s most luxurious sedan. It’s an all-aluminum spaceframe that’s 30% more rigid than the previous platform, and according to R-R, it’s designed around the concept of “magic carpet ride.”

Augmented by air suspension that varies the electronically controlled shock absorbers in milliseconds, the Cullinan relies on a stereo camera integrated into the windshield. The system sees the imperfections in the road proactively, making adjustments at speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph).

The Cullinan will easily break the 100 km/h thanks to a twin-turbo V12. Mated to an eight-speed transmission, the 6.75-liter powerplant is rated 900 Nm (664 pound-feet) at 1,700 rpm and 571 PS (563 horsepower) in the Phantom.

On the matter of pricing, it’s likely the Cullinan will slot between the entry-level Ghost ($311,900) and range-topping Phantom ($417,825). The size of the Cullinan is another indicator of its position in the lineup, so yeah, $350,000-plus doesn’t seem unfathomable as the starting price.

Regarding what’s next for Rolls-Royce, director of engineering Philip Koehn had the following to say at the launch of the Phantom VIII: “Project Cullinan and eventually the next Ghost, Wraith, Dawn will ride on this architecture."

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

So the next Ghost won't be based on the 7er BMW and its CLAR platform, except if this aluminum platform is also based on the CLAR.

 

[Rolf]

Rolls square front and SUV rounded body dont work well together in my opinion. I know it is inevitable they have to go into this marker segment but then we have to think are RR now thinking of chasing more production numbers and making their cars less exclusive?

 

[Matski]

The Cullinan name is now "official", rather than being referred to as Project Cullinan...

Lots of words from the PR machine!

Three years ago in the pages of The Financial Times, Rolls-Royce announced to the world that it would create an all-new, high-sided car that would redefine luxury travel by making it Effortless, Everywhere. Since that day the world has waited, anticipating the arrival of this mould-breaking new Rolls-Royce.

Today, the wait is almost over as Rolls-Royce confirms that its new motor car will be called Cullinan.

“The name Cullinan has been hiding in plain sight since we revealed it as the project name some years ago,” comments Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce. “It is the most fitting name for our extraordinary new product. Cullinan is a motor car of such clarity of purpose, such flawless quality and preciousness, and such presence that it recalibrates the scale and possibility of true luxury. Just like the Cullinan Diamond, the largest flawless diamond ever found, it emerges when it is perfect and exists above all others.”

The story of how this new Rolls-Royce came to be named Cullinan is itself one of the pursuit of perfection. Like the diamond, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan has undertaken a fascinating journey. From the searing deserts of Africa and the Middle East to the freezing snows of the Arctic Circle; from the grassy glens of the Scottish Highlands to the towering canyons of North America, the designers, engineers, craftspeople and artisans of the House of Rolls-Royce have shaped, tested and polished this unique motor car to eliminate any flaw and make it Effortless, Everywhere.

“We were inspired by the epic processes, over many millennia, which went into the creation of the Cullinan Diamond. The name embodies the many facets of our new motor car’s promise. It speaks of endurance and absolute solidity in the face of the greatest pressures; it tells of rarity and preciousness and it alludes to the pioneering, adventurous spirit of The Hon. Charles Rolls and the engineering innovation of Sir Henry Royce; and, of course, it speaks of absolute luxury, wherever you venture in the world” continued Müller-Ötvös.

Cullinan is the second Rolls-Royce to sit atop the company’s recently announced all-new proprietary aluminium spaceframe ‘Architecture of Luxury’. Unique and unequalled in its brilliance, every facet of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan scintillates.

Müller-Ötvös concludes: “Quite simply, the name Cullinan is perfect and brilliant.”

And there's a teaser...

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[klier]

Check out that rear roof line and rake.

BMW totally had me tricked with a fake boot lid. *golf clap.

Colour me excited.

Uhhmmm..... A little late really, because this somehow skipped my attention. I hadn't seen it yet without the extra cladding. My Gosh it looks stunning now, smooth as a Range Rover. This is going to be spectacular looking after all!

So the next Ghost won't be based on the 7er BMW and its CLAR platform, except if this aluminum platform is also based on the CLAR.

No Rolls will be based on a BMW anymore since the Phantom 8. RR has it's own aluminum space fame now, and every Rolls will be based on it.

In short, the Ghost, Wraith and Dawn are the only RR models ever to be fully based on Bimmers.

 

[Centurion]

My Gosh it looks stunning now, smooth as a Range Rover. This is going to be spectacular looking after all!

The raked roof and rear overhang makes all the difference and is the reasons why Range Rovers, despite their big bodies, look sleek.

 

[klier]

The raked roof and rear overhang makes all the difference and is the reasons why Range Rovers, despite their big bodies, look sleek.

Yes, but I mean the real Range Rover, the big one. I think all the others are crap.

 

[SCOTT27]

Ohhhmigooooddd!!!! Concept for Geneva?

 

[Matski]

know it is inevitable they have to go into this marker segment but then we have to think are RR now thinking of chasing more production numbers and making their cars less exclusive?

Being realistic, they'll still be exclusive even if Cullinan doubles Rolls-Royce's total volume. They are mostly bespoke, they are highly priced and they represent a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of cars on the roads.

They're gearing up for higher volume though. The doubling of production space with the new site at Bognor-Regis, and the addition of about 100 new skilled employees indicates this pretty clearly... but this was probably driven by the resources that Dawn took up as much as it was for the Cullinan.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

I was hoping "Cullinan" was indeed a place-holder. I've liked RR's recent trend of using names that are more ethereal in both sound and meaning. Granted, it's a big ol' SUV, erm, I mean, high-riding vehicle, so maybe a name that has a dreamy quality doesn't fit. Either way, it'll be a cash machine for RR.

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

I was hoping "Cullinan" was indeed a place-holder. I've liked RR's recent trend of using names that are more ethereal in both sound and meaning. Granted, it's a big ol' SUV, erm, I mean, high-riding vehicle, so maybe a name that has a dreamy quality doesn't fit. Either way, it'll be a cash machine for RR.

I wonder if the RR models are bringing any financial profit to BMW. I think its more about image and BMW is ready to cover the expenses to have something that is above everithing that MB offers.

 

[Matski]

I wonder if the RR models are bringing any financial profit to BMW. I think its more about image and BMW is ready to cover the expenses to have something that is above everithing that MB offers.

I'd imagine that ignoring initial infrastructure, they turn a reasonable dollar for BMW. It's total supposition, but I'd guess their original plan for Rolls-Royce to start really contributing was about now.. I suspect the product strategy up to Dawn was fairly well decided when the takeover was announced, I think Cullinan cropped up later with the popularity of such things, and they can justify the additional expense of expansion because of increased volume they perhaps didn't think they'd have 20 years ago.

Mercedes blatantly take the piss with the Maybach brand by gouging huge wads of money from their customers by charging whopping mark-ups for subbed out parts bin specials. Rolls-Royce can't really do that - though it's fair to consider that they might be making a shit-tonne of money from special commissions.

 

[SCOTT27]

The Rolls-Royce brand is profitable and highly lucrative for BMW AG.
Rolls-Royce Are in a similar position like MINI. No two cars are the same when they leave the factory. Plus you have the unlimited options of Bespoke that add a pricy but individual element to your model. Your base car could be half a million but bespoke can take it to over a million if you have the means.

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

The Rolls-Royce brand is profitable and highly lucrative for BMW AG.
Rolls-Royce Are in a similar position like MINI. No two cars are the same when they leave the factory. Plus you have the unlimited options of Bespoke that add a pricy but individual element to your model. Your base car could be half a million but bespoke can take it to over a million if you have the means.

But still, Mini was not profitable until they shared the platform with some BMW models

 

[SCOTT27]

But still, Mini was not profitable until they shared the platform with some BMW models

Now it is. But pre-UKL. The money was made on the accessories as no two MINI's were and are still alike.

 

[Matski]

But still, Mini was not profitable until they shared the platform with some BMW models

The plan was always for MINI to become profitable in the 3rd generation (that I believe is a fact), therefore if anything, it's having MINI that gave BMW the opportunity to sell FWD BMW's profitably, rather than being the other way around.

Having said that... If MINI's profitability was dependent on volume platform sharing, it means a FWD BMW was inevitable as early as 2000 as that is when BMW gave up on it's only other volume option, Rover.

 

[sako97]

Always gotta prepare myself for a heavy doseage of laud-y marketing jargon when clicking on this thread.

Despite the circa-2000's giant greenhouse, signs are leading to a nice looking SUV.

 

[tristatez28lt1]

Now it is. But pre-UKL. The money was made on the accessories as no two MINI's were and are still alike.

Could you share some info on this? I know many other OEMs are struggling with accessories and OPTs.

General comment: I remember speaking to two GMs from RR dealers and they said their customization was a minimum. 90% were sold as stock cars which was surprising to me.

 

[sako97]

This official name reminds me of another word when I take a quick glance, but that's just me.

 

[slicknick]

This official name reminds me of another word when I take a quick glance, but that's just me.

Culligan?