Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
The year Rolls-Royce made Project Cullinan public was 2015, with Cullinan coming from the South Africa-found diamond mounted on the Queen’s scepter. In 2016, the crown jewel of the BMW Group posted the first “official spy photos” of the sport utility vehicle hiding as a Phantom, after which the pre-production model followed with high-sided bodywork.
There’s not much time left until Rolls-Royce takes off the veils off the Cullinan, though the name might not be carried on by the production-ready model. According to a report published by SUV Authority, Cullinan is “just a working project title.” Those are the words of Hal Serudin, corporate communications manager of Rolls-Royce in the Asia Pacific.
“We hope to be able to give you a little more news on this in the coming year,” he added, acknowledging that the newcomer would land in Australia “around 2019.” The report should be taken with a grain of salt considering the lack of an official reply from Rolls-Royce on this matter.
There’s also SUV Authority’s curious take on what’s hiding under the hood, with the publication expecting the 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 from the BMW 7 Series-based Ghost to make the cut. Everyone else, including automotive publications from the United Kingdom that are closest to the British automaker, point out the 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 from the Phantom VIII is the engine of choice.
The 6.75er makes more sense than the 6.6er considering the Cullinan rides on the all-aluminum platform introduced by the eighth-generation Phantom, which also means the ZF 8HP eight-speed transmission is also on the menu. Despite the different body style and higher ground clearance, the Cullinan will be equipped with Phantom-sourced parts such as the 5-link rear axle, self-leveling suspension, and electronic damping system.
Described by its maker as a "high-sided all-terrain vehicle," the ultra-luxury sport utility vehicle will go into production at the Goodwood plant in the latter half of 2018. From the point of view of pricing, the Cullinan fills the void between the Ghost and Phantom, which means the all-new model should start at $350,000, give or take a few thousand dollars.
“We hope to be able to give you a little more news on this in the coming year,” he added, acknowledging that the newcomer would land in Australia “around 2019.” The report should be taken with a grain of salt considering the lack of an official reply from Rolls-Royce on this matter.
There’s also SUV Authority’s curious take on what’s hiding under the hood, with the publication expecting the 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 from the BMW 7 Series-based Ghost to make the cut. Everyone else, including automotive publications from the United Kingdom that are closest to the British automaker, point out the 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 from the Phantom VIII is the engine of choice.
The 6.75er makes more sense than the 6.6er considering the Cullinan rides on the all-aluminum platform introduced by the eighth-generation Phantom, which also means the ZF 8HP eight-speed transmission is also on the menu. Despite the different body style and higher ground clearance, the Cullinan will be equipped with Phantom-sourced parts such as the 5-link rear axle, self-leveling suspension, and electronic damping system.
Described by its maker as a "high-sided all-terrain vehicle," the ultra-luxury sport utility vehicle will go into production at the Goodwood plant in the latter half of 2018. From the point of view of pricing, the Cullinan fills the void between the Ghost and Phantom, which means the all-new model should start at $350,000, give or take a few thousand dollars.
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