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Rolls-Royce Cullinan Can Donut Although the SUV Doesn’t Exactly Like It

As opposed to Bentley, Rolls-Royce isn’t exactly a sporty brand. Handling plays second fiddle to ride comfort, and the same applies to the Cullinan even though the British ultra-luxury automaker is very different nowadays as opposed to the early days of BMW Group ownership.
WILL IT DRIFT? | The Rolls-Royce Cullinan | Autocar 41 photos
Photo: Autocar.co.uk on YouTube
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The question is, can you donut the Cullinan? On dry or wet pavement, you’ll find it hard to drift the gentle giant because of the electronic nanny known as rollover protection. Impossible to disable, the safety system isn’t as authoritative on a loose surface such as muddy pavement.

Autocar did exactly that to prove the Cullinan’s sideways talent, but as the headline implies, an error message is displayed by the infotainment system. Even though the 4x4 isn’t affected by a few donuts here and there, this goes to show that Rolls-Royce doesn't want to acknowledge the meaning of the word "sporty."

The Lamborghini Urus and the Bentley Bentayga are more capable in this regard, happier to wag their tails without crying foul about having a little fun. On the other hand, the Cullinan is heavier than both rivals at 2.6 metric tonnes as opposed to 2,197 and 2,365 kilograms.

Opting for the Black Badge version like the white-painted Cullinan in Autocar’s clip will set you back 300,000 pounds sterling, trumping the Urus and Bentayga once again. The ultra-luxury cabin and the level of attention to detail that goes into every piece of trim further set the Cullinan apart, leveling it up to a class of its own even when compared to the Bentayga.

Only available with a 6.75-liter V12, the Rolls-Royce can’t match the Lamborghini or Bentley in terms of horsepower. The N74 engine may be larger than the 4.0-liter V8 and 6.0-liter W12 but the 12-year-old design is the reason BMW couldn’t make a case for more than 571 PS (563 bhp).

A little stiffer than the Phantom, the Cullinan has the makings of the best-selling Rolls ever given how popular SUVs are these days. The British brand sold 5,152 vehicles in 2019, representing an increase of 25 percent over 2018. As you can tell, this result is mostly attributed to the Cullinan instead of the more affordable Ghost full-size luxury sedan.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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