It has been more than three years since Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveiled the Black Badge family at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2016. Created especially for a new generation of customers willing to take risks and break the rules, this bespoke edition already includes the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Wraith and Ghost. Now, a new member has been added to the family – the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan.
Rolls-Royce introduced its very first SUV to the public in May 2018 at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy. The first batch of Cullinan SUVs was delivered to customers earlier this year. Its initiation into the Black Badge family was widely anticipated, but the timing was never known – until now.
In case you haven’t heard, Rolls-Royce offers 44,000 color finishes for its vehicles. Nevertheless, the Black Badge’s signature Black finish is very unique, as it entails multiple layers of paint and lacquer, which are then polished by hand 10 times. You can easily call this Cullinan transformation the King of the Night.
Almost everything on the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan is black or dark – from the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot (high gloss black chrome) to the ‘Double R’ badge on the front (silver-on-black). The front grille surround, exhaust pipes, boot handle, boot trim and even side frame finishers feature dark chrome surfaces.
Moreover, the grille bars of the Black Badge SUV are polished to reflect the dark surfaces surrounding them. Even the all-new exclusive 22-inch forged alloy wheels feature a gloss black and polished design, allowing the marque’s first colored brake caliper (Red) to stand out.
The black theme of the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan continues inside. This is exemplified by the so-called Technical Carbon veneer and a Starlight Headliner in fine Black leather. From the steering wheel to the lavish seats, you won't be able escape the darkness of this SUV.
Nevertheless, Rolls-Royce deemed that a dramatic contrast is also needed for the Black Badge Cullinan. Thus a new leather color -- Forge Yellow – was created as part of the palette.
In terms of power, the Black Badge Cullinan is superior to its standard sibling. While powered by the same 6.75 liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine, the mill in the Black Badge Cullinan has been upgraded to deliver 592 hp (600 PS) of max output and 664 lb.-ft. (900 Nm) of peak torque. This makes the Black Badge 29 hp and 37 lb.-ft. more powerful than a typical Cullinan.
Perhaps, you would find the ‘Low’ button near the gear shift lever interesting, as a single push of it further amplifies the already conspicuous sound of the engine – a feature only available to the Black Badge family.
If you think the ultra-dark theme of the new Black Badge Cullinan suits your style, you may now contact Rolls-Royce to commission a new one. But it will cost you a lot!
(Via Rolls-Royce)