I have been to many Rolls-Royce overseas test drive experiences, but every time I find a place that is unexpected. I remember the last time I met the first generation of the Cullinan in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, USA, in 2018, and this time the new model has become a small island in the Mediterranean, and the overall feeling is very ...... Jumping, maybe that's the way of life behind Rolls-Royce.
Before this year's Beijing Auto Show, Rolls-Royce China held a secret tour for the new Cullinan in the 798 art district, and I was very impressed by the Cullinan Series II at that time, because even if you are not a Rolls-Royce fan, you can see at a glance that this is a new car that keeps pace with the times, and this "finishing touch" is the change of the new light cluster - a pair of inverted L-shaped daytime running lights add a more intense sense of momentum to the Cullinan Series II. Combined with the boxy nose of the Rolls-Royce family, the Cullinan Series II actually has an indescribable mecha style. Later, I chatted with a friend from Rolls-Royce China, and a more exaggerated expression came, he said that some owners felt that the front of the Cullinan Series II had the "look" of the Stormtrooper in the "Star Wars" movie. In short, the Cullinan Series II is the car that impressed me the most before and after the auto show, it is not "Rolls-Royce", but very "Rolls-Royce", you know what I mean?
As a mid-term model, the Cullinan Series II has changed a lot. In front of the lobby of the Six Senses Hotel on IBIZA Island, I took a closer look at the Scala Red Cullinan Series II. In addition to the obvious changes in the headlights, I think the newly designed air intakes on the front face of the Cullinan Series II are also a redefinition of the SUV product line, because the same parts of the previous generation Cullinan seem to me to be too traditional, or look more like a phantom off-road, while the new design gives you more associations about performance or off-road use. The Cullinan Series II doesn't seem to me to change much at the rear, with a wider exhaust pipe and a chrome-finished profile that easily makes it a visual focal point. Speaking of which, there has been a trend in the automotive industry in the past two years, that is, many newly launched fuel vehicles like to hide exhaust, and it seems that dressing themselves up like electric cars is very "fashionable". I don't know if this is a sign of political correctness, or if it's just a cost-saving effort to be consistent with the same platform electric models, but for fans of gasoline cars, this kind of treatment is a bit of a stick. Fortunately, Rolls-Royce understands very well where the selling point of the Cullinan Series II is, in addition to the trademark, of course, the 6.7-liter twelve-cylinder twin-turbo engine!
The changes to the interior of the Cullinan II are equally noticeable, most notably in the unique interpretation of the "Celebratory Goddess" – you can see a transparent "little window" on the right side of the centre console with an analogue timepiece and illuminated statue of the "Celebratory Goddess", which Rolls-Royce refers to as the Gallery of Watches. I believe that not many people may see the time through this timepiece, but there is no doubt about the emotional value. Another detail is that if you choose the Black Badge version of the Cullinan Series II, this little "goddess of celebration" in the car will echo the black statue standing at the front of the car. That's right, Rolls-Royce belongs to the kind of brand that is very expensive to buy and can give you a sense of where your money is being spent in the first place.
The glow panel that was previously seen on the Shining can now also be seen on the Cullinan Series II. The glow panel is manufactured using a specially developed process that creates a three-dimensional depth by laser etching 7,000 dots on the back of the dark tempered safety glass, each with a different angle and size. This time, Rolls-Royce has highlighted a new application called "Interwoven Check". In addition to the special material (from a new fibre made from bamboo), the weaving method is even more unique, inspired by the interweaving abstract interpretation of the initials of the two founders of the Rolls-Royce brand, the double R's, and the visual shadow of the sailor's knot (the nautical elements of the Age of Discovery). Rolls-Royce has given this set of data – a complete "intertwined check" interior piece uses as many as 2.2 million stitches with a total length of 17.7 kilometres, and it took a total of 20 hours to complete. To ensure consistency in the pattern, all fabrics are meticulously handcrafted one by one and then cut with a special laser designed to seal the edges of the material and prevent individual stitches from loosening.
Some people may wonder why the Rolls-Royce brand is so painstaking on these "minutiae", when in fact the Rolls-Royce brand premium is made up of a myriad of these seemingly tiny elements, and interestingly, sometimes it even sets off a certain trend. I remember when I test-drove the Phantom in Vienna many years ago, Rolls-Royce showed the production process of the "Starlight Roof", and I remember that even the basic model took nearly 10 hours to build, and the whole process was completely hand-made by laying 1,500 fibres one by one on the roof, and some custom models took at least a week to complete. At the time, I was amazed, but then you also saw how many car brands were inspired by Rolls-Royce's "Starlight Roof".
The island of IBIZA is a small island with a long history, and it is said that in Carthaginian times it was an important maritime town connecting the Mediterranean coast. In addition to being a holiday destination for the wealthy, you might not have guessed that IBIZA is also known for its nightlife and electronic music. Driving the Cullinan Series II on the winding roads of Ibiza, with the wind blowing from North Africa, you really don't pay much attention to how good the V12 engine is dynamically, although you know that it can achieve a total output of 600 hp and a peak torque of 900 Nm. The road sense is basically non-existent for Rolls-Royce, because its "magic carpet hanging" has filtered out the vibrations or undulations on the road surface. I can responsibly say that it is worthy of the logo on the front of the car, whether it is driving on the road or in the field.
There may not be a more lifestyle-conscious brand than Rolls-Royce, because in its view, the car is just an extension of the quality of life, but the Rolls-Royce lifestyle will have more possibilities (Bespoke haute couture can be learned). In other words, Rolls-Royce is very good at how car owners should spend money, but it is true that after experiencing Rolls-Royce driving, it can invisibly improve your appreciation of the quality of life.
In recent years, there have been a lot of brands that have "benchmarked" Cullinan, and although "large quantities" is their core selling point, you should not doubt the IQ of Rolls-Royce owners. Take the Cullinan Series II as an example, this is a car that can easily fill people's emotional value in all dimensions, and driving such a car is also a self-affirmation that you have reached a certain stage in your life. Like when I went to the Pebble Beach Auto Show a few years ago and talked to the locals, they said it bluntly, what is the American Dream? The American dream is to drive a Rolls-Royce!
At the end of the day, it's the same everywhere.
Editor, Text/Nick
New Media Editor - Koi
Image courtesy of Nick, brand