Voyage of Discovery

by Petrol Mum
Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II launch

In a unique 3-day event environment, created for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars clients in the heart of Sydney’s Arts precinct, the showcase – Effortless Discoveries: A Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bespoke Voyage was recently held.

As part of this bespoke event Rolls-Royce Motor Cars debuted the Cullinan Series II in Australia, highlighting the bold evolution of the world’s pre-eminent super-luxury SUV. Cullinan is driving significant interest globally as well as locally and it remains the most requested Rolls-Royce within the marque’s product portfolio and Australia is among the top five markets within Asia Pacific for Cullinan. And for those seeking a more visceral interpretation of Rolls-Royce the Black Badge Cullinan Series II will also be available in Australia.

Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II launch Irene Nikkein
Irene Nikkein, Regional Director Asia-Pacific, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

“We are proud to debut Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II at Effortless Discoveries, an exquisite journey into the world of Bespoke. Australia is among the top five markets within Asia Pacific for Cullinan.

We are seeing here in Australia as well as globally that Cullinan is attracting a younger and more diverse group of clients to the marque. We are very pleased to also showcase Ghost and Spectre, all brought to life by a showcase of the very best in Bespoke craftsmanship by skilled artisans from the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood,” said Irene Nikkein, Regional Director Asia-Pacific, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, at the recent event.

The original Cullinan, launched in 2018, was the world’s first super-luxury SUV, fulfilling a unique and exacting brief. From a performance and engineering standpoint, it had to have genuine off-road capabilities equal to the most demanding and hostile environments on Earth. At the same time, it had to deliver the marque’s peerless comfort and signature ‘magic carpet ride’, regardless of the terrain. It had to be nothing less than the definitive super-luxury SUV —rugged yet refined, unstoppable yet serene: effortless, everywhere. Its success exceeded Rolls-Royce’s most ambitious expectations around the world, and today Cullinan is the most requested Rolls-Royce in the marque’s portfolio.

Since the first client deliveries, Cullinan fulfilled its purpose as a supremely accomplished off-road motor car, capable of taking its owner into locations never previously explored in a Rolls-Royce. However, versatility and the effortless everywhere essence of the model also made Cullinan a ‘daily driver’ for many owners; indeed, numerous clients have told Rolls-Royce that no other SUV offers the same effortless performance as Cullinan’s 6.75-litre V12 engine, from what is often a substantial and diverse collection. These were all significant considerations in conceiving Cullinan Series II.

It was noted by the marque’s intelligence specialists that an increasing number of Rolls-Royce clients were concentrated in urban areas – from great world metropolises to fast-growth cities in emerging regions. To that end, Cullinan increasingly serves as a super-luxury product in which clients wish to be seen and project their character – albeit with the capacity to vanish into nature at will.

Specialists also observed a shift towards owners driving their motor cars themselves. When Cullinan was first launched, less than 70% were self-driven: today, almost every Cullinan is driven by its owner, with less than 10% of clients retaining the services of a chauffeur. Together with the rejuvenation of the brand and the ever-increasing Bespoke offering, Cullinan contributed to a fall in the average age of Rolls-Royce clients from 56 in 2010 to just 43 today.

An increasingly urban focus, a youthful cadre of clients and a decisive shift towards self-driving informs the surface treatment and detail of Cullinan Series II’s exterior. A key theme is verticality, which echoes illuminated skyscrapers in the megacities where Cullinan is increasingly at home. This is most apparent in the new lamp treatment, where tall daytime running light graphics ensure Cullinan Series II is easily identified, day and night.

Reflecting many clients’ desires for bolder forms of self-expression, innovative decoration and detail have been added throughout the interior of Cullinan Series II. The most substantive change to the motor car’s geometry is the pillar-to-pillar glass-panel fascia in the upper portion of the dashboard – an elegant and versatile design element that stages both digital and physical craftsmanship.

Directly in front of the passenger is an Illuminated Fascia panel — a remarkable expression of modern craft that debuted with Ghost before appearing in Spectre and now, for the first time, is available within the Cullinan family. In this guise, it features an illuminated Cullinan wordmark and a unique Cityscape graphic inspired by the skyscrapers of the world’s megacities at night. This is created using a specially-developed technique whereby 7,000 dots are laser-etched onto the rear of the darkened and toughened security glass, each at minutely differing angles and dimensions to create the perception of depth. In addition to this prêt-à-porter design, clients are also able to create their own Illuminated Fascia motif in collaboration with the marque’s Bespoke designers.

Incorporating the Spirit of Ecstasy into the interior of the motor car was the product of four years of development, and a unique partnership between analogue and digital craftspeople to create a dramatic and meticulously orchestrated flow of light. This sequence begins with the illumination of the driver’s display upon entering the motor car, followed by the Central Information Display, then the Illuminated Fascia, where light sweeps inwards towards the vitrine, lighting the timepiece. The Spirit of Ecstasy is illuminated from below initially, reminiscent of a spotlight on a debut performance, before her stage lighting settles to a soft glow.

Connectivity has been refined throughout the motor car, especially for those in the rear of Cullinan Series II. Clients are able to connect up to two streaming devices to the rear screens, which now incorporate a Bespoke interface for streaming car management and seating functions such as massage, heating and cooling.

The installation of internet connectivity allows clients to enjoy a Wi-Fi hot spot connection and independent streaming for each screen. For the first time in Cullinan, Bluetooth headphones of any type can be paired with the rear seat infotainment system, or clients can enjoy the marque’s exceptional 18-speaker Bespoke Audio system, which benefits from the latest generation 18-channel 1400-watt amplifier. Cullinan Series II retains the brand’s celebrated speaker architecture wherein cavities within the motor car’s aluminium sill sections are used as resonance chambers for low frequency speakers, effectively transforming the entire motor car into a subwoofer.

Pricing for Cullinan Series II in Australia starts from AUD 777,000 excluding on-road costs (Stamp Duty). Pricing for Black Badge Cullinan Series II starts from 895,000 excluding on-road costs (Stamp Duty). Of course, all Rolls-Royce pricing is dependent on client specification as each Rolls-Royce is Bespoke. First local client deliveries for Cullinan Series II will commence from Q4 2024.

In addition, at this exclusive showcase Rolls-Royce Motor Cars also presented Ghost, as well as Spectre – the marque’s ultra-luxury super coupé. In line with a showcase of the very best from the Rolls-Royce Bespoke division, for the first time in Australia, highly skilled artisans from the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood were on hand to exhibit their craftsmanship. This included an exclusive gift for attendees of the event, an embossed Rolls-Royce luggage tag.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a true luxury house, creating the world’s most recognised, revered and desirable handcrafted Bespoke products for its international clientele. There are over 2,500 people working at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, West Sussex. This comprises both its global headquarters and Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence – the only place in the world where Rolls-Royce motor cars are designed, engineered and meticulously built by hand.

In coming weeks, I will be sharing an interview with Katie, one of the Bespoke Development Specialists from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, who was present at this unique voyage of discovery.

Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.

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