A Rolls-Royce is not a car to be hurried – neither on the street nor in the development lab.
That’s why, according to an email I received from a Rolls-Royce representative, the company will “announce the availability date of … [the vehicle currently known as Project Cullinan] in a few years time.” The ultra-luxury SUV segment is new territory for the automaker, so it’s wise to not rush the rig into production. Last month, Motor Authority stated Rolls-Royce will hone the model “on many surfaces, including: Belgian Pavé, corrugated concrete, cobblestones, acceleration bumps, a resonance road, and other testing and development surfaces.”
It’s fitting that the development mule for Rolls-Royce’s future high-riding model takes its codename from Cullinan, the world’s largest ever uncut diamond, which also required quite a bit of time to be created.
Right now, Rolls-Royce is using the giant rear wing you see in the pictures above to help it approximate the size, weight, and physical characteristics of the eventual SUV. The piece is in place to “provide the simulated dynamic experience of the ultimate full vehicle body.”
When the model finally comes to market, it’ll ride on an all-new aluminum platform unique to Rolls-Royce.
Given that launch time is no time soon, we’ll just have to wait to discover the SUV’s production name, power plant (twin-turbo V12?), off-road capabilities, and pricing.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
