Rolls Royce Project Cullinan SUV
(Teaser)
Rolls-Royce is one of the last
luxury automakers not to offer an SUV. That's soon to change, as
Project Cullinan takes form. Project Cullinan is what the British automaker has termed the program to
develop its first sport-ute – or, rather, what it refers to as an “all-terrain,
high-sided vehicle,” which will also be its first to offer all-wheel drive.
Rolls-Royce has of its prototypes as
their development progresses. And while the last test mule looked like a
modified Phantom with a wing on the trunk (for some reason), this camouflaged
prototype is finally beginning to take shape.
What Goodwood isn't showing us,
however, is around back, where the Cullinan will apparently (and inevitably)
pack a wagon bodystyle. What can you do, after all, when a trunk wouldn't look
right and a pickup bed would be even more ridiculous on a Rolls than an
elongated roofline. One thing that strikes us though is that the Cullinan
appears to have dropped the rear suicide doors for a conventional set - or
maybe Rolls Royce is just teasing us by installing fake handles. Only time will
tell.
However the uber-luxury carmaker
manages to translate its already imposing design language to an even bigger
form, it's important to remember that Project Cullinan won't be just about that
one model. The new aluminum architecture on which it's being based will form
the basis for all Rolls-Royce models starting in 2018.
