Dubai, November 26, 2019: After the extraordinary digital launch of the Black Badge Cullinan, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Middle East was the first region to showcase the entire Black Badge family, which has been recently completed with the introduction of Cullinan Black Badge – the darkest, most urban expression of a Black Badge motor car yet.
The CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, visited multiple markets during a tour of the region and witnessed the launch of the magnificent Cullinan SUV in Black Badge guise.
César Habib, Regional Director – Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Middle East and Africa said: “It’s incredible bringing together the entire Black Badge family in one place, and we’re delighted to be the first region to organize fabulous events.”
Created to satisfy overwhelming demand from younger, more adventurous clients, Cullinan in its silver badge guise was launched to global acclaim in 2018, immediately becoming the world’s pinnacle super-luxury SUV. Combining luxury in its purest form with genuine practicality and off-road capability, Cullinan delivered on the promise of an experience that is Effortless, Everywhere.
The Rolls-Royce of SUVs did much to reach a new group of clients looking for access to the world’s wildest places and most enriching experiences. Yet, within this group exists a subset of individuals who seek to subvert the motor car’s domineering presence by permanently cloaking it in the night. Cullinan has conquered the world’s wildest reaches. Now it is time for Black Badge Cullinan to conquer new urban frontiers.
Black Badge Cullinan Exterior: The King of the Night
While clients can draw on the marque’s 44,000 ‘ready to wear’ paint options or commission an entirely individual Bespoke hue, it is anticipated that many will opt for Black Badge’s signature Black. Multiple layers of paint and lacquer are meticulously applied and hand-polished 10 times at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex, representing the most comprehensive surface finish process ever applied to a solid paint colour.
On the prow of the motor car lies the defining expression of Black Badge. The Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, which has taken many forms throughout the marque’s history, is presented in high gloss black chrome. For the first time this finish extends onto its mounting plate, creating the darkest Black Badge yet.
The ‘Double R’ badge on the front, flanks and aft invert to become silver-on-black, while chrome surfaces such as the front grille surround, side frame finishers, boot handle, boot trim, lower air inlet finisher, and exhaust pipes are darkened. While they appear black, the vertical grille bars remain polished, reflecting the blackened surfaces that surround them to add a frisson of movement that hints at the motor car’s dynamic intent.
Black Badge Cullinan Interior: Superlative comfort. Audacious design
The marque’s Colour and Trim experts sensationalized the engineering substance of Black Badge, blending comfort, bold aesthetics, advanced materials and precise, meticulous craftsmanship.
This ethos is embodied by Black Badge Cullinan’s Technical Carbon veneer. A collaboration between the marque’s designers, engineers and craftspeople saw the creation of a new luxury material. Inspired by masterpieces of urban architecture, a naked-weave carbon-fibre finish has been developed to create highly accurate repeating geometrical shapes that produce a three-dimensional effect.
Each leaf of Technical Carbon is finished with six coats of lacquer before being left to cure for 72 hours then hand-polished to Rolls-Royce’s hallmark mirror finish. This process takes 21 days and is only deemed complete once every piece is inspected by a craftsperson to ensure reflective uniformity across each of the 23 pieces within the car.
Starlight Headliner has joined historical Rolls-Royce iconography such as the Spirit of Ecstasy, Pantheon Grille and ‘Double R’ monogram. Its presence in Black Badge Cullinan intensifies the cabin’s ambience by casting a low light over the leather seats. Presented in fine Black leather, handwoven with 1344 fibre optic lights, it is a true reflection of the sky at night and incorporates eight white shooting stars that dart at random predominantly over the front occupants, acknowledging the motor car’s owner-driver appeal.
For Cullinan Rolls-Royce’s Colour and Trim designers created a new leather colour, Forge Yellow, to offer as part of the brand’s curated collection. As with all leather colours, this can be commissioned for the motor car’s Viewing Suite or incorporated into the design of a highly Bespoke Recreation Module tailored to the client’s exacting specification.
A final touch completes the interior seating: the Infinity lemniscate motif is embroidered into the fold-down rear arm-rest as a reminder of the power contained within. This symbol is also incorporated in the illuminated treadplates and engraved on the steel clock case. Red-tipped clock hands and instrument display needles also serve as a discreet reminder of the motor car’s dynamic prowess.
Black Badge Cullinan Engineering. The Architecture of Luxury’s dark side
Key to the visceral thrill of Black Badge Cullinan is the Architecture of Luxury, Rolls-Royce’s proprietary all-aluminium architecture that debuted with Phantom. The sub-structure not only delivers extraordinary body stiffness but its flexibility and scalability allowed Cullinan to be fitted with all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering in its silver badged guise. These features have been comprehensively exploited and re-engineered for Black Badge while retaining the quality of ride that has driven Rolls-Royce’s success.
The Architecture of Luxury has been engineered to meet size and weight requirements of different propulsion systems. When the driver presses the ‘Low’ button situated on the gear selection stalk, they unlock Black Badge Cullinan’s full suite of technologies. This is asserted by the amplification of the motor car’s 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 through an entirely new exhaust system. The flexibility of the twin-turbo V12 has been exploited to generate an extra 29PS creating a total output of 600PS. The sense of a single, infinite gear has also been sensationalized with the addition of a further 50NM of torque, bringing the total to a 900NM.
The drive-train, ZF 8-speed gear box and both front and rear steered axles work collaboratively to adjust the levels of engagement depending on throttle and steering inputs. Changes to suspension components and settings add to the suite of technologies that ensure an appropriate balance between dynamism and refinement. The result is an extremely well-mannered tourer at low speeds and a vivid driver’s device when pressed. To bolster confidence when exploiting Cullinan’s alter ego, the braking bite point has been raised and pedal travel decreased. Redesigned brake disc ventilation also allows consistency in these changes while braking at elevated temperatures.
Black Badge Cullinan is now available to commission.
