KING OF THE ROAD TRIP

With a route in the GPS, T3’s Spencer Hart takes the Rolls-Royce Cullinan for a run

If you’re planning the ultimate road trip, you, of course, need the ultimate car to go along with it. Look no further than the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge Edition – the pinnacle when it comes to super-luxury SUVs, combining comfort with genuine practicality, on-road refinement and off-road capability.

Before you experience all of that, though, you’ll be greeted by the Cullinan’s imposing design. Not only is this one of the largest cars on the road; in Black Badge guise, with blacked-out chrome and a black Spirit of Ecstasy, this is also one with the most intimidating. It helps give this Rolls-Royce a more youthful, dynamic personality.

Climb inside, press the button to close the doors, and you’re surrounded by meticulous craftsmanship, the highlight of which is the Starlight Headliner, which is a reflection of the sky at night, handwoven with 1,344 fibre optic lights with shooting stars that dart at random over the occupants. It’s a truly wonderful place to be, with seats so comfortable you won’t mind spending long hours and countless miles in them.

The Cullinan is built on Rolls-Royce’s proprietary all-aluminium architecture that debuted with the Phantom. This not only delivers extraordinary on-road comfort but allows the Cullinan to be fitted with all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. This came in useful on snow-covered roads, but also means, if you’re daring enough, you can take your Cullinan off-road.

Start the engine and you’ll soon realise that the Black Badge is no ordinary Cullinan. Rolls-Royce engineers have amplified the car’s 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 with an entirely new exhaust system, growling into life with a deep, authoritative “basso profundo”. The engine has been tweaked to generate an extra 29PS, creating a total output of 600PS, and a further 50NM of torque, bringing the total to 900NM. The result is an extremely well-mannered tourer at low speeds and a thrilling driver’s tool when pressed.

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge is available to commission now, with prices starting from$760,000.