THE OFF-ROAD ROLLS
Rolls-Royces were out in force at yesterday’s royal wedding. Princess eugenie arrived at st George’s chapel, Windsor, in a vintage 1977 Phantom VI and two brand-new £400,000 Phantoms chauffeured the groom and his parents.
But behind the scenes was a forthcoming and yet-to-hit showrooms Rolls-Royce cullinan, dropped off at Windsor castle just days earlier for use by the Royal Mews fleet. And if they’d needed a driver, I was their man. Because this week I was among the first journalists to drive this new Rolls-Royce — the marque’s first purpose-built 4x4 — at the global launch in Wyoming.
And the car has another royal connection. It’s named after the legendary 3,106-carat cullinan diamond, unearthed in 1905 in south Africa as the largest, most flawless gem ever found, pieces of which adorn the crown Jewels.
The cullinan has been designed with a monarch in mind — right down to the commanding, highset rear pavilion seats, sumptuous leather interior and extras including a champagne cooler.
The car can even ‘curtsy’, dropping 16 in to help one get in. But its truly jaw-dropping aspect is the car’s ability to climb steep mountain tracks with all the agility of a goat.
Whizzing around the tightest of hairpins — part of a ski slope come winter — was aided by the cullinan’s clever four-wheel steering by which the rear wheels can turn, within limits, independently of those in front.
The balance, poise and power was astonishing. This is a Rolls-Royce, for heaven’s sake, climbing up and down mountains off road.
Indeed, it’s a luxurious sUV with the capability to surprise and delight. Prices start at £250,000, though Rolls-Royce reckons many customers will spend double that on expensive extras. It comes in two main styles. For off-roading, there’s the flexible five-seater, while for more formal, even regal, occasions there’s a fixed fourseater hatchback. cocooned in luxury, the acceleration from its 6.75-litre, twin-turbo, V12 engine is awesome.
The handling is sharper and more precise than the more stately flagship Phantom limousine and it has a surprisingly tight turning circle.