The Darkest Black Badge yet – New Black Badge Cullinan

Rolls-Royce introduced Black Badge with the Wraith and Ghost in 2016, followed by Dawn in 2017 and in 2019 the family is completed with the Black Badge Cullinan.

• Introduced as the darkest, most urban expression of a Black Badge motor car yet
• First coloured brake caliper from Rolls-Royce
• 6.75-litre V12 engine now delivers increased power (600PS) and torque (900NM)
• Drivetrain and chassis re-engineered for enhanced dynamic performance
• Curated collection debuts striking Forge Yellow leather and Technical Carbon veneer
• Bespoke alloy wheel introduced in Black Badge house style
• Infinity lemniscate symbol continues to codify noir expression of Rolls-Royce

Launched in 2018, the original Silver Badge guise of the Cullinan was created to satisfy overwhelming demand from younger, more adventurous clients looking for a super-luxury SUV. If the Silver Badge Cullinan was built to conquer the world’s wildest reaches, then the alter ego Black Badge Cullinan has been built to conquer the urban frontiers.

The Idea Of Black Badge

Rolls-Royce noted that within its new group of clients a subset of individuals existed who sought to subvert the motor car’s domineering presence, as Rolls-Royce states, “by permanently cloaking it in the night”. Rolls-Royce goes on further to describe them as “men and women who take risks, break rules and build success on their own terms”. Rolls-Royce also gives a hint that the idea of Black Badge didn’t arrive without opposition. “Before we launched Black Badge in 2016 the idea of creating a product that would satisfy this subversive cohort – that is highly dynamic and wilfully rebellious in aesthetic – caused a great deal of internal debate” declares Torsten Müller-Ötvös, the CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

The Darkest Black Badge Version

The Black Badge Cullinan’s multi-layered signature high gloss Black paint is hand polished 10 times, representing the most comprehensive surface finish process ever applied to a solid paint colour. While the black paint will be popular for many, the Black Badge Cullinan can also be coated in any of Rolls-Royce’s 44,000 ‘ready to wear’ colors or commissioned with a completely new bespoke hue.

The Spirit of Ecstasy mascot is presented in high gloss black chrome and for the first time this finish extends onto its mounting plate, creating the darkest Black Badge yet.

Other darkened features include the ‘Double R’ badge on the front, flanks and aft which 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.

The Black Badge Cullinan is further enhanced by all-new 22-inch forged alloy wheels, reserved exclusively for Black Badge Cullinan. Lurking behind these are Rolls-Royce’s first ever coloured brake calipers. The high gloss Red paint has been specifically developed to withstand the rigors of elevated temperatures generated by the motor car’s uprated braking system while still offering a perfectly smooth finish befitting of Rolls-Royce. To help driver confidence when exploiting the Black Badge Cullinan’s increased power, 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.

As we delve inside the cabin of the Black Badge Cullinan, the now iconic Starlight Headliner intensifies the cabin’s ambience by casting a low light over the lavish 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 brilliant white shooting stars that dart at random predominantly over the front occupants, subtly acknowledging the Cullinan’s owner-driver appeal.

What Is Technical Carbon?

Inside their cars, Rolls-Royce usually go to lengths to remove any notion or sense of the raw mechanical function of the motor vehicle. However, for the Black badge Cullinan, Rolls-Royce’s Colour and Trim experts wanted to gently sensationalise the engineering substance of Black Badge, but asked themselves, how should this be done?

In the spirit of Sir Henry Royce’s founding philosophy, “When it does not exist, design it”, a collaboration between the marque’s designers, engineers and craftspeople saw the creation of a new luxury material called Technical Carbon.

Inspired by masterpieces of urban architecture, a naked-weave carbon-fibre finish was developed to create highly accurate repeating geometrical shapes that produced a powerful 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 complete reflective uniformity across each of the 23 pieces within the car’s interior.

The Infinity Motif

The Black Badge contains symbolism of the mathematical symbol that represents a potential infinity, which is placed discreetly within the motor car’s interior. This marking, also known as the lemniscate, was applied to Sir Malcolm Campbell’s record-breaking Rolls-Royce-powered Blue Bird K3 hydroplane, denoting that it belonged to an insurance class reserved for boats with unlimited and therefore infinite engine power. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars states it “selected this hallmark for Black Badge to reflect its own unrelenting pursuit of power”. Within the car’s interior, the Infinity lemniscate motif is embroidered into the fold-down rear arm-rest, incorporated in the illuminated treadplates and engraved on the brushed and darkened steel clock case.

Sir Malcolm Campbell’s record-breaking Rolls-Royce-powered Blue Bird K3 hydroplane was also celebrated by Rolls-Royce with the planned limited edition production run of 35 Phantom Drophead Coupes revealed in 2014. The unique models were to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Sir Malcolm Campbell’s last water speed record, which occurred in 1939.

Black Badge Cullinan Engineering & Power

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 dynamic features have been comprehensively exploited and re-engineered for Black Badge while retaining the peerless 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 proud amplification of the motor car’s 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 through an entirely new exhaust system, announcing its arrival with a deep, authoritative basso profundo.

It was deemed unnecessary to make changes to the engine’s ample internal capacity, however 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 sensationalised with the addition of a further 50NM of torque, bringing the total to a 900NM.

Black Badge Cullinan benefits from a Bespoke transmission and throttle treatment that creates a sense of urgency without ever undermining its Rolls-Royce peerage. 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. The result is an extremely well-mannered tourer at low speeds and a vivid driver’s device when pressed.

Black Badge Cullinan is now available to commission.