Average Rolls-Royce Customer is Much Younger Than You Think
Rolls-Royce is on a roll. The British luxury automaker posted record sales in 2023, its first electric car (Spectre) has finally hit the market, its Coachbuild division continues to create one-off masterpieces (most recently the Arcadia), and its regular model lineup is now getting a boost with the introduction of the refreshed Cullinan.
Six years after its debut, the overly opulent SUV benefits from a round of mid-cycle updates including design revisions, more technology and more personalization.
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This so-called Cullinan Series II primarily stands out with a redesigned grille (now illuminated), headlights, daytime running lights, bumper and air intakes up front. The rear bumper is more prominent and incorporates a brushed stainless-steel protective plate running between the mirror-finish stainless steel exhaust tips. Also, 23-inch wheels in a tridimensional design—the largest ever fitted to the Cullinan—are available and quite eye-catching.
The Black Badge model is back for those who prefer a darker appearance, but let’s move inside where a new, high-tech interface can be found. Similar to the Spectre, there’s a glass panel stretching across the entire dashboard, with digital instruments on one side, infotainment in the middle, and 7,000 laser-etched and illuminated dots on the other side. Customers can create their own motif by working directly with Rolls-Royce's designers.
We absolutely need to talk about some of the new interior trim options with the Cullinan Series II. One is Grey Stained Ash, a richly grained natural open-pore wood with a delicate shimmer. All of the logs of this species are individually selected, veneer ‘leaves’ are subsequently stained by hand and elevated with the addition of microscopic metallic particles—a process that took more than four years of development.
A new rayon fabric made from bamboo, named Duality Twill and inspired by the extensive bamboo grove in Le Jardin des Méditerranées on the Côte d'Azur in France, can be specified. A full interior requires 20 hours of construction, up to 2.2 million stitches and about 18 km of thread. Another option is leather with up to 107,000 perforations in a pattern inspired by the constantly changing shapes and shadows of the clouds, Rolls-Royce says.
Amidst this evolution, one thing doesn’t change: the twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V12 engine returns, producing 563 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque. Selecting the Black Badge bumps these numbers to 591 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission are standard equipment.
Now, as you probably know, the Cullinan is Rolls-Royce’s best-selling product not only in North America but also globally. However, we bet you’ll be just as surprised as we were to learn that more than 90 percent of today’s customers drive the vehicle themselves instead of being chauffeured. It used to be less than 70 percent back in 2018.
And get this: despite economic challenges and the fact that the Cullinan can top half a million dollars, the average age of Rolls-Royce customers has dropped from 56 in 2010 to just 43 today. Why are you waiting to order yours?