As the storied Rolls-Royce marque celebrated its 120th anniversary last year, a sea change was taking shape in its top office. After nearly 14 years as CEO, during which time the opulent automaker saw a 500 percent surge in sales, Torsten Müller-Ötvös announced he was stepping aside in favor of UK-born industry veteran Chris Brownridge—a return to the brand’s roots, you might say.

“To be invited to lead this great British brand, at such a pivotal moment in its long and remarkable story, is an extraordinary privilege,” Brownridge said of his ascension. “Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s most recognized, desirable, and influential brands, and I’m keenly aware of the enormous affection and esteem in which it’s held.” Earlier this year, he demonstrated his commitment to the evolution of the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy, presiding over the debut of Black Badge Spectre, the most powerful car in Rolls-Royce history, based on its $400,000-plus electric ultra-luxury grand tourer.

Just prior to that, he’d announced plans to invest around $375 million to expand the marque’s famed Goodwood, U.K. factory to focus more on the bespoke side of the business, a thriving division that has gained a reputation for ever-more-incredible custom creations. Some of its most notable bespoke commissions in 2024 included solid 18-karat gold sculptural elements, hand embroidery consisting of more than 869,500 stitches, veneers including 500 individually-shaped pieces of wood, and one-of-a-kind holographic paint finishes.

At the same time, the brand opened an impressive new Private Office in New York, catering to stateside clients wishing to order bespoke vehicles and collaborate directly with the marque’s designers. We recently spoke to Brownridge about his appointment, vision, and plans for the future.

What aspects of the brand’s direction are you most eager to develop or refine?

Every day, I gain a deeper appreciation for our ability to connect with clients through Bespoke. I am continually inspired by the talent and vision of our artisans in Goodwood and our teams around the world. Our ambition is to further expand personalization options, ensuring each motor car reflects the unique desires of its owner. This includes investing in the Goodwood facility to accommodate increasingly complex Bespoke projects—reinforcing our unwavering commitment to individualized luxury.

How does the Black Badge Spectre embody the pinnacle of the Black Badge ethos?

Black Badge is the alter ego of the Rolls-Royce brand— darker, bolder, and more visceral. Spectre, our electric super coupé, provides the ideal canvas for this expression. Its emotionally charged design and powerful stance made it the natural choice for our most performance-focused model to date. With 650 brake horsepower and exclusive features like “Infinity Mode” and “Spirited Mode,” Black Badge Spectre pushes the boundaries of bold design while maintaining the serene luxury expected of Rolls-Royce. In many ways, this is the motor car Black Badge was destined for.

How has the Black Badge program evolved over the past decade?

Black Badge was introduced to appeal to a younger, more dynamic clientele. It has since matured into a bold symbol of individuality— perfectly aligned with the expressive capabilities of our Bespoke division. Over time, we’ve introduced enhanced performance features, culminating in the Black Badge Spectre—the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever. Simultaneously, Black Badge has allowed us to innovate with new materials, further expanding the visual and tactile palette available to our clients.

What is the current state of the Black Badge program, and who are its clients?

The Black Badge collection continues to thrive, attracting those who seek a more daring and unconventional Rolls-Royce experience. Our client base for Black Badge is very diverse, but our Black Badge owners value bold design married with dynamic performance. They are seeking a truly personal connection to the image their motor car projects and deliberately move away from expected aesthetic codes.

What was involved in engineering the most powerful Rolls-Royce in history?

The development of Black Badge Spectre required a transformative approach to power and performance—executed the Rolls-Royce way. Teaching Spectre how to behave with increased torque and horsepower while remaining, first and foremost, a Rolls-Royce demanded precise calibration of the transmission, suspension, and steering systems. Our engineers also crafted a sound profile befitting this elevated performance. The result is a motor car that redefines power for the brand with-out any compromise regarding the refined character that defines Rolls-Royce.

How do you balance innovation and electrification with the heritage that defines Rolls-Royce?

At the start of the 20th century, our founder, Charles Rolls, declared that electric drive would be the technology of the future, ideally suited to the type of car he–together with Henry Royce–was destined to create. Traveling in a Rolls-Royce has always been defined by silence, effortless power and the unrivaled “magic carpet ride.” With our meticulously engineered Rolls-Royce electric drivetrain, that renowned feeling of “one endless gear” takes on a new quality: Even more powerful, silent and refined than our legendary V12, it delivers the ultimate Rolls-Royce experience.

What motivated the $375 million expansion of the Goodwood manufacturing facility?

This strategic investment is dedicated to expanding our Bespoke and Coachbuild capabilities, not to increase annual production volumes. As client demand grows for increasingly complex and highly individualized commissions, the enhanced facility will support advanced paint techniques and intricate “one-off” interior treatments, reducing wait times for our clients. Our mission is not more volume, but more magnificent, meaningful commissions.

How has Rolls-Royce come to lead the industry in vehicle customization?

Bespoke is not an option at Rolls-Royce—it is the essence of what we do. From the initial consultation to the final handover, every touchpoint is tailored to transform each motor car into a singular expression of the client’s lifestyle. Our goal is to ensure that no two Rolls-Royces are alike—each is a one-of-one commission that reflects the individuality of its owner.

What is driving the increase in Bespoke and Coachbuild demand?

True luxury lies in individuality and exclusivity. Our clients are highly accomplished individuals who turn to Rolls-Royce to express and celebrate that success. They don’t want a car—they want a statement. A unique Bespoke commission is their way of making that statement.

What inspired the growth of the Private Office program? Doesn’t its invite-only nature create limitations?

Private Office was conceived to serve clients with highly ambitious bespoke visions—clients for whom time is their most precious resource. Not everyone can travel to Goodwood [UK], so we brought the experience closer to them. The Private Office allows direct access to our design team and creative resources, empowering our most visionary clients to bring their ideas to life in collaboration with our brand.

How does one receive an invitation to the Private Office?

Invitations are extended to clients who demonstrate a strong affinity with the brand, often through previous Bespoke commissions or a clear vision for a one-of-a-kind vehicle. At Private Office New York, for instance, access is granted via dealer-client advisors. While every Rolls-Royce dealership houses a Bespoke Lounge, clients whose requests are particularly elaborate are invited to the Private Office where they can work directly with a Rolls-Royce designer and dedicated client experience manager.

How does direct collaboration with Goodwood designers enhance the commissioning experience?

Working directly with our designers—whether at Goodwood [Rolls’ UK headquarters] or in Private Office locations—immerses clients in the creative journey. Their personal stories and preferences are deeply integrated into the final design, resulting in a motor car that is not only one-of-a-kind, but profoundly personal. These collaborations often inspire new techniques and innovations in design, material use, and craftsmanship.

Are there plans to open additional Private Office locations? What determines their placement?

Currently, our Private Offices in Goodwood, Dubai, Shanghai, Seoul, and New York are serving hundreds of clients on highly complex projects. Our focus remains on delivering world-class service at each location. While we have no immediate plans to expand, we will continue to evaluate based solely on one criterion: our ability to meet and exceed client expectations.

Are more ultra-limited Coachbuild commissions planned? What determines eligibility?

Wait and see! We continue to explore ultra-limited Coachbuild projects with clients who have a deep understanding of the brand and a compelling vision. These commissions are profoundly collaborative and ensure alignment with Rolls-Royce’s heritage and standards. While we can’t reveal specifics at this time, we are always seeking opportunities to evolve the Coachbuild concept in response to client demand.

This article originally appeared in Maxim’s September/October 2025 issue.

Rolls-Royce’s storied Starlight headliner has been reimagined in homage to one of our solar system’s most awe-inspiring celestial events.

Limited to 25 hand-crafted examples, the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ekleipsis Private Collection was launched in conjunction with the recent October 14 solar eclipse.

The project was spearheaded by the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective, described as “an elite team of engineers, designers and craftspeople [that] take inspiration from historical events and figures, renowned artworks, personal artefacts, nature and the architectural world.” The Bespoke Collective is not to be confused with Rolls-Royce Bespoke, the British marque’s customization division.

Many of the vehicles’ design elements were inspired by the solar eclipse, the most notable being the Starlight Headliners. On the twin-turbo V12’s ignition, the headliner’s star-like lights dim, replicating the ecliptic dimming phenomenon caused by the the moon’s obscuration of the sun.

A circle of 940 “stars” then forms, representing the bright corona of light around the lunar silhouette, while a further 192 surrounding lights symbolize the flickering of surrounding celestial bodies that are visible during a daytime eclipse.

The entire animation lasts seven minutes and 31 seconds, which is the longest possible duration of a total solar eclipse. After, the Starlight headliner’s more typical nighttime sequence runs for the duration of the vehicle’s trip.

Additionally, the illuminated dashboard is emblazoned with 1,846 laser-etched “stars” and a bespoke timepiece, featuring a .5 carat diamond in reference to the eclipse’s “diamond ring” that forms in the split seconds just before and immediately after the moon obscures the sun. Bi-colored seats clad in tinted black Mandarin leather are covered in 200,000 individual perforations, revealing a solar-like orange hue beneath.

The same orange hue surrounds the exterior in the hand-painted coachline the inserts below the Pantheon Grille, and the brake calipers, contrasting with the body’s base Copper brown color. Together, this exterior scheme serves as an abstract representation of the transition from sunlight to darkness as the moon covers the sun.

All 25 examples within the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Ékleipsis Private Collection have been spoken for.

As the 2023 debut Rolls-Royce’s first all-electric car approaches, the luxury coach car maker is bidding farewell to V12-powered coupes with a final, limited-edition Wraith.

Being the last of its kind, the Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow pays homage to the fastest V12 automobile ever built. One might assume Lamborghini or Ferrari would have laid claim to that distinction sometime in the past decade, but it was an eight-wheeled behemoth dubbed Thunderbolt that set the record long ago in 1938, never again to be broken.

Propelled by two Rolls-Royce V12 “R” airplane engines, the seven-ton monster clocked an astounding 357.5 mph at the helm of one Captain George Eyston on the Bonneville Salt Flats, the legendary land-speed testing grounds. To ensure the aluminum-bodied behemoth could be seen at-speed under the singeing desert sun on a bright white surface, Eyston painted a large black arrow surrounding a yellow central circle on Thunderbolt’s sides.

That takes us to the Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow. In a nod to Eyston’s yellow tracer, the V-struts, wheel pinstripes, bumper inserts and ring surrounding the Spirit of Ecstasy appear in Bright Yellow.

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The complex exterior paint coat features a full color graduation between the front’s Celebration Silver and rear’s Black Diamond—the transition in between is achieved through a glass-infused Crystal hue that was applied in varying numbers of layers over a Black Diamond base coat. The technique creates an apt motion blur effect, as well as a subtle texture inspired by crusted salt.

Inside open-pore Black Wood doors, the gaze is immediately drawn to the dashboard, which features a single sheet of black-coated aluminum embossed with a blueprint of the outgoing Wraith’s V12 engine. The dashboard clock also gets black-tipped hands in reference to the Thunderbolt’s black arrows, along with “Bonneville” and “357.497” inscriptions.

The armrests, seat gussets, transmission tunnel, door detail, door panniers and lower dashboard panel are all finished in “Club Leather,” a new material boasting a greater sheen and deeper black than natural-grain leather. The front seats and steering wheel are covered in contrasting yellow leather.

And of course, there’s Rolls-Royce’s Starlight headliner, which in this application depicts the Milky Way as it would have appeared over the Salt Flats on September 16, 1938, the day Eyston broke the V12 speed record.

All 12 examples of the Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow are spoken for. For the right price, perhaps a 13th could be commissioned through Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke division.

Rolls-Royce has stated that its bespoke Black Badge program deals in custom vehicles that are “darker in aesthetic, more urgent in personality and dramatic in material treatment.”

That mission may seem incongruous with the flaming new Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge in “Forbidden Pink” that debuted at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in mid-August, but astute fans of the the Spirit of Ecstasy-marked brand will note that the iconic hood ornament is indeed black out, as mandated by its Black Badge status.

The pinks used on this Cullinan are appearing for the first time on any Rolls vehicle. Another variant of the hue—Peony Pink—colors the leather of the Bespoke Viewing Suite’s chairs and cocktail table, which emerge from the trunk. The interior’s Grace White, Cashmere Grey and Lime Green leathers also “defy conventional Black Badge stereotypes,” Rolls notes.

This candy-colored Cullinan Black Badge was joined at Pebble Beach by another bright, first-ever Rolls expression—a Ghost in Crystal over Sagano Green. Six layers of the stuff were hand-applied at the marque’s Exterior Surface Finish Centre, with minute specks added in between layers four and five for extra dimensionality.

A closer look reveals a thin black coachline running the length of the Ghost’s exterior, complimenting the pinstripe ties on gloss-black wheels.

Rolls’ point isn’t trying to sell these exact cars but showcase its vast capacity to create truly bespoke commissions. If what’s required isn’t available from Rolls’ 44,000-shade palette, they’ll make a “Bespoke Signature Named” hue just for you.

As Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars tells it, in 2013 he and his cohorts were standing in front of the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills where they’d been hosting an event, when an all-black, “murdered out” Phantom Coupe pulled up. They’d never seen anything like it.

“I’m always quite interested in talking to our clients worldwide, and I approached the gentleman who was driving, and we talked about the car,” he recalls.

“And it was stunning, I must say. I was quite blown away. I asked him, ‘Why did you do that? Why did you murder out this beautiful Phantom coupe, completely in black, black, black?’ And it turns out that he was a well-known surgeon, but as he told me, on the weekends he wants to be a different kind of character. Through the week he is ‘Doctor X,’ we’ll call him, friendly, nice. But on the weekends, he wants to be something different and more like a little bit menacing. I wouldn’t call it evil, but he enjoyed playing a different role, obviously, down to the way he was dressed, looked, and talked. And the car was a big part of it.”

Call it an “aha” moment for the man in charge of the world’s most famous luxury car marque. And thus, “after considerable internal debate,” was born the idea for what became Rolls-Royce’s Black Badge program, which produces bespoke versions of its coveted vehicles that are “darker in aesthetic, more urgent in personality and dramatic in material treatment.”

Black Badge takes its name from the blacked-out Spirit of Ecstasy that adorns the vehicles’ bonnets, and which “have come to symbolize the pinnacle of a new type of super-luxury product, setting in motion a shift across the wider luxury industry,” spawning numerous imitators in the process.

“Today, it looks pretty obvious,” Müller-Ötvös says. “But when we first conceived of it, it was quite a controversial topic. [Our parent company] BMW Group thought that blackening the Spirit of Ecstasy was too much.” Müller-Ötvös and his design team eventually prevailed.

Richard Carter, Rolls-Royce’s urbane Director of Global Communications, points out that at the time when Black Badge was conceived, “nobody else was really doing all-black. Nowadays, it’s amazing. You drive around the streets here in South Beach, and every second car is murdered out. There’s black everywhere. But think back to 2013, 2014…. Yes, black existed in couture, there was the little black dress, there was black tie for gentlemen to wear in the evening and so on, but there were no black yachts, black jets, black watches, black everything. It hadn’t happened yet.”

As with any new product that bears the Rolls-Royce nameplate, “or, if we’re going to do something big,” Carter relates, “take electrification for example, we always look into our history. Because the history of this brand is so incredibly rich with stories and people and events and so on. And, as we look back, and looked for the rationale for Black Badge, historically, we found all manner of iconoclasts and people with alter egos, and guys who had done custom stuff with their cars,” including John Lennon, who’d actually blacked out his first Phantom V limousine.

The latest vehicle to get the Black Badge treatment is the new generation Ghost, which debuted in 2020. The Black Badge Ghost, which Rolls calls “our most advanced motorcar yet,” houses a 6.75-liter V12 engine that delivers increased power of 591 hp and uprated torque (664 lb.-ft.), allowing it to accelerate from 0-60 in a mind-blowing 4.5 seconds.

Priced at about $400,000, the Black Badge Ghost “seizes on the minimalist design treatment that has recast the legend of Ghost,” as the marque puts it, “but amplifies and subverts it with the application of black.” For the Black Badge designation, the Ghost was “reengineered to characterize the alter ego of Rolls-Royce: assertive, dynamic and potent,” and the result is “the purest Black Badge motorcar in Rolls-Royce history.”

It takes 100 pounds of black paint to achieve the Black Badge Ghost’s signature look (being a Rolls you can of course select a bespoke color of another hue, as long as the Spirit of Ecstasy retains its darkened aspect). Incredibly supple Turchese leather upholstery is set off by Technical Carbon and Bolivar wood veneers, with the Black Badge infinity symbol logo etched into the trim above a rear seat champagne cooler, as well as the passenger-side dashboard. There’s a signature starlight headliner, i.e. a galaxy of fiber optic cables overhead, complete with shooting stars. And the finishing touch is a set of custom 21-inch carbon fiber and alloy wheels.

“Just over a year ago we launched our new Ghost,” Müller-Ötvös says. “And we launched it in the teeth of the COVID crisis. People said we were mad; but it turned out to be our most successful launch ever, and has continued to be an extremely successful car. [We] call the new Ghost’s minimalist design, just right for the times, Post Opulence. And Black Badge Ghost continues that. Yes, it’s black. It’s spectacularly black. You can make it your private nightclub on the inside. And our customers do. Pops of color, technical carbon fiber, different things can happen on the inside, but on the outside, black…. It’s the purest possible form of Black Badge yet.” 

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2022 issue of Maxim magazine.

It was time to get the hell outta Dodge. Like almost every human in the known universe we’d just spent the last few months staring at the same four walls, and our minds were beginning to play tricks on us. Like that trash compactor scene in Star Wars, the room was starting to squeeze in, tightening every day. One thought kept boomeranging back to mind: road trip. You know that classic American rite of passage, the treasured summer excursion of jumping in your favorite vehicle, stretching your legs and throttle foot, and discovering what the world has to offer. And seeing as Rolls-Royce—arguably the most esteemed luxury marque the world has ever known—volunteered a Cullinan Black Badge for adventure, our steed for this voyage was obvious. 

Only one question remained: where to? This is where cosmic fate stepped in, in the form of a visiting small Solar System body called Neowise. The brightest comet to pass by Earth in almost 25 years, Neowise was the rare SSSB that could be seen by the naked eye—the first  since Hale-Bopp in 1995.

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So we booked an architectural gem near Palm Springs to call home base, loaded up the Cullinan Black Badge with gear, and vowed to locate the darkest corner of desert we could find in nearby Joshua Tree for some comet spotting. Part #roadtrip, part luxury Palm Springs weekend getaway, part off-road hillbilly adventure; the Cullinan called. 

Leaving Venice Beach in late morning we head due east, through the towering skyscrapers of downtown and into the eastern industrial edge of L.A.—a vast tract known for both its smog and world-class taco destinations. Further inland you begin creeping through areas that shift into some of the best Sichuan, Chengdu and Taiwanese restaurants in all of America, but we have one thing on our minds before heading deep into the desert: fish tacos. The renowned Tacos Ensenada calls our name, so we set the Cullinan’s nav and head to fill our eager bellies.

Since most places are currently takeout only, the Cullinan’s rear seating compartment—envisioned for white-gloved chauffeured pampering—is a godsend. There are few things more perfect and yet wonderfully paradoxical than freezing Mexican Cokes in the center champagne chiller imagined for bottles of Armand de Brignac costing literally 100 times our entire meal. We crawl into the posh rear thrones and press buttons on the sides of the front seats that lower mahogany-paneled trays. They are heavy and sturdy, framed in shiny chrome like so many of the contact points in the luxurious cabin; and they expose flatscreens behind. But we’re too enraptured to be distracted by movies or other infotainment—the crunch of Tacos Ensenada’s golden fish batter is sublime, loaded with crema and salsa roja; the ceviche might be even better. 

Fully sated we set sights for the furthest edges of the Desert Cities, La Quinta, not far from the Polo Fields where every year they throw the bacchanalia known as the Coachella Music & Arts Festival. Back in the driver’s seat we aim the Spirit of Ecstasy, the hood ornament otherwise known as Eleanor, onto Pomona Boulevard and steer her onto the 60. The expansive bonnet seems to stretch out to the horizon, its hand-polished Salamanca Blue paint glittering in the sun like a giant sapphire. 

Driving the Cullinan is a unique experience unto itself. Most vehicles that float in this rarefied air are speed/performance-based. Even if they’re enormous executive saloons, they’re still motivated by mammoth V12 powerplants boasting absurd horsepower and acceleration numbers. The Cullinan is as well, for the most part. In its Black Badge trim its Brobdingnagian 6.75-liter V-12 generates 600 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque—a generous uptick from the standard model’s 563 horses and 627 pound-feet. 

Despite enough force to uproot Sequoia stumps, however, the Cullinan never feels especially sporty. Rolls-Royce, after all, does not make sporty cars. The term implies an interaction between man and machine. In other words, labor—anathema in Rolls-Royce parlance. There isn’t even a Sport setting, although the “Low” button on the gear stalk—which boosts throttle response and raises shift points on the eight-speed automatic—performs a similar function. The SUV sleepwalks effortlessly, and yet with a tap of your handmade Berluti loafers the full breadth of its 664 pound-feet of torque comes rumbling to life like the purr of a napping dragon. 

The sensation recalls a conversation with Rolls engineer Dr. Philip Harnett we had back in 2014 during a Wraith launch, when he told us the coupe’s intoxicating waves of power were “not for drag racing—it’s so you can have effortless torque.” The hypnotic, endless straights of California’s highways underscore that sentiment beautifully. There’s no term associated in a word bubble with the venerable British automaker more than waft. And here you can see why. The Cullinan doesn’t drive so much as float across the asphalt, swallowing potholes—and later even sizable speed bumps— like nips of creamy chocolate soufflé. 

If you’re looking for a vehicular analgesic, the Black Badge is your SUV of choice. Although the ultra-lux Cullinan dances with the half-million-dollar territory—ours optioned out at a paltry $493,650— it should never be confused with über-utes from contemporaries like Bentley and Lamborghini. While these carry lofty price points, they’re still barely half the cost of the Black Badge Brit. Perhaps more importantly, their emphasis on performance readily separates them from Rolls-Royce territory.

Even cheaper options like the Porsche Cayenne GTS, Audi RS Q8 and Jeep’s gamma-ray blasted Grand Cherokee Trackhawk would blow the Cullinan away on twisties. But that’s clearly not the point of the Cullinan Black Badge; it’s to swaddle you in cushy clouds of comfort, dazzle you with superlative technology and materials pulled from a metallurgy shop, and stun starry-eyed onlookers with imposing presence and audacious dimensions. Not to mention the two-inch-thick lambswool used for the floor mats, which are a sumptuous experience unto themselves.

After a couple leisurely hours we pull off the 10, heading south towards La Quinta’s distinguished Cove district. Apparently Kim and Yeezy own a mansion nearby. Our weekend house lies just on the edge of the Santa Rosa Mountains, staring straight into a wall of ochre earth, scrubby foothills and crooked cacti. The gate opens to reveal a classic Palm Springs mid-century ranch house, with blue pool glowing bright in the afternoon. We strip down to our trunks and loudly belly flop into the deep end; against the 100-degree heat of the pre-evening air, the water is cool and refreshing.

But we have a comet to catch, after all. So we towel off, climb back into the Cullinan and call into Rolls-Royce’s voice command system: “Take us to Joshua Tree.” It takes about an hour of driving through indistinguishable desert shrub to reach the edge of the park, but our photographer knows a secret spot down some dirt roads to best escape any light pollution—our best hope of securing the darkest corner of Southern California to spot Neowise. As evening approaches, the Rolls senses the oncoming darkness and lights up the Starlight Headliner—a stunning exhibition on the cabin roof of twinkling digital stars that mimics the night sky. 

Available for the first time in a Cullinan in this Black Badge trim, the Starlight Headliner represents a level of bespoke luxury that stretches personalization to terminal lengths. Rolls-Royce will even arrange the 1,344 fiber-optic “stars” to exactly emulate the position of the constellations on your birthday. For real. You can dim them to a romantic setting, brighten them enough to read by, or even shut half the Starlight down in case one of you wants to sleep. For the first time ever, Rolls has even integrated falling stars that randomly shoot across the sky. 

So we follow Eleanor into the gloaming, the dark chrome angel leading our way as the Cullinan Black Badge rides the undulating dirt roads of the Mojave Desert. The hood ornament’s smoked high-gloss chrome is matched on the front grille, exhaust and exterior trim, lending a sense of sinister elegance to the sparkling blue behemoth. The air suspension, tightened in Black Badge trim, allows the Cullinan to loll over the waves of dry earth like a 6,000-pound yacht in a storm. Still, the SUV is surprisingly capable considering we’re driving a half-million-dollar RollsRoyce-built block of metal through fiery roads. 

When we finally arrive at the clearing we open the heavy suicide doors and spill out, giddy eyes trained to the northwest near the horizon. We look for the Big Dipper, having read Neowise can be found there somewhere in the black, tail searing the sky. Some are stressing out—supposedly the next time the comet will make its way across our heavens will be the year 8786. But as we stand in the warm desert air scanning the horizon, I can’t help but look back at the Cullinan. Despite the epic road trip and extraordinary celestial event, I kind of just want to slip back in that chauffeured seat with no one noticing. Sip a cold Coke from the chiller and wait for a fiber-optic shooting star to fire across the roofliner. Suddenly those four walls don’t seem so tight. 

Diamond Chiseled Opulence

No wonder this three-ton steel, leather and carbon fiber totem of affluence was named after the largest diamond ever discovered — a gem currently secured in the Tower of London as a Crown Jewel of England. The Cullinan is a rolling ode to superlative wealth and prosperity. And now with Black Badge status, the SUV reaches another level.

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The opulence of the Cullinan Black Badge knows few limits. It boasts a 3D-looking “technical fiber” carbon trim across the cabin, illuminated rocker panels, and embroidered thrones of sumptuous leather — all four heated, AC ventilated and massaging. There’s thick acoustic glass separating rear passengers from the trunk space, ensuring a tomb-quiet cabin. The unique 22-inch silver-and-black two-tone wheels feature “anti spinner” caps with offset counter weights; they spin independently so the “RR” logos always remain upright. How polite. The trunk even hides mechanized twin leather seats that slide out from a slim cabinet, rotate and fold out with the push of a button for luxurious tailgate picnics. And, of course, there’s the chiller that keeps a bottle of champagne and twin flutes cold for rear passengers on long drives.

Perhaps our favorite touch, however, is the two-inch-thick lambswool used for the floor mats. Jumping in to grab some steaks after the pool, bare feet were suddenly coddled so sumptuously it felt like cashmere pillows massaging our toes. 

Strange things happen when I’m driving elite automobiles around a given city. I don’t own these cars and only drive them for a week or so at a time to review their features and capabilities Still, other drivers don’t know that. Who am I to correct their ignorance?

Sometimes folks want to take pictures with my Aston Martin or Bentley. Maybe they want to speed past the BMW M Series or the Mercedes-Benz AMG because they suddenly feel inadequate in their car of choice and want to win back some vague sense of four-wheeled self-respect.

Then there was the time the guy wanted to drag race his Cadillac light to light against my 2020 Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge.

The legendary UK automaker — the creator of everything from the world’s most famous luxury cars to the airplane engine that won the Battle of Britain – allowed me to take the wheel of $478,000 Dawn Black Badge for 48 hours. I drove and reviewed its ilk in the past, testing a Wraith in the past. The Rolls-Royce driving experience is unique in the automotive world.

A Rolls-Royce – be it that Wraith or the new Dawn Black Badge – exists to surround and isolate the driver from the harshness of common driving. With its double-wishbone front suspension, multi-link rear suspension with self leveling air springs and electronic variable vamping control, the Dawn’s suspension turns a Rolls-Royce into a precious metal hovercraft.

Though it comes equipped with a massive 6.6-liter, 563-horsepower V12, the Dawn Black is not a performance car. Such labels are considered beneath a Rolls-Royce’s dignity. A similarly priced Ferrari or Lamborghini is engineered to connect the driver to the pavement to feel every turn and maneuver in his bone marrow. The Dawn and its sisters enclose the owner in his own dimension of silence and comfort.

A steel monocoque body with steel body panels and doors give the Dawn Black Badge its share of the iconic Rolls-Royce heaviness. Not only does that weight settle the six-ton vehicle into turns, but the steel causing the heft helps to protect the machine in any collisions. Put simply, a Rolls-Royce is a velvet tank.

Though equipped with a complete infotainment suite, electronic everything and a 600-watt, 16-speaker audio system, the Dawn’s designers kept the signature flares of Rolls-Royce cars of the past — including the analog clock and traditional speedometer.

Getting back to the overgrown Chucky Doll with the Cadillac and the misdirected testosterone problem, I smiled at his revving offer and let him proceed from the light like the screeching fool he was. A Rolls-Royce does not need to prove itself.

The simple truth is this: There’s no point in the owner of the 2020 Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge in racing anyone. If he owns the car, the race is over. He won.

Rolls-Royce‘s stylish Black Badge ensemble just debuted a new blacked-out Cullinan SUV.

The special-edition Cullinan’s shell is finished in multiple layers of black paint and lacquer that were meticulously applied and hand-polished 10 times at Rolls’ headquarters in West Sussex, England. 

The Spirit of Ecstasy mascot is presented in high gloss black chrome, while the “Double R” badge in front gets a silver-on-black treatment. Other chrome surfaces, such as the front grille surround, side frame finishers, boot handle, boot trim, lower air inlet finisher and exhaust pipes are also darkened.

Moving below the body are 22-inch gloss back alloy rims—reserved exclusively for Black Badge Cullinan— and the marque’s first-ever colored brake caliper in red. 

While the dark exterior exudes stealth, the interior is decidedly decked-out with a naked-weave carbon-fiber finish of repeating geometrical shapes on the dash and consoles. A bold new leather color dubbed “Forge Yellow” provides an element of bright contrast, but the highlight of the cabin is its black leather starlight headliner, which glimmers with 1,344 fiber optic lights to mimic the star-lit sky. Alternatively, one can admire the Earth’s real stratosphere from the Cullinan’s rear-seat “Viewing Gallery.” 

For a power upgrade, Rolls tuned the Cullinan’s 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 to crank out just under 600 horses. The proprietary aluminum architecture that debuted in the Phantom and eight-speed gear box have remained unchanged. 

The Rolls-Royce Black Badge Cullinan is available via commission only. Expect to pay quite a bit more than you would for the $325,000 base model.