Rolls Royce Phantom, 21 Wheels, Picnic Tables, Immaculate on 2040-cars

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New Rolls-Royce Boat Tail shows off coachbuilding chops of the Phantom platform

Rolls-Royce is flexing the coachbuilding muscles of its highly versatile new Phantom platform with this gorgeous Boat Tail commission. Rolls-Royce claims the build required the fabrication of more than 1,800 unique parts and 20 years of combined man-hours to complete.  Even by Rolls-Royce standards, this is pretty ambitious stuff. The commission was inspired by a 1932 Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, and like the original, it was inspired by, well, boats. Shocking, right? The trim elements both inside and out (Caleidolegno veneer, if you're curious) were designed to be reminiscent of the teak decking you'd see on a wooden yacht. "Today marks a seminal moment for the House of Rolls-Royce. We are proud to unveil Rolls-Royce Boat Tail to the world, and with it, the confirmation of coachbuilding as a permanent fixture within our future portfolio," said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos in the Boat Tail announcement.  "We have formally re-established our Coachbuild department for those patrons who wish to go beyond the existing restraints, and explore the almost limitless possibilities this opens up for them," Muller-Otvos said previously. "We are able to offer our customers the opportunity to create a motor car in which every single element is hand-built to their precise individual requirements, as befits our status as a true luxury house." There are quite a few bespoke accessories as well, though apart from the full picnic service shown in some of the pics (there doesn't appear to be much of a trunk — sorry, boot), most of it was left out of the promotional materials. Most notably absent are the custom his-and-hers Bovet 1822 timepieces that were commissioned alongside the car. They can be either mounted in the dash or worn on the wrist (of course), but we see only a glimpse of one in the top-down image Rolls-Royce provided.

Rolls-Royce Cullinan's Viewing Suite seats are its tailgate party trick

It's one thing to flip down the rear bench of a Chrysler Town & Country parked at a scenic spot, sit on the folded-down backrest and look at the sunset. It's another thing to park a Rolls-Royce Cullinan on a similarly scenic spot and utilize the, ahem, Rolls-Royce Viewing Suite. Deployed at a touch of a button, the Viewing Suite is formed by two rear-facing leather chairs that emerge from the Cullinan's trunk. As well as the chairs, a cocktail table is fitted on the "luxuriously comfortable viewing platform" that enables a Cullinan owner to "take in the world's most breath-taking vistas or view a sports event or even watch their children take part in their school sports day," as Rolls-Royce suggests. While not explicitly mentioned, it's probably also perfectly suitable for a tailgate party with a couple cold ones fetched from a cooler while a ballgame plays on a portable TV. But as Rolls-Royce says, "Wherever one ventures, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Viewing Suite guarantees the best seat in the house." The Cullinan is likely to cast aside its camoflage come Geneva time next month. Recent spy shots have depicted the luxury SUV with suicide rear doors, a feature that most large SUVs do not have. Related Video: Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce Cullinan Viewing Platform Image Credit: Rolls-Royce Auto News Rolls-Royce SUV Luxury rolls-royce cullinan

Rolls-Royce confirms new luxury SUV name

Transcript: Rolls-Royce confirms name of new luxury SUV. Rolls-Royce officially acknowledges Cullinan as the name of its new “high-bodied vehicle.” The automaker is steering around the SUV moniker. The name Cullinan comes from the largest flawless diamond ever found. The Cullinan will share a platform with the Phantom. Meaning it will likely get a 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission. With a possible output of 563 horsepower and 664 pound feet of torque. The Cullinan looks nearly ready for production and we expect the wraps to come off in the next few months. With deliveries starting in 2019. Rolls-Royce Cullinan will be the official name of the luxury automakers SUV. The “high-bodied vehicle” is named after the Cullinan diamond, the largest flawless diamond ever found. We expect the official reveal of the Cullinan in the next few month. For more coverage head over to autoblog.com Rolls-Royce SUV Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video camouflage