1988 Rolls Royce Silver Spur on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini utilities await approval from German parents [w/poll]

A cursory look at the top of the automobile market would suggest that the world's carmakers are gunning it full steam ahead into a new stratosphere of ultra-luxury and high-performance utility vehicles. After all, companies like Bentley and Maserati are preparing to launch their very first crossovers, while established players like Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover keep producing ever more expensive sport-utes of their own. But that's not the case across the board.
Rolls-Royce, for example, has yet to receive the green light to start working on its proposed CUV project. Though the dimensions of its sedans may already eclipse those of some crossovers, this would be the first time that Goodwood would produce a utility of its own. But while the British automaker's financial performance may have earned it a degree of autonomy, the final call may still come down to parent company BMW, which just might be waiting to see how Bentley fares with its upcoming crossover - and how much money it brings in to the Volkswagen Group - before deciding on whether or not it should proceed.
However, Rolls-Royce may not be alone in waiting for its German parent company to approve its high-priced ute. It's been two and a half years since we first laid eyes on the Lamborghini Urus (pictured), but the Italian automaker reportedly has not yet received approval from its parent company Audi and the greater Volkswagen Group to proceed with development and production. Envisioned to share its platform with the next Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and the production version of the Bentley EXP 9 F concept, the high-riding Lamborghini was originally set to reach production as the marque's third model line in 2017. But while Audi drags its feet - potentially waiting to see how the Bentley version pans out - the Urus' launch keeps getting pushed back, if it's ever to be made at all.

2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II [w/video]

Rolls-Royce Director of Global Communications Richard Carter tells me that his storied employer is "a company that does not chase volume." In a perfect world, mused Carter, the carmaker would sell "one less" of its ultra-luxury vehicles than the fast-expanding world market demands.
And, thanks in no small part to the unprecedented success of the Series I Rolls-Royce Ghost that launched in 2010, the Brit brand seems well positioned to strike that perfect balance between exclusivity and record profits. In 2003 (the year in which the first BMW-backed Rolls rolled off the line in West Sussex), the company managed to sell around 500 cars. This year, with the first run of already-back-ordered Ghost Series II models still weeks away from delivery, the marque will top 4,000 units for the first time in its history.
Considering that each one of those "units" - a somewhat unsatisfying term for motor car this special ­- will gross Rolls-Royce $300,000 if we're being very conservative, you'll quickly see that creating a very desirable product for one of the best brands in the world negates the need to chase volume. The rich and free-spending are chasing this Ghost, instead.

Here's an official peek at the Rolls-Royce SUV

Rolls-Royce let out a pair of new images of Project Cullinan, the company's attempt to deliver ultra-luxury and brick-like aerodynamics in an SUV form factor. These images mark the first time we've seen Project Cullinan in its production body, albeit clad with swirly camouflage. All our previous spy photos showed a Phantom with a ridiculous wing, for example. These new images hide the wagon-like traits of the rear, but are a strong sign that Rolls has finalized the Cullinan's design. The prominent slatted grille and imposing headlights are the big design calling cards, but even with the camouflage, the upright fascia and long hood stand out as distinguishing styling traits. Even the mirrors say "Rolls-Royce", sitting atop delicate stalks with sizable housings on top. We can't divine much about the Cullinan's tail or rear haunches, so there's still some mystery yet to be revealed. With these are official images out, we expect an influx of spy images in the very near future. According to the company, Cullinan will move to the Arctic Circle for cold-weather testing after the Christmas holidays. Later next year, it's off to what's likely the SUV's primary market – the Middle East – for hot weather testing. Naturally, our spies should return a bevy of images of both hot and cold-weather testing. Stay tuned. View 2 Photos