Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II Makes a Statement in Ibiza
The car marquee gets in on the island party.
Rolls-Royce wanted in on a party—the electric atmosphere of Ibiza—to roll out the next-gen iteration of the Cullinan, the Series II. The laid-back Ib-ee-tha, as most say with a lisping Castilian flourish, is all about letting your hair down and precisely the place where the stately British auto manufacturer took to the road and the rollick of the Balearic island. Ibiza is where dusty-pink sunsets blaze across the sky, whitewashed villages hide among the low-lying hills, and golden beaches mingle with cliff-edged coves along the coastline. Long known as the place of unadulterated fun, the party island has doubled down on luxury—and if the opening of the Six Senses in the northern tip is any indication, Ibiza is on an upward trajectory. Haute Ibiza is barefoot boho while sporting a six-figure timepiece at places like the see-and-be-seen beach bonanza restaurant Jondal.
When Rolls-Royce first introduced the Cullinan in 2018, it caused quite the stir—there was plenty of outrage that the auto manufacturer had taken the predictable plunge into the SUV market. Six years on, the Cullinan is the bestselling Rolls-Royce in the company’s history, with 40 per cent of Cullinan customers joining the brand for the first time. The product “has been game changing,” says Martin Fritsches, president of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America, “not only in terms of attracting a new audience but particularly younger customers.” The average age of the Rolls-Royce customer is now 43. The stereotype of the car marque as a chauffeur-driven vehicle has been shelved: move over old English class, hello #IDriveMyOwnRolls rank (soon trending).
When Rolls-Royce first introduced the Cullinan in 2018, there was plenty of outrage that the auto manufacturer had taken the plunge into the SUV market. Six years on, the Cullinan is the bestselling Rolls-Royce in the company’s history, and the Cullinan Series II delivers a new look.
There are fleets of luxury SUVs on offer, however few cars command the same gleaming presence on the road as a Rolls-Royce. And the grandeur of the Cullinan Series II draws looks even in a place like Ibiza. “Rolls-Royce has an incredibly upright presence that is unique,” says Henry Cloke, designer for Rolls-Royce. “Arguably the most famous grille, and that verticality has been there for almost 100 years, not just within the grille but the overall expression of a Rolls-Royce.”
With Cullinan Series II, you will be hard pressed to tell the difference from the original Cullinan. The engine is the same, a 6.75-litre V12, and there are only subtle tweaks to the exterior—it seems more of a facelift. The front has been rejigged with a frameless Pantheon grille, meaning the body colour runs into the grille, and daytime running lights curve around the hood, drawing the eye out so the vehicle seems (even) wider. The wheels on the Cullinan II are an inch larger at 23. The Cullinan is big and heavy, yet it pivoted around the narrow roads of Ibiza like a fine thread of silk—the waftability we have come to expect from Rolls-Royce.
It’s the interiors, though, that make any Rolls-Royce next level. A Rolls-Royce speaks to your senses. Tailored buttons and customized instrument dials close and open compartments and doors, starlit ceilings change colour on demand, the plushiest of carpets engulf, fabric and leather designs for seating are too many to count (even if some combinations of colours, textures, and materials make for an odd cadence), and there is even the possibility of having your own artwork stretch across the dashboard where a new analogue clock cabinet features the Spirit of Ecstasy, the Rolls-Royce sprite. There are 44,000 colours on offer, but if there isn’t just the right hue for you, the auto manufacturer will make a custom one.
Rolls-Royce is known for its bespoke work. A hidden umbrella tucked into each passenger door now comes as standard. But you can get much more specific than that. Cigar fan? You can have a humidor in the glovebox. Chess obsessive? Why not have a chessboard in the armrest? You can have special compartments built for just about anything, including picnic hampers and cocktail-crafting sets, and the exact constellation of the day you were born as little lights on the car ceiling.
Every single choice that goes into a Rolls-Royce has an accompanying story—there is no line or dimple that hasn’t been studied and restudied. To consider the Cullinan, or any Rolls-Royce, a mere car misses the point. This is transport of obvious delight and extravagance.
