"A High Bodied Car"

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 08/18/2020 at 10:15 • Filed to: Dots

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Look at where the passenger seat is and then try to imagine sitting behind it.

The first time I saw a Rolls Royce Cullinan, I thought, “why have they made it so small?” The car needs to be a few inches longer to really work. How have they run out of room? I don’t know, but I do know you would have to be a fool to buy one over a regular Rolls, a view only strengthened by seeing more of them around.

Drug deal? Mafia boss? Something like that.

I see more of these things than I would really like to. I’m not sure what the appeal is. I’m surprised that Rolls held off on an SUV this long, something I can’t fault them for, but I don’t like the way they’ve gone about it on their first try.

I suppose this is a Rolls made less for chauffeuring and more for driving, but I’d buy a Bentley Bentayga if I wanted to do that. It’s like a car that compromises driving and chauffeuring so that it does neither excellently. It reminds me of looking inside an Alfa Romeo Guilia and wondering about the discrepancy between the interior and exterior room.

What are your thoughts, Oppo?

dogisbadob > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 10:19

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The Bentayga is a Touareg. At least the RR is a BMW.

I will never not think of a Malibu Maxx when I see a Cullinan, sorry

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > dogisbadob 08/18/2020 at 10:25

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It’s got that odd bustleback looking thing. I get where they are coming from, drawing from 1930s style integrated trunks, but it looks out of place. A little prettier than the Maxx, but not by much.

I’d much rather drive a Bentayga.

Hooker > dogisbadob 08/18/2020 at 10:28

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This is where my mind goes as well. Also, I kind of liked the Malibu Maxx. Ok, flame suit on. 

Tripper > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 10:28

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I’ve seen the Culli nan from a distance, but someone that lives close to me has a white Bentayga and it looks/sounds awesome. I expected to hate it but as it passed I was like, “ fuck, that was nice!” I see it all the time now.

Aside from being priced to the stratosphere, these are both automatic SUV’s so my interest level is in the negatives.

Final thought, the Rolls ought to be HUGE not tiny.

QCGoose > dogisbadob 08/18/2020 at 10:30

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Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Tripper 08/18/2020 at 10:35

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Here’s how I see it. People are going to buy SUVs. Not all SUVs are bad. There are very few that I’d buy, but the Cullinan is not one of them. It’s just a badly executed money grab.

The Bentayga? It’s actually a well proportioned and good looking example of a type of car I have no interest in. Plus it’s way less in-your-face pretentious like the Rolls. It’s like the rich people who wear jeans to events because they can. I can respect that.

dogisbadob > Hooker 08/18/2020 at 10:36

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Yeah, I like the Maxx more than I should. Lots of space inside, and available with 2 sunroofs and a rear wiper.

My biggest problem with it is that they only offered it with a V6. No 4-cylinder on the Maxx :(

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 10:43

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I get

vibes from it, not sure why. I think it’s the way the D pillar sweeps forward and tucks under the spoiler.

Rolls-Royces should not have spoilers. They should also never be driven by the owner (unless they’re the third owner, used ones are pretty cheap. Could set up a livery service for way less than you’d expect).

ClassicDatsunDebate > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 10:48

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I was driving along in traffic with a Bentayga the other day. I was more smitten with it than I wanted to admit. You can tell, at first glance, that it’s a special vehicle.

I haven’t noticed a Cullinin in the wild yet.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > ClassicDatsunDebate 08/18/2020 at 10:53

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From what I’ve seen of the Bentayga, I actually really like it. It’s subtle, but clearly an ultra exclusive high quality piece of machinery. It’s also not half bad looking. I don’t think I’d buy one, but I wouldn’t mind having to look at one stuck in traffic.

Meanwhile, the Cullinan is an awkwardly proportioned pretentious pile that is just plain goofy looking. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > dogisbadob 08/18/2020 at 10:54

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It was the build quality and drivetrain that soured them for me. I like the idea and the sliding second row was cool and useful. Wish they would try that again.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 08/18/2020 at 10:56

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That’s just it. It’s a Rolls Royce that’s trying to function like a Bentley but doesn’t know how. The Cullinan is a Rolls for people who drive themselves but has none of the grace and purpose required to make you want to drive it other than its price tag (as in haha you poors).

Hooker > dogisbadob 08/18/2020 at 11:13

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My only issue with that car was the interior IP. It was atrocious. The CD player in those things never lasted more than 10k miles (6 disc changer). But, they rode well and they were decent looking. The slab sidedness of them was complimentary to the overall design. I want a modern Maxx. 

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 11:24

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Driving your own Limousine to Own the Proles

The only people that should drive a Rolls-Royce are professional Chauffeurs and the 17 year olds who buy fourty year old ones then engine swap them in their dad’s backyards.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 08/18/2020 at 12:25

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Exactly. Which is why the Cullinan doesn’t make sense. It isn’t big enough for a proper rear throne. 

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 12:51

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What would Marie Antionette drive? Here we go. But I am sure the owner pulled those bootstraps hard to get it.   

Saw a late model R-R convertible yesterday, on Oregon plates likely for some kind of tax dodge.    

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail 08/18/2020 at 13:01

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But I am sure the owner pulled those bootstraps hard to get it.

I’m not usually very good at recognizing sarcasm in written text.

I don’t dislike the fact that rich people with more money than they know what to do with will buy silly excessive cars, but even in that light the Cullinan fails miserably. 

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 13:11

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Absolutely. This post got me thinking about Craigslist Rollers, they’ve got gigantic back seats!

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 13:15

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Sarcasm, it’s from me. You won’t see me saying much nice about such a car (nor its intended customer demographic) . I guess it’s probably very comfortable. Probably smells nice. Maybe performs well for something of its mass.

At the rate things are going, it might not be the safest decision to drive such a thing on many public streets.    Even now, I’d feel a bit self-conscious.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 14:22

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I’d DD a BRG Cullinan if I could, no lie brah.

Textured Soy Protein > fintail 08/18/2020 at 14:31

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There aren’t an overwhelming number of exotics here around DC, rich people here are materialistic as hell just like anywhere else, but there are many more old money types and/or political or politically-connected people trying to fit in with a certain nice-but-not- too -nice vibe.

So, they tend to buy marginally less ostentatious rich people cars like Range Rovers and S-Classes and Porsches and all manner of AMG/M/RS cars. Hell, during covid times both the BMW and Audi dealers down the street from me built fancy new showrooms, although both construction projects had started before shit went sideways.

Basically , here we have loads of luxury cars but a much smaller proportion of proper exotics. At this point the AMG GT is probably the most common “exotic” that I see. I also believe this is why I see Bentleys more frequently than Rollses. But I did recently encounter a white RR Dawn driving with the top down. Its driver looked quite relaxed. Must be nice.

fintail > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 16:43

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I think I have seen but 2 Cullinan locally, scads of Bentayga though. Money here tends to be tech-related, transplant trust fund types, locals with real estate money (houses that were 50K in 1985 can easily be 7 figures now, depending on area), and unvetted dirty money EB-5 types. The product mix is similar to there - lots of premium Germans, tuned variants, and it’s probably easy being a Range Rover salesperson here. No chrome wrapped Phantoms or anything.

The R-R I saw yesterday was either a Dawn or slightly older Phantom cabrio, it was even dirty.  I did see a freshly plated new style “oval” Continental cabrio not long ago, top down, driver of the generation who has most of the money, must be nice indeed.

Nauraushaun > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/23/2020 at 17:02

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I’m not sure what the appeal is

True of all SUVs. But they are appealing to buyers, that’s all that matters

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Nauraushaun 08/23/2020 at 18:07

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There are some SUVs I see the appeal of. Mainly the ones that combine offroad chops and passenger capability. Like the older Suburbans.

But CUVs? There isn’t one that wouldn’t be better as a proper hatchback. There are some I don’t mind but it only based on the assumption that people will buy them and I don’t mind looking at the C4 Cactus, Kona, etc.

They have some reasons to like them. They’re easy to get in and out of and usually more interesting/cooler than a minivan. Also, they’re easy to get in and out of. And, well, they don’t get bad MPGs anymore.