From the Archives: The $400,000 Rolls-Royce Cullinan I Drove Off Road at My First Texas Truck Rodeo
Some vehicles you review. This 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan made me rethink what a luxury automobile could do. This story comes from the GT: Garage Talk® archives, back in the fall of 2020, when I was a brand-new content creator, a year removed from a corporate desk, and still could not believe someone was handing me the keys to a car worth twice as much as my house.
My First Texas Truck Rodeo
The Texas Truck Rodeo is one of the best events the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) puts on all year, and in October of 2020 it was my very first event as a member. Picture a kid in a candy store, except the candy is a field full of trucks and SUVs that are all free for you to drive and review. That was me. I walked in wide-eyed, a little overwhelmed, and completely in awe of everything around me.
The first thing I climbed into was an Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, and things only got wilder from there. Because this was 2020, we had certain precautions in place so the event could safely go on, but it went on, and I am forever grateful that it did. The one thing working against me was my body. I had severely bruised my heel right before the trip, so I was hobbling around that entire event, refusing to let a bad foot keep me out of these vehicles.
The Footage That Sat on a Hard Drive
Here is the part that makes this one a true archive story. I actually shot this footage in 2020 and then buried it for three reasons.
First, it was my very first event, and I was still learning everything about YouTube. I did not grab all the shots I grab now, and I was not talking to the camera the way I do today, so I had to piecemeal the whole thing together.
Second, and this is the fun one, the Texas Truck Rodeo let us drive the Ram 1500 TRX before the world could talk about it. That vehicle was still under embargo, and there was TRX driving footage mixed right into this video, so I legally could not release any of it until the embargo lifted. By the time it did, I had moved on and nearly forgotten this footage was still unreleased.
Third, the vehicle at the center of it all cost more than $400,000, and I could not let footage like that stay hidden forever. When I finally shared it, I released it as a thank you to everyone who had helped me reach my first 4,000 subscribers.
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan Was Worth Twice My House
The star of this one is the 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and it stickered for roughly $420,000. To put that in perspective, it cost about twice what my house cost me. Rolls-Royce let a burgeoning YouTuber with a young channel climb behind the wheel of the most opulent, most premium vehicle it builds, and then it let me take that vehicle off-road. I still shake my head at that.
On the road, the Cullinan rides like a magic carpet. The adjustable height suspension and that cloud-like ride make it feel like the pavement disappears underneath you. It is, without exaggeration, one of the most comfortable vehicles I have ever sat in.
Yes, We Took the Cullinan Off Road
The Texas Truck Rodeo includes a genuine off-road course, so I did not just cruise the Cullinan around town. I took it over rocks, through dirt, and up hills, following directly behind a Ram 1500 TRX. Driving something worth twice my house across an off-road course, chasing a factory desert runner, is a sentence I never expected to write.
The exact model I drove wore on-road tires only, so there were limits to what obstacles we could tackle. Even so, it hung with vehicles from price brackets far below it. The height-adjustable suspension did its work, and the Cullinan proved it is far more capable in the rough stuff than its price tag or its badge would ever suggest.
Coach Doors, Cream and Purple, and My 2013 Chevy Cruze
The driving was only half of it. The interior and exterior were just as mind-blowing. The rear-hinged coach doors open backward to reveal a rear seat trimmed in a rich cream and a matching purple that ties beautifully into the exterior color. It is an absolutely lovely place to sit.
Up front, you get real wood, real metal, and supple leather everywhere you look. Push a button, and the front doors close themselves, because of course they do. This was not my 2013 Chevy Cruze. This was the most extravagant vehicle you can buy from one of the most premium automakers on earth.
The Spirit of Ecstasy Plays Hide and Seek
Leading the charge on the hood is the Spirit of Ecstasy, and she is more clever than she looks. She is a retractable hood ornament, so when the Cullinan is parked she can tuck down into the body and go into hiding. When you are driving down the road, she rises up and leads the way.
Here is my favorite touch. If she is raised and showing off while you are parked, and someone tries to grab her, she will retract down into the body on her own so you can rest assured she is not going anywhere.
A Hand-Built V12 on an Aluminum Spaceframe
Right behind the Spirit of Ecstasy sits a hand-built V12 that purrs like a dream and moves this massive machine down the road with ease. The Cullinan was the second vehicle built on Rolls-Royce’s all-new aluminum spaceframe architecture, which makes it lighter than it has any right to be. Make no mistake, this is still a heavy, full-size SUV, but the spaceframe keeps it from being even heavier, and you feel that composure in how effortlessly it moves.
All told, I was blown away by the comfort, the craftsmanship, and the sheer design of this thing. It is mechanical art that happens to climb hills.
From Kid in a Candy Store to TAWA President
I look back on that first Texas Truck Rodeo often. I was the wide-eyed newcomer with a bruised heel, hobbling from vehicle to vehicle, amazed that anyone would trust me with machines like the Cullinan and the TRX. Since then, I have had the honor of serving as the 21st President of TAWA, helping build these same experiences for other content creators across Texas. The event that once left me starstruck is now one I have helped and continue to help create for the next wave of storytellers, and that arc means the world to me.
Watch the Full Drive
If moments like this are your thing, subscribe to GT: Garage Talk on YouTube so you never miss the next one. Footage like this Rolls-Royce Cullinan drive is exactly why we do what we do, and there is plenty more where it came from.
