Ronaldo one of only stars to own Rolls Royce’s amazing new £276k Cullinan that car-mad footballers are queuing up to buy
The luxury carmaker has designed its first-ever SUV which is intended to challenge Range Rovers' domination
IT is the £276,000 jewel in the crown of luxury SUVs — and car-mad footballers are queuing up to get one.
Rolls Royce released the Cullinan earlier this year, named after the legendary 3,106-carat gem found in South Africa in 1905 and now stored at the Tower of London.
Only a handful of players have managed to get their hands on the Cullinan, Rolls Royce’s first-ever 4×4.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s car collection in Turin now includes a white version, while Mamadou Sakho treated himself to one for his 29th birthday last month.
Crystal Palace defender Sakho was so thrilled to be behind the wheel he filmed his family picking it up from Rolls Royce.
The car park of Burnley’s Gawthorpe Hall training base includes a silver version which belongs to Czech Republic striker Matej Vydra.
RIVALLING THE RANGE
Range Rovers have tended to be the most popular SUVs for Premier League stars.
Buying one has been like a rite of passage to English football’s elite.
But Rolls Royce have looked to challenge that with their first SUV in 112 years.
The Cullinan has been years in the making after CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos announced in 2015 that the Goodwood-based company was planning a beefed-up luxury motor.
Muller-Otvos said: “Our answer to history, to the visionaries, adventurers, explorers and those who believe in the supremacy of liberty is the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.”
Like most Rollers, it is built for style and comfort with huge cushioned armchairs inside while even including leather-based picnic chairs in the boot.
It is a giant of a car, reaching 5.3m long, 2.1m wide and 1.8m tall.
But that’s not to say the 2.6 tonne Cullinan lacks any power.
Its 6.75-litre twin turbo V12 engine means the giant motor is still capable of hitting 62mph in five seconds with a top speed of 155mph.
While the Cullinan may have received criticism, described as resembling a London cab or the Canyonero in The Simpsons, footballers have been a fan.
Among the car park of supercars at stadiums, the Cullinan will be the one to stand out.
