There aren’t many automotive gatherings fairly just like the Rolls-Royce Homeowners Membership annual meet—and that’s a part of its attraction. Intimate and private, it’s much less concerning the spectacle and extra concerning the tales, the individuals, and the deeply bespoke machines that convey them collectively. This 12 months, the occasion was hosted on the serene Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs. However earlier than becoming a member of the concours festivities, we have been invited by Rolls-Royce North America to expertise their newest creations—the up to date Ghost Collection II and Cullinan Collection II—on a spirited drive to the summit of Pikes Peak. It was a becoming reminder that on the planet of Rolls-Royce, the journey itself is the vacation spot.
To know what this weekend represented, you must perceive what it means to personal a Rolls-Royce. It’s not merely about transportation. It’s about timeless presence. About commanding a room—or a street—with out saying a phrase. These are autos that talk in whispers, not shouts. Their worth isn’t measured in lap instances or acceleration charts, however in how they make you are feeling when the world round you slows down.
A Weekend within the World of Rolls-Royce
From the second you arrive on the Homeowners Membership gathering, it’s clear you’ve entered one other world. There aren’t any boundaries. No velvet ropes or flashbulbs. Simply homeowners and their households sharing tales—about bespoke builds, cross-country excursions, and the relationships they’ve constructed with their Rolls-Royce advisors, designers, and chauffeurs. You shortly understand that being a Rolls-Royce proprietor isn’t a standing image—it’s a life-style that celebrates artistry, individuality, and the pursuit of easy luxurious.
The resort itself was the perfect canvas for this gathering. Nestled on the foot of the Rockies, Cheyenne Mountain Resort has an awesome golf course the place the Rolls-Royce discovered a house for the weekend.
The Highway to Pikes Peak
The spotlight of the weekend was not a gala or backyard celebration—however reasonably a 14,000-foot ascent to one of the iconic peaks in North America. For Rolls-Royce, this wasn’t only a scenic drive—it was a proving floor. As a result of whereas most SUVs and luxurious sedans shrink back from twisty switchbacks and dramatic elevation modifications, the Ghost and Cullinan embraced them with grace.
Rolling out within the Ghost Collection II, completed in a shocking dual-tone of Jubilee Silver and Blue, we instantly observed the enhancements that set it other than its predecessor. A cleaner, extra sculpted entrance fascia, with redesigned headlamps and the now-iconic illuminated Pantheon grille, units the tone for an expertise that’s as fashionable as it’s majestic.
And but, it’s what lies beneath the floor that defines the Ghost. The 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 hums quietly—producing 563 horsepower (or 591 within the Black Badge)—however not often calls consideration to itself. As a substitute, it’s the Planar Suspension System, developed over ten years, that steals the present. The system’s predictive know-how reads the street forward, adjusts the chassis in real-time, and permits this 5,600-pound saloon to drift up the mountain like a spirit on air. The expertise isn’t simply silent—it’s transcendent.
The Spirit of the SUV: Cullinan Collection II
But when the Ghost is grace, the Cullinan is presence. Our Twilight Purple Cullinan Collection II stood out even amongst a sea of extraordinary equipment. With its matching Duality Twill inside, the cabin felt like a non-public artwork gallery curated in lavender tones. The brand new pillar-to-pillar glass panel spans the dashboard, echoing the digital interface launched within the all-electric Spectre and now making its method throughout the lineup. It’s intuitive and chic, mixing know-how into craftsmanship with out compromise.
The Cullinan stays the benchmark for what a luxurious SUV might be. It rides on a basis of pure magic—self-leveling air suspension, repeatedly adjusting shock absorbers, road-scanning cameras, and lively anti-roll bars—all of which mix to ship the model’s signature Magic Carpet Journey. There may be merely no different car that glides over mountain roads with such poise. The experience is so composed, the truth is, that even passengers susceptible to automotive illness discover themselves having fun with the ascent with a flute of champagne in hand.
And that is no chauffeur’s automotive—although many patrons definitely have one. Rolls-Royce says greater than 90% of Cullinan prospects take the wheel themselves at the very least a part of the time. And good on them, as a result of to pilot a Cullinan is to grasp the poetry of energy and management, redefined.
A Cabin Past Evaluate
Luxurious in a Rolls-Royce is just not about flashy options—it’s about craftsmanship you can see, contact, and listen to. Or not hear. That is, in spite of everything, the quietest SUV in the marketplace. Occupants within the Cullinan can toggle between near-total silence and a 1,400-watt, 18-speaker Bespoke Audio expertise that makes use of the aluminum physique cavities as resonators for wealthy, spatial sound.
It’s not simply the experience that’s otherworldly—it’s the area itself. New inside supplies like gray-stained ash wooden, cloud-patterned perforated leather-based, and the now-standard rear leisure upgrades remodel the Cullinan right into a rolling sanctuary. And sure, there’s nonetheless the umbrella within the door. Essentially the most luxurious umbrella you’ll ever use.
Beginning at $410,350, the Cullinan doesn’t come low cost—however for a lot of homeowners, the value is just the start. With the Black Badge mannequin providing a bump in energy and a darker, edgier aesthetic, it’s a simple “sure” for these already within the recreation.
Reimagining the Ghost
Again within the Ghost, the duality of modernity and custom continues to impress. Inside, the brand new Spirit working system and digital cluster might be custom-made to match the automotive’s shade palette. From the Serenity Seating to the Capturing Star Headliner, that is greater than a automotive—it’s a cellular escape. For Black Badge prospects, the enhancements are greater than aesthetic. The suspension is firmer, the throttle sharper, and the ZF 8-speed transmission’s Low Mode provides a throatier soundtrack and longer gear holds for many who desire a bit extra drama of their drive.
What struck us most concerning the Ghost wasn’t simply its class—however its confidence. It doesn’t should show something. It merely is. Whenever you drive it up a mountain, it does so with composure. Whenever you cruise by way of city, individuals cease—not out of envy, however respect. The Ghost honors its title. It seems, it strikes, and it vanishes once more.
The Luxurious of the Journey
In most vehicles, we obsess over the vacation spot. However in a Rolls-Royce, the vacation spot is nearly irrelevant. Each mile is an expertise. Each cease turns into a photograph alternative. Each second within the cabin turns into a part of the story. And that’s precisely what this weekend was—a reminder that luxurious, true luxurious, isn’t about extra. It’s about expertise. It’s about time, consideration, and tranquility.
Driving up Pikes Peak in a Rolls-Royce is a second few will neglect. Not due to the horsepower. Not due to the tech. However due to the way it made us really feel. Linked, calm, and quietly captivated.
That, above all else, is the Rolls-Royce method.
