The Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan are natural competitors as ultra-luxury SUVs with British heritage, and both have prices that start well into the six figures. Carfection happens to have access to both of these opulent, all-wheel drive machines, so lining them up for a couple drag races is the natural outcome.
The awful beauty of rivalry:
This Bentayga has Bentley's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that produces 542 bhp and 568 pound-feet. Meanwhile, the Cullinan is currently only available with Rolls' 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 making 563 bhp and 627 lb-ft.
Gallery: 2017 Bentley Bentayga: First Drive
At least on paper, the SUVs seem to be close competitors. The Rolls-Royce appears to have an edge with its extra power, additional torque, four more cylinders, and higher displacement.
Watch more of the Cullinan and Bentayga on the move:
However, only looking at the specs ignore the powertrain philosophies behind the two brands. Rolls builds very traditional luxury vehicles that put an emphasis on comfort over speed. Neck-snapping acceleration might spill the flute of champagne that the wealthy owner is sipping in the backseat.
Gallery: 2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan First Drive
Conversely, the folks at Bentley have no problem mixing high performance and opulence. The firm covers its cabins with the best quality leather, shiny metal, and plenty of wood trim. The luxury firm tunes the powertrain to push occupants into the plush seats, too.
Without actually spoiling the races, we can say that the Cullinan wins once, and the Bentayga takes a victory. However, the way that the luxury SUVs score those triumphs requires a little creativity from the drivers.