It isn’t rare that we see wealthy and successful businessmen gifting themselves expensive cars and SUVs on their birthdays. In an interesting turn of events, Bharat Changu Thakur, a Maharashtra-based businessman added a brand-new Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV to his garage on his 59th birthday. Next year, on the same day, he gifted himself a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG. A video of the family taking delivery of the Mercedes has now surfaced online, the description of which details the uniqueness of both purchases.
It reads: ‘1st October holds a special place for us. Last year, on the 59th birthday of Mr. Bharat Changu Thakur, we welcomed a Rolls-Royce Cullinan to our 5970 family. This year, on the very same date, we added another icon – the G-Wagon.‘
The video starts by showing the family at the Mercedes Benz showroom. The SUV is kept behind a veil. The family completes the paperwork and moves to receive the G officially. The vehicle is soon unveiled. It is finished in White. The family then performs ‘aarti’ on it, seeking blessings on the journey ahead.
They then cut and cake and celebrate the businessman’s birthday and the purchase. Before the video ends, we also see different family members posing with the G for photographs and video.
The G63 AMG is the wildest that the SUV can get. It is powered by a 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 petrol engine that makes 577 bhp and 850 Nm. It comes mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It can do the 0-100 kph sprint in just 4.4 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 220 kph.
The SUV comes equipped with the carmaker’s 4MATIC 4WD system. It also gets features like locking differentials and axle disconnect. The SUV is becoming increasingly popular among celebrities and wealthy businessmen. It has a starting price of Rs 3.85 Crores, ex-showroom. Spec-ing would only push this further up.
It was on October 1, 2024, that the family purchased a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Rolls-Royce launched the Series II Cullinan in September last year. It is, however, the pre-facelift model that the businessman’s family brought home. It was launched in the country in 2018, with an ex-showroom starting price of Rs 6.95 crores. The current model, however, is much pricier, at Rs 10.5 Crores before options.
The SUV is based on the carmaker’s new “Architecture of Luxury” platform, shared with the Phantom. It is thus large and roomy inside. The pre-facelift Cullinan had a signature Rolls Royce design. Its key highlights included LED headlamps, prominent-yet-clean body lines, 22-inch alloy wheels, dual exhaust ports, roof-mounted spoiler, vertically stacked tail-lights, and the signature suicide doors with electric operation.
The cabin offered a lot of room and was packed with luxuries and features. It had an all-digital instrument cluster, a touchscreen infotainment system running the Rolls-Royce Spirit software and paired to a rotary controller, standard 12-inch rear entertainment screens, and more.
The Thakurs opted for a bright Orange-Black dual-tone colour scheme for their Cullinan’s cabin. Even the keyf ob is finished in Orange and Black.
Powering the pre-facelift SUV was the same 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine found on the current model. It made 571 hp and 850 Nm and was mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Four Wheel Drive and a self-leveling air suspension were also offered on the vehicle. It even had selectable off-road modes and four-wheel steering.
Several images and videos of this Rolls-Royce can be found on the Thakurs’ Instagram handle. Clearly, the spec on this SUV has amused netizens.