Nowhere on the Rolls Royce promotional copy for its 'Project Cullinan' do you see the abbreviation 'SUV'.

Instead, the 111 year old British carmaker called its unlikely new project-in-development a 'high bodied car'. It also says 'Cullinan' will be able to 'cross any terrain'.

In most motorists’ books, that pretty much makes it a Sports Utility Vehicle.

Of all companies, one might think Rolls Royce would be the very last to succumb to such a trend (albeit an enduring one) as the SUV.

But there's no denying the success of 'posh 4x4s', after years of enviable sales of Porsche Cayennes, Range Rover Evoques and the like. But what has arguably tipped the balance is the decision by Bentley to develop an SUV. Demand for this as-yet-unseen vehicle has already outstripped supply; Rolls Royce will be wanting some of that.

Additionally, Rolls Royce's parent company BMW will be keen to keep up with the competition - which is Bentley, but by extension fellow German auto giant Volkswagen, which owns the brand.

It has also been noted that SUV sales are more resilient to economic troubles than traditional luxury sedans and sports cars. Diversifying into SUVs makes sense and is nothing new for some high end marques: years ago, Porsche started building its Cayenne as an insurance policy against sales drop-offs of its sports cars.

Take a look at the images released by Rolls Royce Motor Cars above. It could well be the most unconventional Rolls Royce ever developed. One wonders what Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce would make of this new hot rod-style off-road Rolls…