Rolls-Royce made it abundantly clear that a fully coach-built electric vehicle has always been the vision of the co-founder, The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls. In fact, in 1900, Rolls stated that “the electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.” Over 120 years later, Rolls-Royce fulfilled Rolls’ prophecy of an electrified motor car. Spectre swapped out a gas engine for a clean and noiseless electric motors, capable of 577 hp, 664 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 in 4.4 seconds, and good for an estimated 260 EPA range.
Spectre’s appearance is love at first sight, and I love every single design element, right down to the brilliant use of very few lines that are clean and precise to define the overall proportion. Rolls-Royce claims that Spectre is the first of its kind – an Ultra-Luxury Electric Super Coupé, an entirely original class of the motor car.
It depends on who you ask about BMW’s split headlight design; it’s a polarizing look. I am not a big fan, but the way Spectre’s split headlight integrates into Rolls-Royce’s most expansive grille looks might be fine. The vanes of the Pantheon grille are now smoother in section and flush fit, allowing for better aerodynamics around the front. The vane’s backside is sandblasted, allowing the grille to illuminate using 22 LED lights softly.
RR chiseled down the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine to make it more aerodynamic – not that she needed slimming down.
You’d be right if you think that the Spectre has a striking resemblance to the Phantom Coupé. Pairing Spectre with 23-inch wheels is the first for RR because of the proportion demanded it. Spectre has a curb weight of 6559 lbs and a wheelbase of 126.377 inches. It’s heavy, but thanks to the integration and placement of the battery into the highly flexible all-aluminum spaceframe make it 30% stiffer than any previous Rolls-Royce. The most significant benefit of this architecture is the flexibility for the placement of the floor halfway between the sill structure instead of on top or underneath them, allowing for a perfectly smooth underfloor profile. Thanks to the placement of the 700 kg battery, it also helps keep out unwanted road noise.
New for Spectre is the availability of Starlight Doors, which incorporate 4,796 softly illuminated ‘stars”. Spectre still has months of testing and optimization ahead, but RR is available for commission immediately, and customers can expect delivery in the fourth quarter of 2023. Buyers should expect pricing to fall between Cullinan and Phantom, meaning you’re looking to pay anywhere between $335,350 to $460,000 before adding ticking the checkbox for Starlight Headliner.
As with any RR, customers can commission the Spectre with any material choice – any by any. I mean that there are “nearly-infinite” Bespoke possibilities.
Finally, just because the Spectre’s powered by a battery doesn’t mean it shouldn’t drive like a Rolls-Royce. It comes standard with the Planar suspension, consisting of the latest hardware and software working together to deliver Rolls-Royce’s utterly-smooth ‘magic carpet ride.
Overall, until I experience Spectre for myself, I can’t find a single reason why I wouldn’t pick the Spectre over a gasoline Phantom Coupe.
