All-Electric Rolls-Royce Spectre Marks the Dawn of the New Era
Here’s something we have not seen in nearly 120 years of Rolls-Royce cars. The company’s first-ever fully electric model, called Spectre, made its global debut on Tuesday.
Oh, sure, we’re going to have V12-powered cars for several more years, but this is a preview of the EV-only lineup Rolls-Royce plans to roll out by the end of 2030. Despite running on electrons, the Spectre is a Rolls-Royce first and “the most perfect product we’ve ever created,” CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said.
While the vehicle pictured here looks like a production model, development will only be completed next year following more than 2.5 million kilometres of testing from Northern Sweden to South Africa.
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Inspired by Modern Yachts
The Spectre’s split headlight treatment is intersected by the widest grille ever bestowed on a Rolls-Royce. The vanes of the Pantheon grille are now smoother in section and a flusher fit, designed to help guide the air around the car’s front end. Heck, even the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine is aero-tuned. The result is a drag coefficient of just 0.25 and the most aerodynamic car to ever come out of Goodwood.
The Spectre is also the first production two-door coupe to be equipped with 23-inch wheels in almost one hundred years. Meanwhile, following the roofline back, the taillights are set into the largest single body panel ever produced for a Rolls-Royce, which extends from the A-pillar to the trunk.
By the way, the Spectre is longer (5,453 mm), wider (2,080 mm), taller (1,559 mm) and has a longer wheelbase (3,210 mm) than the late, similarly shaped Wraith. And with a curb weight of 2,975 kg, including nearly 700 kg from the battery alone, it’s even heavier than the Cullinan SUV—not really a surprise but shocking nonetheless.
Thousands of Shining Stars
Inside, the new Rolls-Royce Spectre is provisioned with the most technologically advanced bespoke features yet, again drawing inspiration from the night’s sky. For the first time on a series production Rolls-Royce, it is available with Starlight Doors, which incorporate 4,796 softly illuminated ‘stars’. Furthermore, the illuminated dashboard incorporates the Spectre nameplate surrounded by a cluster of over 5,500 stars.
A completely redesigned digital interface named SPIRIT is presented in quintessential Rolls-Royce style, and it provides a host of information while seamlessly partnering with the brand’s mobile app for remote control and monitoring of certain vehicle functions.
Of course, as with all Rolls-Royce products, the Spectre’s interior offers customers near-infinite bespoke possibilities. The all-new front seat design has been inspired by British tailoring, with lapel sections that can be rendered in contrasting or matching colours to the main base.
Specs to be Confirmed
The new Spectre benefits from an evolution of Rolls-Royce’s “Architecture of Luxury” platform, which is 30 percent stiffer than before. It retains the world-class planar suspension with active anti-roll bars that contributes to the supremely comfortable ride the brand is renowned for.
The electric powertrain is projected to deliver 577 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque for 0-100 km/h acceleration in 4.5 seconds, but these are preliminary figures that could change between now and the car’s release date. Same thing for maximum range, which is estimated at 520 km based on the WLTP cycle used in Europe and Japan.
The Rolls-Royce Spectre is available to order immediately, with the first customer deliveries slated for fall 2023. Pricing will be positioned between the Cullinan and Phantom.
