Rolls-Royce’s new car, the Spectre, has an unusual design and features. But above all, it is the first 100% electric model of the famous English brand. Even before its launch, this silent luxury car is attracting a lot of attention…
With its iconic Spirit of Ecstasy statuette, Rolls-Royce has an identity all its own.
Last October, the English brand officially presented its new car. And this one marks a historical step. Spectre is indeed the very first fully electric model of Rolls Royce Motor Cars. With a refined design and high-flying mechanics, it does not deny the DNA of the car manufacturer. “Stability, brilliant quality, timeless materials, earthy flight, silent propulsion. The Spectre carries all the genes for which Rolls-Royce is famous”, said Torsten Muller-Otvos, the brand’s Managing Director.
Spectre, our genre-defining all-electric super coupé, has now covered almost two million kilometres of testing, as it completes extreme hot weather tests in South Africa.
Watch the video here: https://t.co/2b9MxVovIo#RollsRoyceSpectre #RRSpectre #SpiritElectrified pic.twitter.com/2uhZ15eVZx
— Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (@rollsroycecars) February 13, 2023
A special model
Based on the same platform as the latest Phantom, the Spectre is a two-door, four-seat coupe. Imposing, it is 5.45 meters long and just over two meters wide, with a wheelbase of 3.21 meters. This luxury model should thus officially be the heaviest car marketed in Europe, with a curb weight of 2975 kg! But this monster has plenty of power, with a 430 kW (585 horsepower) electric block and 900 Nm of torque. According to the WLTP cycle, the worldwide test procedure, the Spectre claims a 520 km range.
Rolls-Royce brings important aesthetic changes, compared to the existing models. First of all, the brand innovates with a grille, in front of the hood, which is more inclined than usual. It also surprises with the design of the front lights, which form simple and discreet lines, and the rear lights placed vertically. Equipped with 22-inch wheels, the Spectre also has features similar to other models of the brand, such as an interior headliner depicting a starry sky, a dashboard with markings in front of the passenger and doors with antagonistic opening. The instrumentation, meanwhile, is different, with a speedometer in the middle and two dials showing power reserve and range, which careful observers will notice.
Tests pushed to the extreme
The elegant electric luxury coupe is currently undergoing extensive testing around the world. Having just entered its third phase of development, it is getting closer to its final validation. In total, according to a statement from the brand, the Spectre will drive nearly 2 million kilometers on several continents, the likes of which have never been seen before. Over this distance, 25,000 functions related to the car’s performance will be scrutinized and worked on in real time in order to offer the best experience to future customers. According to the brand, more than 1,500 hours were devoted to the regenerative braking system.
The Rolls-Royce Spectre is currently being tested in South Africa. In extreme conditions, sometimes reaching over 50°C, the engineers in charge of the car’s development can test the model on gravel tracks, in dust and on dirt. Next stops : Sweden, for the extreme cold, then the French Riviera and Monaco.
Going electric
The 100% electric Spectre is the way of the future for the brand. Torsten Muller-Otvos confirmed that the brand will go directly to electric, without going through the production of hybrid models. The updated versions of the Ghost, Cullinan and Phantom models will be the last to use the V12. No launch date is given for the new models, nor is there any indication that the current ones will be discontinued. “It’s 10 years or even longer”, the executive said. “The Phantom is 10 percent of our volume, it can cost more than a million euros, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see it continue again and again as a V12.”
The number of pre-orders for the Spectre is skyrocketing. There are only a few months left before the assembly line begins its first run.
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Featured photo : © Rolls Royce
