Updated 09:42 PM,Oct 28,2022
Spectre marks a historic milestone for Rolls-Royce and the entire electric vehicle industry. With this model, Rolls-Royce reaffirms that technology has reached a level capable of embodying the Rolls-Royce experience. To this end, the brand confirms that its entire product lineup will become electric by the end of 2030.
With Spectre, Rolls-Royce leverages a revolutionary decentralized intelligence system enabling seamless, direct exchange of detailed information across more than 1,000 functions within the car, significantly enhancing the renowned Rolls-Royce driving experience. The design team also introduced contemporary, timeless aesthetic elements that elevate the brand’s iconic symbols to new levels as the company transitions into electric vehicle production. Additionally, master craftsmen have developed a modern, customizable suite of personalization options, including star-studded doors and a illuminated front grille, inspiring customers to create their own unique visions with Spectre through the Bespoke Design program.
Through the unveiling of Spectre, Rolls-Royce sets a new precedent by introducing an entirely new category: ultra-luxury electric super coupés. This designation reflects Spectre’s expansive dimensions, carefully designed in response to the British manufacturer’s longstanding commitment to spaciousness as a hallmark of luxury.
Designers at the brand consider the context of each vehicle’s existence, drawing inspiration from realms beyond automobiles—such as haute couture, contemporary sculpture, maritime design, tailoring, and modern art. As a result, the creative team behind Spectre’s initial sketches was particularly drawn to modern yachts, especially their clarity of lines, precision, clever use of reflections, and the graduated forms reminiscent of yacht architecture.
From the front, Spectre’s split headlights intersect with the widest radiator grille ever seen on a Rolls-Royce. The Pantheon grille’s bars are now more fluid and expansive, engineered to guide airflow around the car’s front end.
Beyond its refined angles and polished stainless steel accents, the front grille enhances Spectre’s presence through dynamic reflections of the surrounding environment. Paired with a reimagined Spirit of Ecstasy mascot—engineered over 830 hours of design modeling and wind tunnel testing for aerodynamic efficiency—the grille achieves an unprecedented drag coefficient of just 0.25, making Spectre the most aerodynamic car in the brand’s history.
These distinctive measurements necessitate an evolution in Rolls-Royce’s wheel strategy. Spectre is the first two-door coupe built for production in nearly a century to be equipped with 23-inch wheels.
Inside, Spectre features the most technologically advanced Bespoke customization options yet, inspired by the mystery of the night sky. For the first time in a production Rolls-Royce model, it offers starlit doors with 4,796 softly glowing stars. Customers may also order the doors with Canadel wood veneer, named in tribute to a small bay in southern France where Sir Henry Royce used to spend winter months with the design and engineering teams.
The car maintains its enchanting nocturnal ambiance with the illuminated front grille. Developing this feature took two years of intensive work and over 10,000 collective hours. It includes the Spectre badge surrounded by more than 5,500 stars. The illuminated elements are located on the passenger side of the front panel and vanish completely when the engine is off.
Beyond its exceptional illuminated surfaces, Spectre features a fully redesigned digital architecture called SPIRIT (Spirited), echoing Rolls-Royce’s original craftsmanship. SPIRIT manages all vehicle functions and integrates seamlessly into the brand’s Whispers app, allowing owners to interact remotely with their car and receive personalized support from luxury experts.
Spectre’s testing phase included extreme conditions: development began just 55 kilometers from the Arctic Circle in Arjeplog, Sweden, under temperatures as low as -40°C, and continued in southern Africa under scorching heat reaching 55°C. However, 55% of the total testing was conducted on roads identical to those where Spectre will ultimately be driven. The French Riviera played a crucial role, where final refinements were made to the digitally perfected adaptive air suspension system, famously known as the Magic Carpet Ride, in Cannes.
Final performance figures for power, speed, and range are still being finalized as Spectre enters the final phase of refinement before completion in Q2 2023. Initial data indicates Spectre can travel up to 320 miles (520 km) on a single charge according to the global WLTP test cycle, delivering 900 Newton-meters of torque via a 430-kilowatt powertrain. Acceleration from 0 to 60 mph is expected in 4.4 seconds (0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds).
Several months remain before Spectre’s testing concludes, so these figures may change before official confirmation and market launch in Q4 2023.
Spectre is already available for ordering, with deliveries to customers beginning in the fourth quarter of 2023. Pricing will fall between that of the Cullinan and Phantom models.
