New Spectre moves Rolls-Royce into the electric age

Doff your hats to the Rolls-Royce Spectre: the British marque's all-new and fully electric four-seater coupé. The spiritual successor to the legendary Phantom Coupé, the Spectre is the first step in Rolls-Royce's transition to an exclusively electric product line by 2030. 

As with existing Rolls-Royce models, the Spectre has a lightweight aluminium space-frame chassis, except here it's an impressive 30% stiffer thanks to additional extruded aluminium sections and the battery being implemented as part of the actual structure.

While we don't know the final capacity of the battery, Rolls-Royce says it will be large enough to give the Spectre a maximum driving range of 520km on a single charge. In terms of power output, you can bank on the 2,975kg Spectre pushing out a claimed 430kW and 900Nm worth of torque — good enough for 0-100km/h in a brisk 4.5 seconds. 

For unsurpassed driving comfort, the Spectre deploys the sophisticated Rolls-Royce Planar suspension system capable of decoupling the car’s anti-roll bars on straight roads. With each wheel being able to act independently of one another the result is a much softer and absorbent ride. Of course, once a corner is identified the Planar system instantly recouples the anti-roll bars and stiffens the dampers for increased handling response. This is further aided by the four-wheel steering system. Under cornering, 18 sensors are monitored and parameters such as steering, braking, power delivery and suspension are all adjusted in real time so the Spectre remains stable no matter what. 

Supposedly inspired by haute couture, modernist sculpture, nautical design and contemporary art, the Spectre's imposing and mostly aluminium body borrows much from the Wraith as well as the Phantom Coupé. Meanwhile, the tapered rear gives a nod to the one-off Boat Tail built in 2021. With an impressive drag coefficient of 0.25cd, the Spectre also happens to be the most aerodynamic car Rolls-Royce has ever sculpted.

Other aesthetic highlights include a pair of split headlights and an ultra-wide Pantheon grille that is at night illuminated by no less than 22 LEDs lighting up the sandblasted rear side of each of the vanes while 23-inch lightweight alloy wheels are fitted as standard.

As to be expected, the cabin is up to Rolls-Royce's usual lavish standards, with customers being able to indulge in customisation to make it truly their own. Some standout features include the trademark Starlight headliner as well as all-new Starlight doors for added visual effect. Also included in the Spectre are seats with unique lapel sections inspired by British tailoring and a revamped Rolls-Royce Spirit infotainment system that allows clients to interact with their car remotely and receive live information curated by the marque’s luxury intelligence specialists.

According to Rolls-Royce, the new Spectre is available for commission immediately, with first client deliveries beginning in the fourth quarter 2023. Pricing will be between the Cullinan and Phantom — about £300,000 (roughly R6,154,410).