EVs were hugely popular at the start of the 20th century, right as destiny was arranging the meeting of wealthy auto enthusiast and dealer Charles Rolls and eccentric engineer Henry Rolls Royce Spectre.
As a car designer and co-owner of the recently established Rolls Royce Spectre Cars, one of Royce’s first assignments was to create an urban combustion-engine vehicle that would be just as clean, quiet, smooth, and user-friendly as an electric vehicle, but without the range and charging issues that restricted electric vehicles to “town carriage” use.
Overview
This led to the brief production of the 1905 Rolls-Royce V8 Landaulet and “Legalimit” models, so named because of their long wheelbases.
Over the ensuing decades, Royce’s background in electrical engineering provided him with the necessary perspective to elevate Rolls-Royces above their competitors as luxury vehicles by making them smoother, more dependable, and more enjoyable to drive. [The fabled 40/50 Silver Ghost was equipped with the first straight-six engine with “perfect balance” in history.]
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Nevertheless, it’s intriguing to see how the vehicle fits within Rolls’ larger lineup. It takes fills the void left by the Phantom coupé and is more expensive than the Ghost saloon and Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV (albeit both are also available as EWB stretches and have higher output Black Badge versions). It also has more horsepower than its range-mates.
SPECTRE
Rolls-Royce’s current shift to electric vehicles (EVs) began at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, when the company debuted the 102 EX, a battery-powered seventh-generation Phantom limousine designed to test the market’s response to a zero-emission vehicle.
In 2014, work on the mechanical foundation of its current model line, the cutting-edge aluminum spaceframe Architecture of Luxury, was initiated, keeping in mind both combustion and electric power sources. Therefore, all Rolls-Royce needed to do for the Spectre was to harness and enhance its inherent potential.
REVIEWS
Apart from the double-skinned bulkheads found in preceding models, the Spectre is equipped with a double-layer floor that contributes to refinement and increases overall static rigidity by thirty percent. This floor also houses the 120kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt drive battery.
Of that capacity, 102kWh is made usable by Rolls-Royce; this is a conservative amount, but it was chosen with consideration for battery lifetime given the incredibly lengthy lifespans that Rolls-Royce vehicles frequently have.
For similar reasons of proven quality and lifespan, the Spectre uses the same fifth-generation prismatic battery cells that are more commonly found in BMW’s electric cars.
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Peak system output is “only” 577 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque; these numbers, which confirm other observations we have made, indicate that Rolls-Royce is being somewhat cautious and has an eye toward long-term battery life. (The BMW i7 produces more of both with the same motors, battery technology, and usable capacity.)
Naturally, buyers of Rolls-Royces aren’t going to be searching for the most powerful vehicle they can afford, and based on current data, the Spectre is the most potent Rolls-Royce model available for purchase.
The vehicle employs a modified version of the Ghost’s planar suspension at every corner, complete with standard adaptive air springs, adaptive dampers, active anti-roll bars, and four-wheel steering.
Interior design
A Rolls-Royce Ghost’s door span is 4040mm, so four meters is a big door span.
With a startling 4600mm door span, the Spectre, however, proves to be something of an automobile albatross.
When you sit down and depress the brake pedal, the driver’s door automatically closes as well.
For convenience, the Spectre’s interior places you slightly higher and less reclined than in many GT coupés.
The controls are arranged in a usual manner. Rather than the larger Phantom, the dashboard and center console are similar to those of the Ghost Saloon.
Interior view
As a result, the infotainment screen does not disappear here, but instead, traditional-looking digital instrument dials and a ton of physical switchgear with Rolls-Royce’s customary attention to tactile and material detail are included.
Very little about this setup feels cheaply made, from the temperature controls that look like they were made a long time ago to the headlight settings.
Multimedia system
The Spectre’s touchscreen mechanism is not the same as the Phantom’s. It is not concealed by an independent glass screen, nor does it slide out of sight when not in use.
The technology has Rolls-Royce’s proprietary voice control integrated into it. The Spirit of Ecstasy appears on the screen in a semi-translucent image when you press the voice control button on the steering wheel. The system then reacts to natural speech recognition.
It won’t open and close the passenger doors, but you can order it to raise the interior temperature.
Using a program dubbed Whispers, Rolls-Royce also provides app-based remote control of the Spectre’s preconditioning and battery charging.
ENGINES & PERFORMANCE
Even at maximum power, the Spectre moves with absolutely no violence: there is little squat, no loss of traction, and no sensation that a huge “on” switch is being flipped to provide 660 lb ft. Rather, there was a growing feeling of subdued urgency that washed across the road.
PERFORMANCE
Though not as coiffured or controlled as the company’s typical V12 standard, it seems a cut above.
It would have been necessary to take priorities and preferences into account instead of just potential to determine the exact pace at which the Spectre could accelerate.
We already know that the car might have been more powerful, and you can feel it when you give it your all when you push it from a stop.
Instead, a building sense of muted urgency flowed across the street. It appears to be a step up even though it isn’t as controlled or coiffured as the company’s usual V12 standard.
Of course, smooth driving is significantly more crucial. Drive modes and adjustable trailing-throttle battery regeneration settings are absent from the Spectre. It’s incredibly, endearingly manageable when in charge.
RIDE & HANDLING
We’ve already discussed how wide this car is. It’s less intimidating with the doors closed, but this is a large GT that occupies its lane and requires more accuracy the harder you try to accelerate it.
The Spectre moves without being overly animated or making any gestures toward artificial agility.
HANDLING
While on, the electronic traction and stability controls stop the car from ripping itself into power-on understeer, as it would eventually do in steady-state cornering at the limit of grip with everything switched off. However, they still function quietly even in faster driving.
Overall, it’s very amazing how well the Spectre handles sweeping turns and moderately sloping terrain.
Comfort & Isolation
Although the Spectre is not genuinely amazing by our standards, we shall begin here with what makes it truly remarkable.
The seclusion of the cabin is exceptional. Additionally, wind noise is quite well-filtered.
While cruising at 50 mph, the cabin noise level of our test car was only 55 dBA.
Isolation
Therefore, Goodwood may want to temper its enthusiasm a little when it says that this automobile sets a new standard for finesse.
The endeavour is not in vain. However, when travelling at slower speeds or on rougher terrain, our test vehicle’s 23-inch wheels seemed unwieldy. They would cause the struts to clatter into the extremes of their travel, if at all.
MPG & RUNNING COSTS
It is said that there isn’t a typical Rolls-Royce customer.
With the 329-mile stated range, that would be OK, but would the 245-mile average we observed suffice? Most of the time, most likely. Is that, however, sufficient to produce the type of unwavering statement Rolls would have hoped for? To be fair, for the entirety of our test, only Tesla’s Model S Plaid has averaged over 300 miles. However, many come closer than this.
VERDICT
According to its creator, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is entering a new chapter with the Spectre. Although it’s a serious accusation, the car’s chronological significance is undeniable. There will never be another Rolls-Royce that was the “first electric.”
It is important to recognize the value that this vehicle adds to the Rolls-Royce driving and ownership experience. It offers world-class elegance, cruising comfort and refinement, and an understated yet always noticeable driver appeal.
Conclusion
Additionally, it is a zero-emission modern vehicle that is highly regarded. However, it comes with enough electric range to be a practical daily driver. However, it’s always so exceptional that it transcends all notions of the “every day.”
Is this the ideal Rolls Royce Spectre now that an electric drivetrain has been implemented? Has Goodwood’s revered guide to elegance and comfort been completely dismantled? Does the Spectre firmly establish a new marker? Not exactly.
Unlike Henry Royce’s engines, which revolutionized EV powertrain technology a little over a century ago, the Spectre does not do so. Is that a fair criticism of a car this radical and so impressive in so many ways? It’s certainly true, but maybe only because it’s a Rolls-Royce.