Probably the finest electric car available today.
In 1900, Charles Rolls prophesied that the future of cars was with an electric engine, and now, in 2023, it really is. The first all-electric Rolls-Royce, the Spectre is a two-door coupé for a new generation of Rolls owner. Designed to be a Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second, the Spectre delivers the same luxury experience as every Roller.
Despite being a coupé, the Spectre is almost 5.5 metres in length and weighs just under three tonnes (2 890 kg). However, the proportions make it look far smaller. The large twin doors open forwards (a signature Rolls-Royce feature) and are powered, for easy opening and closing. And unlike in many two-door coupés, the back seats are functional and offer plenty of legroom.
Rolls-Royces are notably silent inside, but there is an option on the Spectre to add faux engine noise if that cabin is now just too quiet. The sound is quite a convincing rendition of a muffled V12, heard through the sealed bodywork. It is subtle, but reassuring.
The Spectre boasts four-wheel steering and four-wheel drive. A smaller 190 kW front motor is paired with a 360 kW one at the rear to deliver 430 kW and 900 Nm of torque. While Rolls-Royce does not like to talk specifications, the Spectre will do 0–100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, which is pretty punchy for a car of this size. Powering the Spectre is a 102 kWh battery, one of the biggest batteries in any electric car, with a range of up to 530 km, which is ample for the typical Rolls-Royce driver – or their driver.
It sits on the company’s largest air-suspension frame to ensure a perfectly smooth ride. The term ‘waft’ was used regularly by the engineers, as was the notion of a magic-carpet ride, and you can see what they mean when you drive it. Even pulling hard through the corners, one cannot help but feel relaxed.
The Spectre is, without a doubt, the finest electric car made to date. If you were to be driven in any car, a Rolls-Royce is a natural choice and if you want to drive the finest EV, the Spectre is the one to choose.
The Spectre features the Rolls-Royce ‘Starlight Headliner’ feature: thousands of tiny fibre-optic filaments built into the roof of the car that look like a blanket of stars above you, all placed by hand and programmed to include a random display of shooting stars amid the astral display. This celestial effect is extended to the doors of the Spectre too, providing a full 360-degree effect.
