Rolls-Royce is going electric, in the only way it knows how – with pure perfection. The Rolls-Royce Spectre is its debut EV, and it says it’s a Roller first, electric car second. We’d be inclined to agree, for the result is nothing short of a masterpiece. A molecular level of detail, artisanal craftsmanship and intricate engineering has created what could quite possibly be the world’s most carefully crafted EV. Take a closer look.
A cocooned cabin
The Spectre is built on the British marque’s ‘Architecture of Luxury’ platform, first conceived in 2017 with the foresight to one day carry an electric powertrain. Its scalable all-aluminum spaceframe has allowed engineers to play with the position of the bulkhead, floor, sill panels and battery. The seats sit low, the dashboard deep and windscreen is dramatically raked, the end result a cocoon of opulence and double-glazed serenity. This is more than a cabin, it’s a hideout from the chaos of modern life outside. Whether silencing unreasonably loud mopeds in the city or shielding you from prying eyes, the Spectre wraps itself around you with a warm embrace. And it all starts from within.
Under the hood
Two electric motors, at the front and rear respectively, come together to produce 584hp and 900Nm of torque. That shifts the Spectre from 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds. It’ll charge from 10-80% on a fast charge in 34 minutes, adding around 100km range in nine minutes if you’re in a hurry. But no part of the Spectre has been left without an extreme attention to detail; the lithium-ion battery is made using strictly controlled Cobalt and lithium from Australia, Morocco and Argentina. It’s been tested in temperatures ranging -40°C to +50°C, and the battery cells are made with 100% green energy.
Effortless doors
The largest doors ever to dress a Roller, the Spectre’s ‘Effortless Doors’ are nearly 1.5 meters long and totally pillarless. Power-assisted, each door comes with G-force sensors to deliver the same effortless experience no matter the angle. Door brakes keep it in place and a single button will close it. Though doors like this are now synonymous with every model, a Spectre driver can now close the door automatically with only a touch of the brake pedal.
A magic carpet ride
The Rolls-Royce ‘magic carpet ride’ is produced by the Spectre’s Planar Suspension System, described by its makers as ‘an orchestra of systems’. Hit a straight, and its anti-roll bars will automatically decouple to dramatically reduce the rocking motion of hitting an uneven road to one side. When the system detects a corner, the anti-roll bars recouple and things get fiercely accurate again, pointed and glued to the road with precision. Nearly 20 sensors monitor steering, braking, power and suspension to keep the Spectre in perfect harmony. All this and the ride itself are the result of 2.5 million kilometers of rigorous testing.
Starlit skies
Inside, the theme is celestial. Over 10,000 softly illuminated stars bring elegance and magic to the cabin, clustered on the inside of the doors and around the Spectre nameplate in front of the passenger riding shogun. It took over 10,000 hours over two years to develop – which is approximately one hour per star, as it happens – and is completely invisible when the Spectre is sat on the driveway. Add to that the indulgent, extravagant detail of a Roller, entirely bespoke to every customer and meticulously placed inside an ultra-luxury super coupé, and the world outside simply falls away.