By Otsile Kadiege

Emission laws are getting ever-so stricter. This has resulted in most automakers migrating to electrification  and Rolls-Royce is the latest marque to join the migration. After countless teasers, the British marque has lifted the veil off the all-new Spectre coupe. It’s Rolls-Royce’s first-ever fully-electric vehicle with daring looks, an all-aluminium Architecture of Luxury, typical Rolls-Royce luxuries and a powerful battery pack with over 500 km of electric driving range.

Fearsome looks

From the front, Spectre’s split headlight treatment is intersected by the widest grille ever bestowed on a Rolls-Royce. The vanes of the Pantheon grille with a polished stainless steel finish are now smoother in section and a flusher fit, designed to help guide the air around the motor car’s front. To affirm Spectre’s expression after dark, the grille is softly illuminated, with 22 LEDs lighting up the sandblasted rear side of each of the vanes.

Flanking the large illuminated grille of the Spectre are split LED headlights and ultra-slim daytime running lights. The Spectre’s  Spirit of Ecstasy figurine has also been extensively aero-tuned – the product of 830 combined hours of design modelling and wind tunnel testing – for improved aerodynamics. In profile, the sharp, vertical bow line at the front of Spectre draws the eye rearward to its monolithic flanks. The lower line – known as the ‘waft line’ – borrows directly from yacht design.

The proportional demands of Spectre’s scale required Rolls-Royce to embolden its wheel strategy. Spectre is the first production two-door coupé to be equipped with 23-inch wheels in almost one hundred years. Its rear end is arguably the most eye-catching of the entire car. Highlights include its vertical LED taillights which are reminiscent of the Cullinan but are actually inspired by the vertical slats of the front grille.  

Spectre dimensions are as follows:

Vehicle length – 5453 mm

Vehicle width – 2080 mm

Vehicle height (unladen) – 1559 mm

Wheelbase – 3210 mm

Turning circle – 12.7 m

Kerb weight – 2975 kg

Unmistakably Rolls-Royce

The interior of the Spectre is typical Rolls-Royce with a classic cabin design with a dash of modernity and exclusivity. Getting inside is less strenuous thanks to suicide doors which swing open when you grab the door handles. For the first time on a series production Rolls-Royce, Spectre is available with Starlight Doors, which incorporate 4,796 softly illuminated ‘stars’. The coach doors can also be commissioned with a backdrop of wood Canadel Panelling.

The ethereal night-time theme continues with Spectre’s Illuminated Fascia. Developed over the course of two years and more than 10,000 collective hours, it incorporates the Spectre nameplate surrounded by a cluster of over 5,500 stars. The all-new front seat design has been inspired by British tailoring, with lapel sections that can be rendered in contrasting or matching colours to the main base. Bespoke stitching, embroidery and intricate piping has, as ever, been considered in their inception.

As with all Rolls-Royce motor cars, Spectre’s interior suite offers clients near-infinite Bespoke possibilities.

Electric performance

The final power, acceleration and range figures are still being refined, as the extraordinary undertaking of finessing Spectre enters its final phase before concluding in the second quarter of 2023. Preliminary data shows that Spectre is expected to have an all-electric range of 520 kilometres WLTP and offer 900Nm of torque from its 430kW powertrain. It is anticipated to achieve 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds.

Market debut

Spectre is available for commission immediately, with first client deliveries commencing in Q4 2023. Spectre pricing will be positioned between Cullinan and Phantom.