Spectacular Spectre
Brian Palmer reveals that the electric Rolls-Royce will debut in September
The all-electric Spectre is, perhaps, the most eagerly awaited Rolls-Royce in history. The flood gates will certainly open this September as Rolls-Royce sources suggest that such is the pent-up worldwide demand that pre-launch orders taken right now will still take until 2025 to deliver to customers.
And it is not only the new car that is expected to be whisper quiet – nobody is officially making known the selling price of this sleek new battery-powered coupe range topper. Partly this is because many existing Rolls-Royce models are extensively personalised by eager customers before they ever hit the road. Let it be known – ahem – that some Phantoms were sold for over £2 million. So it is hardly surprising that the good folk at Goodwood are quietly excited that this hush-hush Spectre will notch-up some spectacular profits for the most exclusive auto brand in the world.
The new car will run alongside the Cullinan SUV and Phantom V12 initially but is a completely new design with a bespoke super-structure. Notable is that the battery of electric storage unit is fully integrated into the chassis and results in 30% stiffer underpinnings. And because the battery compartment lies under a completely flat floor, and it has been possible to incorporate 700kg of sound deadening material, occupants will experience super-natural standards of silence and smoothness.
The lack of a transmission tunnel and the flat floor lead to a surprisingly spacious interior for a two-door coupe design with class leading room for four passengers to wallow in unsurpassed luxury. A new suspension system allows each wheel to be stiffened or softened independently for an almost magic carpet ride.
The Spectre may be the heaviest model yet but the 577bhp produced allows a spirited 0-62mph time of around 4.5 seconds. So no slouch. And in case you are wondering, Rolls-Royce claims a range in the order of 323 miles between charges thanks to batteries that are among the largest currently made. More performance figures will be released later.