After more than a year of teasers and leaks, Rolls-Royce’s first all-electric vehicle is here with the arrival of the 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre. Commissions are now available, with production examples set to arrive in Q4 2023. The news comes over a century after the founder, Charles Rolls, foreshadowed an electrified future of automobiles, one that is perfectly clean and noiseless. Just another example of Rolls-Royce being years – if not centuries – in front of the competition.
“This is the start of a bold new chapter for our marque, our extraordinary clients and the luxury industry. For this reason, I believe Spectre is the most perfect product that Rolls-Royce has ever produced” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
What’s Special About the Design?
Rolls-Royce says they’ve created an entirely new sub-category of the motor car with the Spectre – something they’re calling the Ultra-Luxury Electric Super Coupé. This name refers to Spectre’s indulgent proportions, specified in response to a commitment that there is no greater luxury than that of space.
In other words, it’s large. And those batteries aren’t doing any favours in the weight department with the Spectre weighing in at over 3 tonnes with occupants – or roughly half a tonne heavier than a full-size Range Rover (2505kg).
Rolls-Royce Spectre Dimensions
Vehicle length: 5453 mm
Vehicle width: 2080 mm
Vehicle height (unladen): 1559 mm
Wheelbase: 3210 mm
Kerb weight: 2975 kg
There’s no better way to show off your vehicle’s proportions right now than with a giant front grille, just ask parent company BMW. The Spectre’s dimensions culminate in a front grille that is the widest grille ever bestowed on a Rolls-Royce. And it’s even illuminated with 22 LEDs that light up the sandblasted rear side of each of the vanes. Why? Well, you wouldn’t want anyone forgetting you’re driving a Rolls now, would you?
Let’s not forget the 23-inch wheels, and of course, the infallible ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ that was recently redesigned to symbolise the brand’s shift to a sleek all-electric future by 2030.
“Spectre is perfectly in tune with the sensibilities of our time. It states the direction for the future of our marque and perfectly answers a call from the most discerning individuals in the world to elevate the electric motor car experience because Spectre is a Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös.
You’ll also notice the sleek roofline, a dramatic figure that represents the biggest single-body panel ever produced for a Rolls-Royce, extending from the A-pillar to the luggage compartment. The classic vertical tail lamps themselves are colourless for neutrality, ready for the myriad of colourways selected by clients during the commissioning process.
Is the Interior Nice on the Rolls-Royce Spectre?
Of course it is, who are we kidding? It’s a Rolls-Royce. In all seriousness, the theme of going ‘over the top’ extends to the interior where for the first time on a series production Rolls-Royce, Spectre is available with Starlight Doors, which incorporate 4,796 illuminated ‘stars’. The coach doors can also be commissioned with a backdrop of wood Canadel Panelling, which takes its name from the cove in the South of France where Sir Henry Royce and his design team spent their winters. Duh.
Notice the illuminated fascia on the passenger side of the Spectre? Well, it has 5,500 stars that are completely hidden until the driver turns on the car. Did we mention this took more than 10,000 hours to develop?
Other creature comforts and specific details surrounding infotainment and connectivity will be specified at a later date. However, the brand has confirmed Spectre will be the most connected vehicle in the lineup with the new digital architecture of luxury named SPIRIT. This manages the motor car’s functions and seamlessly integrates into their Whispers application, allowing owners to interact with their car remotely, and receive live information curated by ‘luxury intelligence specialists’.
What Powers the 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre?
No internal combustion engine can compete when it comes to silence – even the famous 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 handmade by Rolls-Royce (which is virtually silent) must exhaust combustion. Simply put, electric motors are far superior when it comes to power delivery, noise, and vibration. And while we anticipate the new Rolls-Royce Spectre to be one of the quietest vehicles on the road, specific power, acceleration, and range figures are still being finalised.
“Spectre possesses all the qualities that have secured the Rolls-Royce legend. This incredible motor car, conceived from the very beginning as our first fully-electric model, is silent, and powerful and demonstrates how perfectly Rolls-Royce is suited to electrification. Spectre’s all-electric powertrain will assure the marque’s sustained success and relevance while dramatically increasing the definition of each characteristic that makes a Rolls-Royce a Rolls-Royce,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
As it stands at the time of writing, Rolls-Royce has shared preliminary data that suggests ballpark figures, including 520 kilometres of WLTP range from an all-electric powertrain producing 430kW of power and 900Nm of torque. While it’s unconfirmed, these figures closely reflect those found on BMW’s i7 and we wouldn’t be surprised if they’re mostly shared.
How Rolls-Royce plans to prevent ‘the iPhone effect’ and obsolescence (that’s amplified in EVs) we’re not yet sure. Today, an estimated 65% of Rolls-Royce vehicles remain on the road in running condition, a remarkable feat that speaks to the build quality and craftsmanship of the brand’s internal combustion engines. Buying replacement parts and rebuilding an internal combustion engine is possible, however, not so feasible in the EV space currently.
If a customer was to drop more than $800,000 on a Spectre (or more) would they be comfortable in their car being ‘out-of-date’ in a few years’ time? Only time will tell, but the brand is doing everything it can to prove the critics otherwise. To ensure that this motor car was sufficiently prepared for the most demanding consumer in the world, the marque devised the most exhaustive testing programme it has ever conceived. Spectre was (and still is to some degree) subjected to a journey of more than 2.5 million kilometres, simulating more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce.
How Much Does the 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre Cost?
The 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre is available for commission immediately, with the first client deliveries commencing in Q4 2023. For those who cannot afford to walk through the front door of a Rolls-Royce dealership, ‘commission’ essentially translates to custom ordering and therefore pricing is particularly hard to pinpoint and somewhat irrelevant.
While the official MSRP of the Spectre has not been announced at the time of writing, the can will be positioned between Cullinan and Phantom, so expect $800,000 AUD before on-road costs and options. In essence, the Spectre will cost you more than $1 Million out the door.
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