Rolls-Royce unveils the Spectre

The grille is illuminated with 22 LED lights. and is the largest grille on a Rolls-Royce to date. The grille reduces the Spectre’s drag coefficient to 0.25, making it Rolls-Royce’s most aerodynamic vehicle to date.

In 1900, Charles Stewart Rolls foresaw electric vehicles as a sustainable alternative to internal combustion vehicles, provided there was sufficient infrastructure.

“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean,” Rolls said. “There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.”

120 years later, Rolls-Royce is finally fulfilling its co-founder’s dreams.

On October 18, Rolls-Royce unveiled the 2023 Rolls-Royce Spectre, the first electric car by the luxury British automaker. The Spectre is estimated to cost around $413,000. More than 300 buyers in the United States have already put down deposits for when the vehicle hits the market.

The Spectre is part of Rolls-Royce’s initiative to become fully-electric by 2030. On its website Rolls-Royce advertises the Spectre as “the world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé.”

“This is the start of a bold new chapter for our marque, our extraordinary clients and the luxury industry,” Torsten Müller-Ötvös, the CEO of Rolls-Royce, said in a press release. “For this reason, I believe Spectre is the most perfect product that Rolls-Royce has ever produced.”

According to USA Today, the design of the Spectre was inspired by “modernist sculpture, nautical design, the night sky and haute couture.”

There is also a flowing “waft” line along the sides inspired by the silhouette of racing yachts. The famous “Spirit of Ecstasy” hood ornament has been redesigned to look more streamlined and modern.

The vehicle only has two doors, but they are hinged and open rearward. On the four-door models, only the rear doors open in this manner.

The Spectre is classified as a “super coupé” because of its spaciousness. It is six inches longer and five inches wider than the last Rolls-Royce coupé. It is also 2.5 inches longer than the Cadillac Escalade SUV. It is almost 18 feet long and seven feet wide. It runs on a 126-inch wheelbase and has oversized 23-inch wheels to accommodate the size and weight.

As with any Rolls-Royce, it comes with the “Starlight Headliner,” which fills the ceiling with an array of thousands of tiny lights. The lights are the tips of fiber-optic cables arranged to resemble the night sky over Goodwood, United Kingdom, where the Rolls-Royce factory is based.

Rolls-Royce is planning to add this feature to the interior of the doors, surrounding the occupants in a shimmering sea of stars.

The Spectre comes with Rolls-Royce’s Spirit software with more functionality and quicker response.

Rolls-Royce tested the software across 1.55 million miles of simulated and real-world roads. It has been tested at -40 degrees Fahrenheit in Arjeplog, Sweden and at 130 degrees Fahrenheit in Southern Africa.

It also comes with a planar suspension system that allows each wheel to act independently. This prevents the rocking motion when hitting undulations in the road and reduces vibration and noise.

Rolls-Royce claims the Spectre has 557 horsepower and can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds. Its top speed is 155 miles per hour. It will also be able to run 260 miles on a single charge.