After 2.5 million kilometres of testing in various conditions, terrains, and temperatures, Rolls Royce has unveiled its first pure-electric automobile, the Spectre. The two-door coupé has a claimed range of 520km and it can accommodate four passengers.

Exterior

The Spectre features several new styling cues, such as a split headlight setup, a long curved roofline, and new vertical rear lights. The new Pantheon grille is the widest ever grille to be fitted to a Roll Royce. Illuminated by 22 LED lights, its vertical vanes are smoother and purposely designed to guide the air around the car. The firm has even aerodynamically optimised the Spirit of Ecstacy. With this, the Spectre is the most aerodynamic automobile the marque has ever made. Moreover, it is the first Rolls Royce to use 23-inch wheels.

Platform and dimensions

This two-door coupé uses an all-aluminium platform, called Architecture of Luxury. It measures 5,453mm in length, 2,080mm in width, and 1,559mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,210mm.

Interior

The highlight of the Spectre is the interior which boasts technologically advanced features. It is the first series production Rolls Royce to feature 4,796 softly illuminated lights inside the door panels. The door lights further complement the brand’s famous handcrafted starlight roof headliner. In addition, the co-passenger side of the dashboard comes with Spectre lettering enveloped by a cluster of 5,500 lights.

Mechanicals and electronics

Furthermore, the automaker has tweaked its Planar suspension by adding new hardware components. The latest software has improved the system's processing speed too. This suspension system can decouple anti-roll bars enabling each wheel to act independently for a smoother ride, whereas it recouples them when the car is about to approach a corner.

Then, the Planar suspension further stiffens the dampers and prepares the four-wheel-drive system for smoother entry and exit around a corner. It is worth noting that the suspension system monitors 18 sensors and adjusts the steering, braking, power delivery, and suspension while cornering.

Powertrain

Rolls Royce is still working on the final acceleration, range, and power output figures. Going by the preliminary data, the Spectre is likely to provide a WLTP-certified range of 520km, while its power figures stand at 577bhp and 900Nm of torque. It is also expected to hit the 100kmph mark in 4.5 seconds. Meanwhile, Rolls Royce will commence the first customer deliveries of the Spectre in the fourth quarter of 2023.