Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce didn’t show up at the Paris Motor Show, presumably to avoid blending in with the crowd. Chinese premiers. However, it was during the days of the exhibition that the British declassified their important novelty. The first electric model is introduced under the name Specter, that is, “ghost” in French. It ushered in the era of Rolls-Royce 3.0, although the first stage is not considered the appearance of the first Rolls-Royce car in 1904, but the start of the current Rolls-Royce Motor Cars company in January 2003. Stage 2.0 began in 2017 with the release of the new Phantom and is still ongoing. Well, the third stage begins right now.

Rolls-Royce has been experimenting with electric vehicles for more than ten years, because back in 2011 the Rolls-Royce 102EX prototype, that is, the electric Phantom, was presented, but then things did not go beyond one prototype. Although, it would seem, the electric drive for Rolls-Royces is just what the doctor ordered. After all, throughout its history, this brand has sought to make cars with a minimum level of noise and vibration. Moving away from the internal combustion engine in favor of electric motors allows for a huge leap in this direction. Now the battery-powered Rolls-Royce is becoming a reality.

Two-door Rolls-Royce Specter will actually replace the model Wraiththe production of which is just coming to an end (accepting orders closed back in spring): they are related by the shape of the body with a sloping roof (fastback). Although the developers prefer to call the Specter the spiritual heir to the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe, which was produced from 2008 to 2016. In terms of size, the electric car turned out to be just between these two models: length – 5453 mm, width – 2080 mm, height – 1559 mm. Wheelbase size – 3210 mm.

Luckily, the Specter wasn’t as radical as the electric concept car. Rolls-Royce 103EX six years ago. The company did not dare to design a revolution, so the real Rolls-Royce is absolutely recognizable in an electric car. But there are still a lot of evolutionary changes. The optics are now “inverted” – with the eyebrows of running lights and darkened main headlights. The traditional grille on the front end is preserved, and 22 LEDs are built into it for illumination, but there is no longer any radiator behind it. This “slab” has become the widest in the history of Rolls-Royces, but this is only compensation for the reduced height.

Engineers did a good job on aerodynamics. Smoothed corners, balanced surfaces and even optimized figurine shape on the nose, they made it possible to achieve a very decent Cd coefficient of 0.25, although initially the engineers counted on a figure of 0.26. The doors still swing open against the move, and they also set a record: their length reaches 1.5 meters! Standard wheels are 23 inches.

The four-seater interior is decorated in the same way as modern gasoline Rolls. The fully analog climate control unit, the exhaust levers of the dampers in the ventilation deflectors, and the steering column poker for switching transmission modes have been preserved. The devices are still virtual, but other models of the company have such devices now. Star decor can now be ordered not only for the ceiling, but also for doors (5876 LEDs each) and side walls. And 5,500 light points are inlaid in the panel in front of the passenger.

The electric car is based on the same “Architecture of Luxury” on which the modern Phantom, Ghost and Cullinan models are based: this is a space frame with aluminum body panels. A traction battery weighing approximately 700 kg installed under the floor was used as additional soundproofing for the cabin, and its powerful frame made it possible to increase body rigidity by 30% at once. It is also curious that the transition from internal combustion engines to electric traction led to an increase in the total length of the electrical wiring used in the car from 2 km for the current Rolls to 7 km.

The air suspension called Planar suspension has one important innovation – openable anti-roll bars. If for SUVs such a system allows you to increase the vertical travel of the wheels, then in the case of Rolls-Royce, the goal is different. The stabilizers open while driving in a straight line to make the suspension truly independent: vibrations from one wheel are not transmitted to another. The suspension control system is tied to the navigator, and before cornering, the electronics preventively close the stabilizers.

Specter has four electric motors with a total output of 585 hp. and 900 Nm, but there are no tricks like thrust vectoring or sport mode here: Rolls-Royce is not about that. The capacity of the traction battery is 120 kWh, the approximate range is 520 km according to the WLTP cycle. From zero to “hundreds”, an electric car with a curb weight of 2975 kg can accelerate in 4.5 seconds. However, all these parameters may still change, because the test program is only 55% completed so far and there are still many fine-tuning stages ahead. Deliveries of “ghosts” to customers will begin only in the fourth quarter of 2023. The Specter is priced between the Cullinan and Phantom models, starting at around £275,000.

Going forward, all new Rolls-Royce vehicles will be electric only. Current petrol models Phantom, Cullinan and Ghost are still relatively fresh, so their release will continue, scheduled updates and new modifications are expected. And only as the life cycles are completed, these models will be replaced by electric vehicles. Rolls-Royce expects to go completely electric by the end of 2030.

Cutting-edge models tend to be limited globally, but there are always lucky people who can access this type of vehicle. If the number of users who acquire this type of automotive jewelry is already limited, not to mention those who dare to modify them.

One of them was Danton, youtuber from Supercar Blondie, who showed a amazing Rolls-Royce Phantom 6×6 (2005) based in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). With a year of planning and three months of preparationthis icon of the automotive industry received a extension of the bodywork (reaching 6.3 m in length and 2.3 m in width).

Among the most notable details an extra axle from a BMW 7 Series stands out, to deliver 6×6 all-wheel drive. In turn, the Rims are 24 inches with off-road tires and gold brakes.

Inside, the yellow interior is relevant (medium orange), combined with a color negro mate. The most striking is the alligator skin steering wheel trim, and snakeskin center console.

under the hood, It has a 6.8 V12 engine, with 459 hp and 73.4 kgm of torque. How much does this unique piece cost? According to Quatro Rodas, sister magazine of Parabrisas, the value of this Rolls Royce is $5.2 million.