Barring limited-edition multi-million-dollar hypercars built solely for neck-snapping acceleration and speed runs that are legal only on closed circuits, the Rolls-Royce Spectre stands as the most expensive luxury EV available in the United States.
Priced from USD 420,000 before its numerous tens of thousands of dollars worth of options, the electric coupe is aimed at the ultra-rich, people who measure wealth in estates, not paychecks. A few weeks ago, I had a chance to explore a finely tailored example of the Spectre. While Rolls-Royce refrained from disclosing specific customization details of the car, citing client confidentiality, I could identify several elements by comparing it to the standard model.
Exterior
The bespoke Rolls-Royce Spectre I saw had a dark teal blue paint, which gave it an exquisite look. I noticed the paint took on a greenish hue under certain lighting, elevating the car’s sophistication.
An orange pinstripe starting from the front wings and stretching all the way to the rear underlines the sleek silhouette of the electric coupe and serves as a nice contrast against the dark teal blue paint. The 23-inch part-polished wing spoke wheels wrapped in 255/40 R23 tires add to the car’s commanding stance.
Interior
On opening the bespoke Rolls-Royce Spectre’s coach doors, the Shooting Star headliner immediately caught my eye. I felt it was the EV’s most distinguishing interior element compared to exotic cars from other brands. I was also drawn toward the 12.3-inch LED instrument cluster whose sharp, classically-styled graphics feel unmistakably Rolls-Royce and could even win over traditionalists.
The illuminated area on the passenger-side dashboard integrated the Spectre nameplate and a mesmerizing cluster of more than 5,500 stars. The fully carpeted floor of the bespoke Spectre gave me a welcoming feel. Rolls-Royce had used a deep purple finish color for the carpet as well as the seat bases and some parts of the seats. The remaining part of the seats appeared to match the baby blue-like shade seen on the dashboard and the door panels.
The orange piping on the seats reminded me of the pinstripe on the profile of the car. I felt that the orange highlights in the door panels didn’t match the generous Dark Amber high-gloss veneer on the door panels, though.
Aesthetics aside, having sat in the highly digitalized BMW i7 just minutes before, what I found most interesting in the Rolls-Royce Spectre was the barrage of physical controls, seen everywhere from the dashboard to the center console, the steering wheel, and even the door panels.
I felt the thoughtfully positioned switches, buttons, and dials would any day be far more intuitive than those touch controls inside the Bimmer. My only gripe about this interior was its 10.25-inch central touchscreen, which seemed rather small for the Spectre’s hefty dashboard!
Specifications
The Rolls-Royce Spectre sports two motors, one at the front and one at the back. The front motor produces 190 kW (255 hp) and 365 Nm (269 lb.-ft.) of torque, while the rear motor develops 360 kW (483 hp) and 710 Nm (524 lb.-ft.) of torque. With 430 kW (576 hp) of system power and 900 Nm (664 lb.-ft.) of system torque, it effortlessly speeds up from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds.
Powering the two motors is a 102 kWh battery pack that supports charging at up to 22 kW (AC)/195 kW (DC). Customers can charge it from 0 to 100% SoC through an AC charger in as little as five and a half hours. Through the most compatible DC charger, a 10-80% charging session takes 34 minutes. EPA estimates the Spectre will go up to 277 miles on a full charge if specified with 22-inch wheels or 253 miles with 23-inch wheels.
International Automotive News Editor since 2014, covering global motor shows, industry events, and test-driving various vehicles, with a focus on hybrid and electric cars in recent years.
