The eagerly awaited Spectre has landed. A long time in development with an almost impossible design brief…… can an EV be fitting of the RR standard?
Based on my experience thus far with EV’s, my instant reaction to this question would be a resounding “no!”. And I say that from the position of having driven many EV’s that the market now has to offer. It’s not that I am anti-EV, quite the contrary in-fact. Genuinely I am an advocate of all forms of personal transportation, I mean, how can you not be impressed by the student who wizzes past you wearing a backpack and a single upright electric wheel device between his feet propelling him at 40mph?! It’s just incredible how close we are now getting to Marty’s hoverboard in ‘Back to The Future.’ And who can argue with the potential health benefits of clean air in our towns and cities? No, let’s face it, this is all really great stuff. Technological advances in the development of Lithium-Ion and water-cooling battery technology has really made the EV dream a reality. This revolution really hit home hard with me when I got my hands on the luxurious Lucid Dream Air Launch Edition in 2022 with it’s exhilarating 1100hp on tap and no need for gear changes. This was nothing short of a mind-blowing leap into the future.
Luxury and Prestige EV’s have now been rolled out by most manufacturers including the German big hitters like Porsche and Audi with their respective Taycan and E-Tron models. Impressive in terms of stats they are, but I’m still not swayed enough to opt for the EV version over one of their high-powered gasoline ICE’d (Internal Combustion Engine) equivalents. My gripe is this. EV’s have no feel. No character. No heart-beat. A stiff, bumpy, track inspired ride whirring like a Dyson vacuum cleaner is technologically brilliant but it has no macho appeal whatsoever. To my mind EV’s have more in common with a functional domestic appliance in that they do a great job and save us effort. But they are devoid of any personality, are completely boring and just have no soul. Furthermore, their dash mounted computer touch-screens and utility minimalist interiors are, again, just plain old utilitarian and dull. I genuinely feel no desire to scroll through endless quiz-like menus and sub-menus to set the clock or pre-program the ventilation system whist driving my car, and to be honest, I think menu scrolling is something that should really be left back at home or the office in the name of road safety. My point here is this. For over a Century, cars have stimulated our senses in such a unique and wonderful way. We lust to get behind the wheel and ‘feel’ how the motorcar responds to our application of the controls. We listen to the roar and grunt of the engine under the hood, the beast that we navigate leash-like until a suitably safe road begs us to unharness it’s exhilarating might. I believe the ‘beating heart’ noise of fossil fuel combustion explosions harnessed in this amazing invention we call the Internal Combustion Engine is a big part of our affection for the motorcar, and an electric motor will never ever have the same sensory appeal. This beast is alive and aspirating. Our relationship with the ICE motorcar is so special that it’s not uncommon for us to give our cars human names and treat them as family members. We all remember our first car with a similar level of detail as we do our first teenage romance. How many times have you heard someone describe their car as “she’s a real beauty!” or “she’s pretty fast!” but have you ever waxed lyrical about your first washing machine or did you ever just run the dishwasher because the noise and whole experience was so stimulating? I bet never. So maybe now you get my thinking here… spaceship-like whirring efficiency and domestic-appliance-like functionality is truly clever and amazingly helpful in life, but ultimately, rather dull and unstimulating.
This brings me nicely back to RR and the Spectre project. Historically, of all the cars I’ve ever driven, no other manufacturer has achieved the same level of near seamless, floating and graceful travel perfection as RR. On a recent visit to the awesome Nethercutt Automobile Museum in Sylmar, Los Angeles, I was struck by two things. Firstly, this is the most significant motor museum dedicated to opulent motoring history on this planet. Secondly, the museum’s owner personally endorses his 1965 Cloud III Rolls Royce as the finest driving motor-car in the entire collection. Having bought, sold, restored and driven many fine marques in my career I can honestly say both myself and Messrs Nethercutt are of the same professional opinion. My respect for the RR marque was cemented at an early age and it wasn’t long before I understood that the buyer of RR just didn’t give a hoot about the purchase price because they knew that the ride quality and luxury of RR was quite simply unsurpassed, and that the sight of their new RR on the road would be quite breathtaking for any mortal being who was lucky enough to catch a glimpse. Whether it be a Cloud, Phantom, Shadow or Spirit, the very name of each of these infamous RR’s implies a travelling experience like no other and thus RR has adorned the prestige ‘crown’ in each respective decade. And this is the kicker. The unique characteristics of EV powertrains and EV power delivery is potentially more suited to the RR brand than any other manufacturer. I’m talking about the relentless RR design brief for the smoothest, most powerful, most seamless propulsion in passenger transportation on four wheels ….EV technology could offer a whole new level of technological excellence for RR. Where the mantra has always been one of perfection, I’m sure the R and D team have been on a very very deep mission to build the best of the best. Now enter….. ‘The Spectre’.
Initially, I thought the name was a bit cheesy echoing the James Bond spy movie of 2015. My local RR agent in Westlake Village CA however was super-excited to show me the Spectre and her enthusiasm was beginning to warm me to the name. After all, what’s not to love about this quintessentially British connection, shaken, not stirred, with a touch of class and a hint of mystery?! Ok RR, we’re talking about a car here and not Bond, but I’m also a patriotic Brit so I’ll give you that one. However, I think I’ve already made it fairly clear that I’m just not in love with EV’s, so I have to admit being slightly negative about this car as I mill around the RR showroom. My thinking that this was going to be another dud ceased as abruptly as my walking when I was suddenly greeted by the imposing $535,000 Spectre demo that stood on the forecourt in front of me, like a male Peacock showing off it’s feathers to it’s lesser subjects. Wow. Tempest Grey with a stunning Charles Blue sumptuous leather interior. Double Wow. This thing is quite simply something else, a veritable feast for the eyes, and it was giving me goosebumps. The RR Spectre is a huge vehicle. It’s as imposing as it is beautiful. The fastback styling is fabulous and really appeals to my lifelong admiration of the 1946-48 Buick Sedanette / 1960 Bentley Continental and I see the Spectre as a worthy modern incarnation of those beautiful lines. The physical presence of the car had me completely captivated. A glass Spirit of Ecstacy mascot up front. Seductively tapered body lines. Huge cast Aluminium wheels minded me of Etorre Bugatti’s infamous Royale. Stately suicide front opening doors. Vivid Blue leather worthy of the Gilded Age. Wow. This is every inch what a RR should be, and I’m truly blown away.
RR had certainly wowed me with the Spectre’s presentation, but I’m a hard man to impress when it comes to engineering and driving quality. To be honest, I’m actually quite disappointed by the fact this car is only available as an EV with not a trace of an Internal Combustion Engine to be found. The lovely RR representative was not impressed when I suggested “it’s a shame there’s no V12 version”, but if I’d shared my next thought of ‘and preferably a Merlin’ it would probably way have gone over her head. Harking back to the distant engineering past is not really constructive when evaluating a new car offering, but I can’t help feeling that modern cars generally lack the quality ‘feel’ of those from a bygone era where mild steel, cast iron and chrome were king. Today’s materials technology in car manufacture now employs copious amounts of plastics, electronic chips and cast aluminium in pursuit of a more re-cyclable and safe product, so the driving feel is very different, often more uncomfortable and generally more akin to a track-inspired wanna-be supercar in my opinion. So again, my expectation bar is a little low for the Spectre, because it is not only an EV, but there’s no denying it’s also at the cutting edge of ‘new’ technology. But I am now about to eat a rather large slice of humble pie…
The Spectre reduced me to a state of semi-shock within yards of driving off the dealer’s forecourt. This car has the most incredible feel from behind the wheel. It smells like a RR. It feels like a RR. But more to the point, it drives like a RR should. It is quite simply, THE most impressive luxury driving machine that I have ever experienced. It is magnificent. Believe me when I say that I’m not easily impressed by modern cars and I was quietly but smugly looking forward to giving the Spectre a great big dull EV ‘thumbs down’. But oh boy, how utterly wrong was I. This car is just incredible and I was spellbound with the drive. The Spectre drives so easily it glides like a lazer-guided magic carpet. Notions of it being an EV are quickly and completely forgotten as you’re immersed in an incredible experience of RR whisper-quietness and sumptuous luxury. It’s as silent as a pause at the opera when you can hear a pin drop. As I depress the accelerator the 583hp power delivery is inexplicably smooth whilst the deafening silence prevails. RR have done an astonishing job with the insulation and sound-deadening here. With an impressive 663lbs-ft of torque from the dual electric motors the Spectre sees 100mph in a mere 4.5 seconds and will hit 155mph in a mere swish of a lamb’s tail. It’s a real feat of engineering achievement to propel this 7495lbs leviathan to illegal speeds in such a zen-like fashion. The world flashes-by like a silent movie. The Spectre is king of the road. A Gulfstream of the Freeway. And sat behind the wheel the deep satisfaction and peaceful experience continues as I relax in the comfort of the finest leather hides and fine cut wood veneers to an orchestra-quality audio and media system. Of course, it has endless optioned appointments to fine-tune your comfort but I’m too in awe of the drive to care about the bells and whistles. The dashboard is elegant and gloriously uncomplicated and stress-free for the driver. No ubiquitous glass tv showroom here. Digitisation has been mastered to appear analogue and there’s as little or as much data available as you choose. I choose simplicity. Above me the faintly twinkling Starlight headlining remind me that there must be a plethora of spaceship technology hidden deep within the Spectre and there’s no question the ride quality is other-worldly. The Auto-levelling Adaptive Suspension is nothing short of a masterpiece transmitting little evidence of cornering, lean or uneven surface to the driver. I put the car through freeway and twisty canyon roads, and it glided through and over each and every environment with little effort or driver concern. Amazing. You really do have to pinch yourself to remember this vehicle is moving on wheels. Technically, I have no-idea how the RR scientists have achieved this, but it’s as mind-blowing as Elon’s Space X rocket landing in reverse. Believe me, this car is an incredible achievement.
Rarely have I used the term ‘breathtaking’ to describe a motorcar, but the Spectre deserves this description in terms of it’s looks, it’s quality and it’s incredible performance. It is fabulous. And yes, this traditional RR enthusiast can honestly say that the Spectre has authentic RR DNA running right through it. I believe this is the ultimate four-wheeled luxury personal land transportation ever constructed by man. There is nothing quite like it. Forget about the price. Forget about the 320mile range and combined 81mpg equivalent energy consumption. This is the best of the best. This is a Rolls Royce, the pinnacle of motorcar engineering and luxury. Oh! …and did I mention that this is actually an EV?!
