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Rolls-Royce Spectre reveal: Watch it here live Tuesday morning

Rolls-Royce is preparing to unveil the Spectre, its first series-produced electric car. The big coupe is scheduled to make its global debut online tomorrow (Tuesday, October 18) at 8 a.m. Eastern, and you can watch the livestream right here to get all of the details. Official details about the Spectre remain few and far between; Rolls-Royce has done a good job keeping the EV under wraps. Official spy shots published by the British company in July 2022 suggest that the model will wear a futuristic-looking design, though it will remain recognizable as a member of the Rolls-Royce range, and it will be the brand's most aerodynamic car thanks to a 0.25 drag coefficient. Inside, the Spectre will be mostly standard Rolls-Royce fare. One of the exceptions is a digital instrument cluster. 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre testing in Frnace View 10 Photos Rolls-Royce noted that it put the Spectre through the most rigorous testing program it has ever subjected a new model to; prototypes will have covered over 1.5 million miles by the time deliveries begin. While that might sound like overkill, there's a lot to test: In addition to a battery-powered drivetrain, the Spectre features "141,200 sender-receiver relations and has more than 1,000 functions and more than 25,000 sub-functions," according to the company, and it will inaugurate a new suspension system capable of disconnecting the roll bars. Details such as horsepower and driving range will be announced during the unveiling. One of the figures that we do know is that the 59-inch-long doors are the longest units ever fitted to a production Rolls-Royce; put another way, they're nearly as long as a Smart Fortwo is wide. Tune in tomorrow to watch the Spectre make its debut. Deliveries will begin in the fourth quarter of 2023, and pricing hasn't been announced — though Rolls-Royce buyers aren't price-sensitive.

Question of the Day: What's the greatest British car ever?

The British automotive industry has produced everything from high-production econo-commuters to staggeringly luxurious oligarch-wagons, along the way winning plenty of races and building plenty of beautiful machines. The original Mini led directly to the past half-century of transverse-engine, front-wheel-drive cars built everywhere, the MGB put the sporty little convertible into everyone's reach, and the Morris Oxford became the most beloved motor vehicle in India. So many to choose from, but we want you to pick one. What will it be? Related Video:

Rolls-Royce Spectre electric coupe testing moves to sunny southern France

Rolls-Royce's first series-produced electric model is well on its way to production. Called Spectre, the big coupe is undergoing shakedown testing on and off the track in the sunny south of France, and the British firm announced that development work is about 40% complete. Going electric isn't an excuse for Rolls-Royce to stray from the reputation for excellence that it has earned over the past 116 years, so engineers are putting the Spectre through the most rigorous testing program they've ever subjected a new model to. We're told that, when all is said and done, the prototypes will have covered over 1.5 million miles of testing, which represents on average more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce. Some test mules were sent to freeze in Sweden near the Arctic Circle, while others were shipped to the French Riviera. Testing in France will be split into two parts. First, the Spectre will be put through its paces on the track that Rolls-Royce parent company BMW operates in Miramas, a town located about an hour west of Marseilles. Engineers will notably get the opportunity to drive the prototypes on handling courses, on a 3.1-mile oval with steep banks, and in standing water. when they have passed every challenge with flying colors, the prototypes will be sent out to the picturesque roads that zig-zag through the countryside surrounding the test track. Rolls-Royce explained it's putting a tremendous amount of effort into fine-tuning the Spectre because the coupe packs more technology than any model it has previously released. It features "141,200 sender-receiver relations and has more than 1,000 functions and more than 25,000 sub-functions," according to the company, which is around three times more sender-receiver signals than in a typical Rolls-Royce. The Spectre will inaugurate a new suspension system that promises to take the firm's Magic Carpet Ride to the next level. It relies on technology that scopes out the road ahead and on data sent by the navigation system to decouple the anti-roll bars when needed, such as on a straight road, and recouple them as the car approaches a corner. The suspension system also gets firmer ahead of a bend. Rolls-Royce hasn't released powertrain specifications yet, and the Spectre's final design remains hidden by camouflage, but the few official numbers available are impressive.