2005 Rolls Royce Phantom Grey / 4 Place Seating / Just Serviced / 7 In Stock on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre First Drive: Electric Rolls is still a Rolls

The introduction of a new EV model usually represents a revolutionary moment for a car brand. The car is typically a departure from the norm, not just in fuel source but design and overall character. They’re usually a break from tradition and/or a beacon pointing in a whole new direction. Then thereÂ’s the new 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre. ThereÂ’s nothing about it that feels revolutionary, which largely speaks to what came before. WeÂ’re talking about a Rolls-Royce here. They were always whisper-quiet with a V12 engine judiciously doling out gobs of effortless torque without fanfare. You know, like electric motors do. Or rather, as electric motors can. Forget about sledgehammer-to-the-chest launches in the Spectre – Rolls-Royce specifically tuned the throttle to elegantly roll into its power, much as it did, partly by necessity, with a V12. You can imagine the torque curve looking more like an airplane taking off than a rocket. Once underway, speed builds rapidly and passes are made effortlessly. Again, like a V12. The Spectre also looks like a V12 could still be lurking beneath the vast bonnet even though it was 100% EV from the get-go. There was no effort to reimagine Rolls-Royce for the electric era with cab-forward proportions or “Blade Runner” styling cues. The front is sleeker to be sure, for the purposes of design and aerodynamics, with even the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament being nipped and tucked to eliminate turbulence that occurred behind the most recent rendition. The overall drag coefficient of 0.25 is certainly commendable for something that retains a blunt front end complete with the must-have “Pantheon” grille that ensures no one will mistake this for anything other than a Rolls-Royce. That it's softly illuminated by 22 LEDs ensures identification at all hours. 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre in Morganite pink action front three quarter View 32 Photos Once inside, you sit lower in the Spectre than past models, including the similarly two-door Wraith. The resulting view through the gun-slit windshield over the long, imposing hood and raised dashboard is reminiscent of pre-war, ultra-luxury cars from Rolls-Royce, Duesenberg and others. When I mentioned that observation to Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos, his eyes lit up as if to say, “Eureka!” That was exactly what Rolls was going for – it had nothing to do with the powertrain.

Aeroboat packs 1,100 seahorses of Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 power

We don't typically cover boats here - this is, after all, Autoblog and not Aquablog - but every so often something comes along that makes us want to dip our toes in the water, whether it's a Jaguar-designed speedboat, a Gulf-liveried megayacht or a Lamborghini-powered Riva Aquarama. This is another one of those occasions.
Set to be unveiled at the Salute to Style show in July at The Hurlingham Club in London, the Aeroboat is a motor yacht that seems to blend retro and furutistic lines in equal measure that would make Jules Verne proud without going Steampunk. Inspired by the Spitfire fighter plane, the Aeroboat packs aircraft-inspired switchgear and shock-mounted seats into a long, sleek form. But what really has our interests piqued is what lies beneath the stylish decks.
Each of the dozen Aeroboats to be built will pack a reconditioned, marinized, fuel-injected Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engine - the same 27-liter powerplant that propelled the Spitfire. With 1,100 horsepower on tap, it's expected to propel the Aeroboat up to a top speed between 75 and 95 knots, or 86-109 miles per hour by landlubber standards, which is pretty damn fast on the open water.

Rolls-Royce Alpine Centenary Ghost makes its first North American appearance

Rolls-Royce choose this year's Shanghai Motor Show as the occasion to show off its achingly cool Alpine Trial Centenary Edition Ghost, but The Quail was the site of the car's North American coming out party.
The one-off Rolls pays tribute to a heroic moment in the marque's history, when four 1913 Silver Ghosts, three factory cars and one privateer entry, successfully completed the 1,820-mile Austrian Alpine Trials. The privateer racer in question, James Radley, is the gentleman responsible for the pretty color combination you see on this new Ghost. Radley's blue bodywork over black wheels looked great in 1913 and haven't lost any luster 100 years on to our eyes.
You can revisit the details about this historically rooted Rolls-Royce in the press release below, or simply take a stroll through our fresh gallery of images from The Quail.