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Rolls-Royce Spectre EV is revealed, and it's production-bound

Rolls-Royce has formally announced plans to introduce a battery-electric coupe. Dubbed Spectre, the British super-luxe automaker's first EV will begin deliveries in late 2023, which has now become a key milestone in Rolls-Royce's roadmap to full electrification by the end of the decade. Apart from the name and layout, Rolls is being stingy with specifics, telling us only that, despite what appears to be a somewhat familiar silhouette, this is an all-new model built on the company's latest architecture, like Phantom, Ghost and Cullinan. Spectre is not merely a derivative of the Wraith, RR says. And with good reason, because Wraith was engineered around the essence of its V12. Spectre's character, we expect, will be defined by its near-silent, vibration-free electric powertrain, which makes for a very different acoustic backdrop, but that's a challenge Rolls-Royce engineers are prepared – arguably even predestined – to overcome. Even more than a century ago, both Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce were fascinated by electric powertrains. The automaker even shared some of Rolls' impressions of an EV he drove in April 1900 from Connecticut-based manufacturer Columbia:  "The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean," he noted. "There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged. But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come." View 9 Photos "Today, 117 years later, I am proud to announce that Rolls-Royce is to begin the on-road testing programme for an extraordinary new product that will elevate the global all-electric car revolution and create the first – and finest – super-luxury product of its type," said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos.  "Charles RollsÂ’ prophecy has been the subject of constant consideration during the marqueÂ’s Goodwood era," he said. "But we have not been satisfied that available technology could support the Rolls-Royce experience. Until now." If there's any coherent theme to the message coming from Rolls-Royce, it's that the company intends to do right by its first EV. To that end,it  says it will develop Spectre "in plain sight," holding it to some of the most stringent development requirements of any vehicle that has carried the Spirit of Ecstasy.  "To do this, we have conceived the most demanding testing programme in Rolls-RoyceÂ’s history.

Ghost Coupe to be fastest Rolls-Royce ever

Autocar has snapped spy shots of a Rolls-Royce Ghost Coupe, and judging from proportions the car will be so long in front and raked in back that it would make Dick Tracy whistle. We'll get the true story on that at next year's Geneva Motor Show, which is when Autocar says it's due to be revealed, but what's less in question is this: with a 6.6-liter, 600-horsepower V12 and a tauter ride it will be the fastest Rolls-Royce ever.
Weight is estimated to drop by 200 kg compared to its sedan sibling, and its roofline to drop by up to nearly three inches. If the horsepower numbers are correct the shorter and lighter Ghost coupe, with a 69-hp bump over the sedan, will assuredly deliver the "considerably brisker" acceleration promised. Helping matters will be the lowered chassis, larger tires, "mildly sports-orientated" brakes and a suspension tuned to be more aggressive but delivering just as much waftability.
Although it's being called the Ghost Coupe for now, insiders have suggested to the magazine that that it will get its own, bespoke, name, with pricing above the standard sedan but below the extended-wheelbase sedan.

The Silver Spectre is a custom shooting brake based on the Rolls Wraith

The Rolls-Royce Wraith coupe undergoes a long-roof transformation in this custom by Niels Van Roij Design, and the result takes the name Silver Spectre Shooting Brake. It turns out the Wraith looks particularly fetching as a shooting brake, as these pictures attest. The Dutch-based automotive designer's firm previously built a Tesla Model S shooting brake for a wealthy Dutch collector and also built a spate of two-door Range Rovers, the Adventum Coupe, after the factory canceled the project. Aristocratic long-roofs seem to be their speciality. The Silver Spectre is custom-bodied from the A-pillars rearward. The roof is constructed from a single piece of carbon-fiber composite. The elongated custom side glass is accentuated with silver trim. The bustle-back liftgate is claimed to take its inspiration from "Anglian limousines of the 1950s and 1960s" and features inset glass. The sculpted forms are set off by the deeply metallic brown paint, which has nearly the level of metal flake used in bass boats. Inside, there are individual rear seats, and the available fiber-optic starlight headliner extends fully rearward. The leather-lined rear compartment is the perfect perch for the most pampered pooch — purebred Corgis, perhaps? Under the hood, the 6.6-liter V12 is massaged to deliver 700 horsepower (up from 624) and 664 pound-feet of torque (compared to 605). Each Silver Spectre will be individually kitted out with a unique exterior paint treatment (single color or two-tone), leather or silk upholstery, and a special custom interior element specific to that vehicle (such as a matching picnic hamper). If you like what you see, best get your order in soon, since only seven will be built. Related Video: