A new addition to Rolls-Royce's lineup doesn’t happen very often, and the Spectre is the first product from Goodwood to drop the combustion engine. Ahead of the company's switch to a pure electric lineup in 2030, the coupe will signal RR's zero-emission ambitions and the gradual demise of its iconic V12 engine. Despite debuting today, customer deliveries won't start until the fourth quarter of 2023, so one-percenters are in for a long wait.
What are they going to get? The most luxurious EV in the world, probably. Few tidbits have been disclosed by the BMW-owned marque in the lead-up to today's reveal, such as a drag coefficient of only 0.25. Even the Spirit of Ecstasy statuette had to be gently modified to become more slippery as part of a greater effort to maximize efficiency. The Spectre will ride on 23-inch wheels, thus making it the first coupe since the Bugatti Royale from 1926 to feature such large alloys from the factory.
Rolls-Royce Spectre EV New Spy Photos
A large EV needs a big and heavy battery, so we weren't surprised when Rolls-Royce announced the pack is going to weigh 700 kg (over 1,500 lbs). Aside from providing juice to the electric motors, the battery will also double as sound deadening thanks to some clever engineering. Located between the roof of the battery and the floor will be wiring and piping channels.
Spectre won't serve as an electric replacement for the Wraith, but rather as a spiritual successor of the Phantom Coupe. It's set to receive the largest coach doors ever seen in a RR, measuring almost one and a half meters (about 59 inches). The opulent EV is based on the Architecture of Luxury, a modular aluminum spaceframe adapted from the latest Phantom, Ghost, and Cullinan. Although the oily bits have been removed, the electrical system is much more complex and there are no fewer than 7,000 meters of cabling.
The Spectre will represent the pinnacle of EV engineering within the BMW Group and the conglomerate's first coupe to lose the ICE.
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