Specter supercoupe will be more expensive than Cullinan, but cheaper than Phantom
Rolls-Royce has unveiled its first electric car. The Specter coupe received a power plant with a capacity of 585 horsepower, unique for the class 23-inch wheels and a traction battery integrated into the chassis, which allows you to drive up to 520 kilometers without recharging. Also debuting on the Specter is the Decentralized Intelligence electronic architecture, which provides direct data exchange between all vehicle functions, and the SPIRIT digital architecture with full support for the Whispers proprietary application.
Like the Cullinan, the two-door Specter doesn’t fit into any existing segment. The first electric Rolls-Royce has its own class of “ultra-luxury electric supercoupes” that simply doesn’t have any other players. In fact, we have before us the spiritual heir to the Phantom Coupé and at the same time a replacement for the Wraith fastback . In length (more than 5.4 meters), the Specter is inferior to the standard, non-long-wheelbase Ghost, but is 7 centimeters superior to the Cadillac Escalade .
It is already known that the Specter will fall in the gap between Cullinan and Phantom in terms of price. Orders are accepted from today, but deliveries must be expected until the fourth quarter of 2023.
At the heart of the Specter is the Architecture of Luxury platform, with sophisticated extruded aluminum profiles and an integrated traction battery. The power structure here is 30 percent stiffer than on any other Rolls-Royce. The battery is installed flush with the bottom, and a special channel is made above it for cables and pipelines of the climate control system. The battery on the Specter not only powers the electric motors, but also acts as a 700-pound sound-insulating “pad” between the road and the passenger compartment.
The Specter debuted a new “Decentralized Intelligence” electronic architecture that enables direct and free communication between all vehicle functions. The number of on-board electronics subfunctions, compared with the same Phantom, has increased 35 times; an electric car has five kilometers more wiring and 25 times more lines of code. Each of the 141,200 variables that affect mechatronics has received several sub-variables and a special control element – all this should provide an unprecedented level of comfort and safety.
The Specter drag coefficient is 0.25. Not only the shape of the body has been optimized, but also the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine and the grille – by the way, the widest in the history of Rolls-Royce. The two-tiered optics are a nod to the original Phantom Coupé and showcase the brand’s new signature style at the same time. There are 22 LEDs under the top edge of the grill, two more than the Ghost. With their help, the so-called effect of discreet radiance is achieved. For the first time in nearly a century, a production coupe has 23-inch wheels.
The electric car is equipped with a Planar suspension with new hardware and 18 sensors to control the car in corners. The fundamental difference from the Ghost is the openable anti-roll bars. The control system receives data from the navigation. On bumps, the electronics open the stabilizers for a comfortable ride, and close them before corners, increase the stiffness of the shock absorbers and alert the rear wheel thruster, increasing grip and stability.
Salon innovations include Starlight Doors with 4,796 fiber optic light guides and Specter lettering on the front panel, surrounded by a cluster of more than 5,500 “stars”. The multimedia of the electric car is controlled by the SPIRIT digital architecture. It supports tight integration with the Whispers branded application and gives access to virtual personalization (for example, you can change the color of instrument scales).
Mass Specter – 2975 kilograms. The power of the power plant is 430 kilowatts (585 hp) and 900 Nm of torque. These figures are not final and will be updated in the second quarter of 2023. From standstill to a hundred, the electric supercoupe accelerates in 4.5 seconds (Ghost – 4.8 s, Phantom – 5.3 s), the cruising range is 520 kilometers on the WLTP cycle.
If for many brands the transition to electric drive meant breaking the foundations, then in the case of Rolls-Royce, the opposite is true: technology has now come into the best alignment with the philosophy of driving cars from Goodwood. The main characteristic of Rolls-Royce driving, including dynamics, is effortless, “requiring no effort”. Also, the course of Rolls-Royces is compared with flying on a flying carpet (officially – magic carpet ride).
In the case of a gasoline Rolls-Royce, the best way to make sure that the engine is running is to look at the instruments, since in the cabin it is not felt at all. It is the invisibility of the internal combustion engine – the reason why only V12 engines are recognized in Goodwood – two in-line blocks of 6 cylinders are ideally balanced kinematically and provide the most delicate work. After all, almost any power in the presence of a turbocharger can be easily removed from the V8, as, for example, on the Lamborghini Urus or the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S. Now, under the hood of the Specter, there are no cylinders, balance shafts and turbines at all.
For Rolls-Royce, the transition to electric propulsion seems to be the most natural step in the gradual replacement of today’s lineup. At the same time, the possibility itself was studied for a long time: an electric prototype 102 EX based on the Phantom VII was sent on a round-the-world tour in 2011 to introduce about five hundred customers to the car. Not everyone was ready for an electric car then, and yet the experimental model helped set the stage even before the transition to electric traction began to be forced by EU and UK legislation. By 2030, the entire Rolls-Royce range will be electrified.
Rolls-Royce admits that the Architecture of Luxury platform, first declassified five years ago, was originally designed with electric propulsion in mind. At the same time, the transition to electric traction was prepared with great care. Spectra’s test program is reported to have covered 2.5 million kilometers. At the same time, the geography of the tests varied from the Swedish Arctic and 40-degree frost to South Africa and 55-degree heat.
