Rolls-Royce Spectre Review

"The Rolls-Royce that changes everything."

For a brand that tends towards hyperbole, even that statement seems a stretch.

The new Rolls-Royce Spectre is the brand's first all-electric model, and its significance is magnified because it's the first of what will be the brand's future. Having committed to making electric-only models from 2030, this electric vision of ultra luxury will define the Rolls-Royce brand as it moves forward.

Stately and distinctive, the Spectre has an unmissable Rolls-Royce aesthetic to it that gives it commanding road presence

Grandeur

To be fair, no one is going to mistake the Spectre for anything other than a Rolls-Royce.

There are immediately recognisable Rolls-Royce design elements, like the Pantheon grille, Spirit of Ecstasy, and the stark, monolithic surfaces that's more yacht than car. A statement on wheels, no two ways about it.

Immediately recognisable elements like the Pantheon grille and Spirit of Ecstasy are hallmarks of the brand

And it is huge (as every Rolls-Royce inevitably is). Measuring almost 5.5m long, the Spectre has undeniable physical presence. It also rides on massive 23-inch wheels, which is a first for the brand.

I don't know if beautiful is quite the right way to describe the Spectre, but it is undoubtedly stately - it's impressive to look at, and draws visual attention everywhere you go.

The power-assisted coach door on the driver's side can be closed by simply stepping on the brake pedal

Splendour

Open the signature coach doors, and you are greeted by sheer opulence. (You can almost hear an angelic “aahhh” echoing in your head.)

There are maybe hints of the brand's BMW parentage (the infotainment interface is functionally similar to what you'd find in a 7 Series, but the graphics are different), but otherwise this is a truly bespoke space.

Bespoke is also what Rolls-Royce calls its customisation program, and that gives you access to an almost-infinite number of choices when it comes to colours, materials, patterns, designs, even equipment. You can spend a worrying amount of time on the configurator, and the fact that you can customise the umbrella handle and bead colour speaks to the extent that you can go.

The Starlight Doors incorporate 4,796 illuminated 'stars'

The illuminated Fascia has over 5,500 stars surround the Spectre nameplate

It could be ostentatious and strident with its obvious expensiveness, but in fact the opposite happens. When you sit inside the car, it is calming and soothing. This could be due to the relatively subtle design choices on this test car (mostly dark tones with contrasting mandarin trim, piano black veneer; on the configurator I managed to create some rather gaudy combinations), but it is also because of the way it's executed. There's a seamlessness and almost effortless way that things come together, which demonstrate the sheer quality of craftsmanship that has gone into producing this car.  

Take the Starlight Doors for example, which now extend the starry sky effect from the Starlight Headliner down to the doors as well. There are 4,796 illuminated 'stars' - a number that sound great on marketing materials, but in person the effect is much more singular and cohesive. It doesn't draw unnecessary attention to itself, while still imbuing the cabin with an added level of classiness. The 'shooting star' effect that fires randomly every 30 seconds across the roof liner is yet another touch of class and luxury.

There's clearly precision to detail everywhere you look, but it has all been composed in a way that doesn't draw specific attention to individual parts. The result is harmonious, and thus pleasing. 

The physical controls all have a great tactility to them

The cabin exudes luxury and class everywhere you look and touch

This is purposeful, of course. Rolls-Royce has a particular approach to luxury, and it shows. Where other brands might give you a barrage of ambient lighting choices, in the Spectre you can choose between two shades of white. Where other brands might offer different view modes for the digital dash, in the Spectre it's fixed in its three-dial configuration. 

And all things considered, it's also a rather traditional cabin with plenty of physical controls, all of which are operated with delightful tactility. In fact, I suspect most people wouldn't be able to tell that the Spectre is an EV simply by sitting in the car. There are no obvious 'EV' badges or buttons. 

And while the Spectre may be positioned as a model more for driving than being chauffeured in, passengers are still generously accounted for. The two rear seats still have ample amounts of room, helped by the 3,210mm wheelbase, and remain absolutely comfortable and lush.

The unmatched on-road comfort of a Rolls-Royce is elevated in the Spectre through electrification - quieter, smoother, more refinement

Exaltation

With its driving experience, Rolls-Royce wants to deliver "instant torque, silent running and the sense of one imperceptible gear". And in this regard, electrification is the ideal solution. Torque is instant, the car is eerily quiet, and there are no gears to shift. 

420kW and 900Nm of torque means that this 2.9 tonne behemoth is hauled along easily enough. Power delivery is smooth and measured, punchy but never aggressive. Plant your right foot down and the car could do a 4.5 second century sprint, but that's a bit unbecoming of a Rolls-Royce driver, no?

You drive a Rolls-Royce with a gentility and lightness. The car's planar suspension system prioritises wafting over tarmac, resulting in a deliciously supple ride that the brand calls 'magic carpet ride'. The result is one of the most comfortable experiences you can have in an automobile. 

The steering is very light, and coupled with four-wheel steering helps to disguise the size of the car

And the car is actually quite easy to drive, once you get over the fact that it's a VERY EXPENSIVE car. The steering is very light, which helps disguise the weight of the car. It's wide but not painfully so, which means you can comfortably thread it through most of traffic. Four-wheel steering also helps reduce the turning circle at low speeds - I even ventured into a few multi-story HDB carparks and wasn't too panicky about it.

The Spectre is also incredibly quiet on the move. I even found myself speaking in slightly hushed tones to the other passengers on board - might be something to do with the regal nature of the car. This serenity comes to define the Spectre experience - sheathed in this shell of maximum luxury, you can almost start to forget about the world outside the Spectre's two doors. 

The Spectre has plenty of performance on tap, but it is best enjoyed when driven gently 

The Spectre has a quoted range of 530km, which isn't spectacular given the huge 102kWh battery. But who cares. The brand says a typical owner drives a Rolls-Royce an average of 5,100km a year, and "have an average of more than seven cars in their garage to choose from", so range is quite literally the least significant consideration for a Spectre buyer. The DC maximum charging rate of 195kW is also not the fastest, but again who cares. Certainly not a Spectre owner. 

Rolls-Royce has also taken a simple approach to the driving experience. Unlike modern EVs that give you so many choices and options, there are no driving modes or a slew adjustable settings in the Spectre. The 'B' button on the gear stalk lets you toggle to a higher regeneration mode, you can toggle on/off the 'Rolls-Royce sound', and that's basically it. And the rationale is clear: there is just one "driving mode" in a Rolls-Royce, and that's effectively the "Rolls-Royce mode".

Glorious

It's easy to slip into cliché when talking about a Rolls-Royce - the brand, and the cars, do that to you. (This is also the brand that uses phrases/words like "audacious promise", "monumental technical undertaking" and "epochal" in its press releases, so it's something the brand does lean into.)

And let's be clear: Rolls-Royces are for the few. The very few. And the Spectre will surely delight those who demand that Rolls-Royce luxury, cost be damned.

Driving the Spectre, I do find myself bathed in that Rolls-Royce glow of luxury. Looking back at this story, I've also likely used more effusive adjectives than usual (look, another one).

But a Rolls-Royce, and certainly this Spectre, has that effect on you. That should not take away from the technical success that is the Spectre - as an EV, it is very accomplished. It's not flawless (range could be better, charging speed maybe a bit higher), but it does everything it needs to, and does it all very, very well.

The Spectre elevates the Rolls-Royce experience, while still retaining an authentic feeling of luxury, quality and class

And more relevantly, it delivers a definitive Rolls-Royce experience. No, in fact I think it elevates the Rolls-Royce experience. It is spectacular, while authentic all the same. Electrification may not yet be the solution for every car owner, but in this ultra luxe space, I think it fully works. You get all the upside of electrification (performance, smoothness, quietness), without having to worry about the typical 'downsides' (I doubt a Spectre owner has to worry about finding a charging station; someone else is employed to do that, probably).

Does it change everything? Perhaps the mode of propulsion has fundamentally changed by going electric, but in a broader sense in fact nothing has changed. This Spectre is everything you want a Rolls-Royce to be - sculptural design, lush interior, impeccably comfortable on the trot, and the ultimate expression of luxury on four wheels. It just does it better.

And so the electric Rolls-Royce future, as heralded in by this Spectre, will be different, but in so many ways it's going to be very much the same.