Rolls-Royce unveils new images and information about its future electric coupe called Spectre. The car’s development program took it to the frozen tracks of northern Sweden.
With the end of winter comes that of the development tests on the grounds of Arjeplog, in the north of Sweden, used by many manufacturers to develop their future models. This is particularly the case for Rolls-Royce, which has just completed a test program there for its first 100% model called Spectre. On this occasion, the British manufacturer reveals some new information about the car.
An XXL electric coupe
The Rolls-Royce Specter is a coupé. The Goodwood firm presents it as the heir to the Phantom Coupé of the 2010s which was 5.61 m long, and qualifies it as an Electric Super Coupé. The Specter features a traditional “fastback” silhouette and incorporates the two-part front lights dear to the brand. It is based on the architecture of the latest Phantom, Cullinan and Ghost and its electrification represents a development phase of the firm called Rolls-Royce 3.0. Stage 1.0 was the installation of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood in 2003 following the acquisition by BMW; evolution 2.0 was the introduction of said platform according to the manufacturer.
The development of the Specter indeed marks the entry of Rolls-Royce into a new era. The car has 7 km of cables against 2 km on board current models25 times more algorithms, and 141,200 transmitter-receiver connections for all of its 1,000 functions compared to 51,000 connections and 456 functions in the last Phantom.
Rolls-Royce reinvents itself
Still refraining from revealing the technical characteristics of the Spectre, Rolls-Royce announces that its 700 kg battery contributes to the soundproofing of the passenger compartment. The capacity of the accumulator looks very high, but so does the weight of the car; its autonomy has not yet been announced. Rolls-Royce nevertheless mentions a good aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.26 on the first prototypes.
After these tests at 55 km from the Arctic Circle in temperatures that can drop to -40°C, the said prototypes have accumulated some 500,000 kilometers to date, or 25% of the planned program. The delivery of the first copies is announced for the fourth quarter of 2023. By 2030, Rolls-Royce will stop offering thermal engine vehicles to become a “zero emission” brand, like its historic competitor Bentley.
