• Rolls-Royce presents Spectre Bailey – an enchanting one-of-one commission inspired by the clients’ beloved pet
• Features lifelike marquetry, depicting Bailey’s portrait on the rear Waterfall and comprising more than 180 pieces of veneer
• Bailey's paw print presented in marquetry on the passenger panel and Coachline motif
• Created for longstanding Rolls-Royce clients based in the United States
• Curated through Private Office New York, an invitation-only space for Bespoke commissioning

“We are lifelong car enthusiasts, yes, but we are also lifelong animal lovers, and our dog Bailey is a cherished member of our family. When we started our Rolls-Royce Spectre commission, we saw the opportunity to create something beautiful which would remind us of him for decades to come. Working with the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective, we were surprised at every turn with their wonderful ideas – the wood inlay, or the paw prints on the sill – which added so much to the experience. Spectre Bailey is everything we hoped for and more; it’s a joyful tribute to our loyal companion.”
Commissioning Clients, Rolls-Royce Spectre Bailey

“For Rolls-Royce, one of the great joys of a Bespoke commission is becoming immersed in the client’s world and the unique story behind their vision. This is perfectly captured by Spectre Bailey, a charming commission that reaffirms that inspiration can come from anywhere. Our team was absolutely delighted to collaborate with our long-standing clients to bring this concept to life in a playful yet timeless manner, reflecting the special place Bailey holds in their hearts.”
Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars introduces Spectre Bailey, a charming tribute to the commissioning clients’ beloved dog, a Labrador-Golden Retriever mix, and the joyful life they share. Created for a long-standing Rolls-Royce client couple based in the United States, Spectre Bailey demonstrates the power of Bespoke in creating a truly memorable motor car with enduring personal meaning.


BESPOKE PAINT FOR SPECTRE BAILEY: A COAT OF CHARACTER

For Spectre Bailey, paint specialists at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood developed an iridescent two-tone finish, combining paint colours reserved exclusively for the commissioning clients. The main body is finished in Crystal Fusion over Beautiful Bailey, a hue inspired by the soft fur on Bailey’s ear; the upper section gleams in Crystal Fusion, a dynamic, iridescent finish that shifts subtly with the light. The shoulder Coachline features an exact reproduction of Bailey’s paw print, hand-painted in Rose Gold to match the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine.


INTERIOR SUITE: UNIQUE FROM NOSE TO TAIL

The interior of Spectre Bailey is presented in Moccasin and Crème Light leather, beautifully complemented by Dark Spice and Casden Tan accents, reminiscent of Bailey’s fur colour. The wood surfaces are finished in High Gloss Royal Walnut veneer.

The centrepiece of the interior is a lifelike marquetry portrait of Bailey, positioned on the Waterfall between the rear seats. The intricate composition took more than four months to complete and comprises more than 180 pieces of veneer. To capture the warmth and texture of Bailey’s coat, the artisan explored a rich spectrum of natural veneers, experimenting with grain direction, tone, and texture. Each sheet was chosen for its natural hue and pattern, with no staining or artificial treatment. Bailey’s tongue alone was crafted using four veneers never previously employed by Rolls-Royce – Purple Heart, Tulipwood, Louro Faia, and Pear – selected for their subtle colour variations. In total, nine veneers were used, representing 22 natural shades, to create a portrait of remarkable warmth and realism.

On the passenger side of the dashboard, a smaller marquetry motif offers another tribute to Bailey, depicting a precise recreation of his paw print. This design also appears as an engraving on the surround of the Bespoke Rose Gold treadplates on the door sills, revealed in a moment of quiet delight when the doors are opened.


SPECTRE BAILEY: A LASTING TRIBUTE TO A LOYAL FRIEND

Spectre Bailey is a joyful expression of devotion, handcrafted with precision, quiet whimsy and affection. It’s a motor car that celebrates a beloved companion, and the boundless possibilities of Bespoke.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents Spectre Inspired by Primavera
• A Bespoke series inspired by the transient beauty of springtime
• Includes three expressions celebrating different aspects of the season
• Features Blackwood interior panels, engraved with a cherry blossom motif
• Delicate hand-painted floral coachline motif
• New 23-inch wheel design, inspired by a flower in bloom

“Spring is a moment of celebration in cultures around the world. It is associated with youth and romance, the return of light and warmth after the darkness of winter. Its joyous transformation is swift and fleeting, which makes it all the more precious. In Spectre Inspired by Primavera, we captured the emotions this moment brings for clients to enjoy all year round. There is a wonderful contrast at the heart of this Bespoke series: the transience of the season, expressed through the permanence of a Rolls-Royce. Spectre Inspired by Primavera reflects the constant evolution of Rolls-Royce Bespoke, which is shaped by the ever-changing imaginations of our clients.”

Martina Starke, Head of Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to announce Spectre Inspired by Primavera, a poetic exploration of spring expressed through a series of highly Bespoke motor cars. Named after the Italian word for spring, Spectre Inspired by Primavera features carefully curated Bespoke details that evoke the feeling of the season: delicate, uplifting, and alive with promise.

The Spectre Inspired by Primavera Bespoke series includes three distinct expressions –Evanescent, Reverie and Blossom. Each offers a different interpretation of the season, available to commission until the beginning of next year, with deliveries commencing ahead of spring 2026.


SPECTRE INSPIRED BY PRIMAVERA: A POETIC EXPRESSION OF THE SEASON

Presented in three different colourways, each motor car features a cherry blossom motif – an evocative emblem of spring. These floral elements were individually hand-sketched by a Rolls‑Royce Bespoke designer before being digitised and translated into exterior and interior features.

On the exterior, each motor car is distinguished by a hand-painted Coachline motif depicting a cherry branch in bloom. A new, intricate 23-inch alloy wheel design also debuts for this series, evoking a flower in bloom. Its directional form reminds petals gradually opening to meet the spring light – a subtle reference to nature’s vitality.

Cherry blossom continues inside: on the Illuminated Treadplates, which also bear the Spectre Inspired by Primavera name, and on the headrests, where a sculptural, silhouette-based stitch embroidery technique captures the appearance of petals.

The highlight of each motor car is a uniquely tactile detail: a Blackwood fascia and centre console etched with an expansive, blossoming cherry bough motif. This effect was achieved by experimenting with 37 different laser densities to create a balanced contrast against the polished wood surface, followed by the development of a special sanding process that preserves the detail without diminishing the finish.

Inspired by springtime’s changing constellations in the Northern Hemisphere, bringing the bright stars in Boötes, Leo and Virgo – known collectively as the ‘Spring Triangle’ – into view, each motor car features Starlight Doors, which include 4,796 hand-placed illuminations, and an Illuminated Fascia, depicting an abstract constellation of more than 5,500 individual ‘stars’ alongside the Spectre wordmark.


EVANESCENT: LUMINOUS BEAUTY

The ephemeral nature of spring and its beauty give Spectre Inspired by Primavera ‘Evanescent’ its name. The motor car’s design draws from the unruly beauty of wildflowers, which fill the fields, woods and hedgerows with their vibrant colours and myriad forms.

The motor car’s Crystal over Arctic White finish is complemented by a coachline, cherry blossom motif, pinstripe wheel centres and brake callipers in Turchese – a vivid accent that continues inside, paired with Grace White leather. A fine line of piping in Chartreuse adds a flash of contrast.


REVERIE: NATURE'S AWAKENING

Spectre Inspired by Primavera ‘Reverie’ explores the spiritual significance of spring, with its connections to new beginnings, vitality and a reawakening. In keeping with its name, this serene interpretation of Spectre cocoons its occupants in a dream-like atmosphere of absolute peace and serenity.

The exterior is finished in Duck Egg Blue with a Coachline and cherry blossom motif hand-painted in Forge Yellow to match the brake callipers and pinstripe wheel centres. The interior is a study in purity, combining Grace White and Charles Blue leather with vibrant Forge Yellow accents.


BLOSSOM: SEASON'S RENEWAL

Spring is a season of fleeting brilliance – a dazzling moment between dormancy and full bloom, when nature briefly reveals its most vivid and delicate forms.

Spectre Inspired by Primavera ‘Blossom’ captures this spirit through its Velvet Orchid Metallic exterior, a deep, expressive colour that evokes the richness and rarity of early spring blooms. A shoulder Coachline and floral motif, alongside brake callipers and pinstripe wheel centres in Forge Yellow, introduce graceful flashes of sunlight and energy.

Inside, the cabin pairs Grace White leather with rich Peony Pink accents, while Forge Yellow piping brings a final flourish of seasonal vibrancy.

Spectre Inspired by Primavera is a tribute to spring’s fleeting beauty and the emotions it evokes: preserved forever in the permanence of a Rolls-Royce commission.

• Rolls-Royce presents Spectre Soulmate, a unique commission honouring a couple’s life journey
• Air vents engraved with significant dates marking key moments in couple’s life story
• Bespoke Starlight Headliner replicates the night sky as it was on the day their journey began
• Illuminated treadplates bear the couple’s names, celebrating their shared legacy
• Finished in a striking two-tone exterior, selected by their daughter

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveils Spectre Soulmate, a deeply personal Bespoke motor car that embodies the love, achievements, and shared journey of its commissioning couple.

Spectre Soulmate was designed to reflect the symbolism woven into the couple’s life and shared story. These details are referenced with an elegant blend of expressive statements and subtle references, discernible only to the commissioning couple.

The clients’ story is remarkable: they were born in the same hospital just three days apart – a serendipitous beginning to a lifelong bond. The special date, marking the beginning of their life journey together, is engraved on the air vent on the driver’s side. The passenger-side air vent is inscribed with the commission date and coordinates of the Home of Rolls‑Royce at Goodwood, England.

A Bespoke Starlight Headliner depicts the night sky as it appeared over Kuala Lumpur on the day their life story began, with running-stitch embroidery highlighting each constellation. Further celebrating their partnership, illuminated treadplates bear the couple’s names — his on the driver’s side, hers on the passenger’s.

The exterior of Spectre Soulmate is presented in a two-tone Dark Emerald finish, with an upper section in Black, accented by a single hand-painted Seashell coachline — a colour combination selected by the couple’s daughter, adding another layer of personal significance.

For the commissioning client, this commission marks the realisation of an ambition held for 45 years. Their admiration for Rolls-Royce began at the age of 10, when they exchanged letters with the marque’s Chief Executive — an early connection that ultimately led them to become a client of the brand.

Spectre Soulmate is a testament to the timeless nature of true partnership and the power of Bespoke to capture life’s most meaningful moments.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announces the one-of-one Spectre Lunaflair
• Inspired by a lunar halo, where light refracts through ice particles in cirrus clouds
• Effect creates a brilliant, ethereal technicolour ring around the moon
• Bespoke holographic paint captures this phenomenon for one-off motor car
• Creating Lunaflair paint required one year of development
• Bespoke paint reserved exclusively for the commissioning client

 
“We are constantly astounded by the diversity of ideas that inform our clients’ Bespoke concepts, which frequently draw inspiration from materials, finishes and themes they see in other commissions. Spectre Lunaflair is the perfect example of this, exploring the ethereal beauty of a lunar halo and sparked by the client after witnessing a paint finish on another Bespoke motor car. This symbiotic relationship and cross-pollination of ideas is fostering a ‘virtuous circle’ of innovation and creativity, which is incredibly important to our team of Bespoke designers, as we focus on delivering unparalleled value to those who entrust us with their vision.”
Martina Starke, Head of Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unveiled the breathtaking Spectre Lunaflair – a Bespoke commission undertaken on behalf of a significant client from the United States. The extraordinary and exquisite highlight of this landmark motor car is the remarkable holographic paint finish that creates a captivating ‘rainbow’ effect.

The commission takes its inspiration and name from the optical phenomenon of a lunar halo, which appears as a colourful circle of light around the moon. It is caused by moonlight passing through ice crystals in high-altitude cirrus clouds, which act as microscopic prisms: the light refracts creating a spellbinding technicolour ring effect, similar to light passing through a diamond.

Capturing this phenomenon in a Bespoke paint finish required more than one year of experimentation. The paint chemistry, application timings, and base coat were extensively trialled in order to meet the client’s concept. The final finish is achieved by applying seven layers of lacquer, including a specially formulated pearlescent coat, infused with fine flakes of magnesium fluoride and aluminium. This creates a deep metallic effect under low light that bursts into rainbow technicolour in bright sunshine.

The Spectre Lunaflair concept was partially inspired by another Bespoke masterpiece, the one-of-one Phantom Syntopia. Revealed in 2023, it features a dark iridescent Liquid Noir finish, infused with colour-shifting, mirror-like pigment. Captivated by Phantom Syntopia’s appearance, the commissioning patron asked the Bespoke Collective to create a light and luminous expression of this concept that reflected their fascination with the lunar halo phenomenon.

This cross-pollination of ideas, where a previous commission directly informs and inspires a completely new concept and story, speaks to the power of Bespoke. For the marque’s Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople, this virtuous creative circle and interconnection of ideas constantly provides new opportunities for the advancement of their art.

Spectre Lunaflair’s dramatic coachwork is complemented by a fully Bespoke interior. It includes Navy Blue, White, and Peony Pink tones, recalling the spectrum of hues that can be witnessed during a lunar halo. The colour scheme appears on the seats, doors and the Starlight Headliner. This theme is also carried onto the dual-tone steering wheel, with a Navy Blue outer and an Arctic White inner side.

Only one Spectre Lunaflair will ever be produced. The unique Lunaflair paint finish is reserved exclusively for the commissioning patron.

• Rolls-Royce Spectre Semaphore reflects new codes of luxury among marque’s bold, youthful clients
• Bespoke Semaphore Yellow paint inspired by informal elegance of coastal California
• Dramatic ‘Marbled Paint Spill’ bonnet took 160 hours of development
• Bespoke digital instrument dials match vivid yellow colourway
• High-gloss Cashmere Grey wood set incorporates a subtle metallic finish
• Debut on Friday 16 August at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, at Monterey Car Week 2024
• Only one Spectre Semaphore to be built globally

 
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveils Spectre Semaphore, a Bespoke one-of-one commission that will make its global debut at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, on 16 August, during the 2024 Monterey Car Week in California. This highly Bespoke expression of Rolls-Royce Spectre captures the bold new codes of luxury being established by the marque’s confident, youthful client base.

The exterior coachwork is finished in Bespoke Semaphore Yellow – the colour from which this commission takes its name. This solid hue is further elevated with a unique artwork on the bonnet, inspired by the informal elegance of coastal California. Named ‘Marbled Paint Spill’, the graphic is an abstract tribute to the Golden State and its diverse environment. From the sunshine of Southern California to the eastern silver mountain tops, the Bespoke artisans have brought this inspiration to reality.

To create this motif, Rolls-Royce craftspeople applied silver lacquer and multiple layers of clearcoat for a seamless finish. The bonnet alone is the product of over 160 hours of design, development and production.

The bright yellow colourway extends into the motor car’s interior. A combination of Bespoke Lemon Yellow and Citrine Yellow is used across the seats, Starlight doors and above the instrument panel. It blends into the contrasting Grace White and Slate Grey hues with Lemon Yellow stitching. The marque’s designers also leveraged the digital Bespoke potential offered by the SPIRIT operating system by complementing the dials to the motor car’s yellow colourway.

Spectre Semaphore maximises the interior suite’s contemporary design with a clean, high-polish Bespoke painted wood set. Coloured to match the grey material accents, the Cashmere Grey paint is infused with silver mica flakes, which creates a vivacious sparkle under direct light.

Only one Rolls-Royce Spectre Semaphore will be built. It will be displayed on 16 August at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, as part of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ presence at Monterey Car Week 2024.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London celebrates the beginning of the sporting summer season, by serving a gentle presence at The Hurlingham Club
• Rolls-Royce Spectre makes its debut on the Hurlingham lawns, accompanied by other exquisite Bespoke Rolls-Royce masterpieces
• Clients, media and friends of the brand are invited to enjoy a delightful experience with the marque

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is fortunate to have personal relationships with its clients around the world, and an intimate understanding of the unique and remarkable world in which its patrons live. It is therefore fitting that the marque serves a gentle presence at some of the world’s most luxurious locations and events, where existing owners and those wishing to learn more about the brand can enjoy the Rolls-Royce experience in a different, yet highly appropriate setting.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London kicks off the summer sporting season by inviting patrons to enjoy one of the most sought-after highlights in the sporting summer season: a day at The Hurlingham Club Tennis Classic. Speaking on the eve of the event, Claus Andersen, Brand Director of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, said, “Crafting and delivering unforgettable experiences is a cornerstone of our commitment to clients. Hosting patrons and media at The Hurlingham Club is just one of the many highly personal encounters and memorable experiences we offer, and is indicative of the marque’s unique approach to connecting with its audience.”
Claus Andersen, Brand Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London

Since its opening in 1869, The Hurlingham Club, with its croquet and tennis lawns, and beautifully manicured gardens, has been a sought-after destination, renowned for its sporting prestige, lifestyle events and social occasions. Located on the River Thames, only a few miles away from the marque’s flagship showroom in the heart of Mayfair, The Hurlingham Club, is a glorious place to meet old friends and new.

Rolls-Royce Spectre, the marque’s ultra-luxury all-electric super coupé, will be making its debut at the event, accompanied by an exquisite collection of other Rolls-Royce motor cars which showcase just some of the marque’s legendary Bespoke possibilities.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars joins the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club (RREC) for its Annual Rally and Concours d’Elegance at Burghley House, Lincolnshire, on 21-23 June 2024
• Examples from the full Goodwood portfolio – Phantom, Ghost, Cullinan and Spectre – will be on display
• Rolls-Royce’s presence at the world’s largest gathering of enthusiasts and historic Rolls-Royce motor cars reaffirms the close and friendly ties between the two organisations as the marque celebrates its 120th anniversary
  
  

“We’re delighted to support the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club's Annual Rally again this year – especially as we celebrate the 120th anniversary of the marque in 2024. We’ve always enjoyed working with the RREC, whose knowledge and love of historic Rolls-Royce motor cars is unparalleled. They are crucial custodians of the marque’s rich heritage, which continues to inform and inspire so much of what we do at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood today. We’ll also be displaying beautiful examples of our contemporary Bespoke craft, underlining the continuity between the motor cars designed and built by Henry Royce himself, and those we’re creating for today’s clients.”

Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations and Heritage, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

In the year the marque celebrates its 120th Anniversary, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars joins the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club (RREC) for its Annual Rally and Concours d'Elegance at Burghley House, Lincolnshire, on 21-23 June 2024.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a regular guest at the event, which is the largest annual gathering of historic Rolls-Royce motor cars, their owners and admirers anywhere in the world, and is regarded as one of the most glamorous and spectacular in the entire motoring calendar. Hundreds of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars will be on display in front of Burghley House, one of the finest stately homes in Britain, which dates from the 16th Century.

Amid all the historic motor cars spanning more than a century, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will present Bespoke examples from all the model families being designed and hand-built at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood: Phantom, Spectre, Ghost and Cullinan. Spectre, the first-ever Rolls-Royce with an all-electric drivetrain, is expected to be of particular interest – as it is the motor car which fulfils The Hon. Charles Rolls’ prophecy of an electric future for the motor car, when he said in 1900, “The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.”  The full line-up of current Rolls-Royce motor cars on show at the RREC rally includes:

PHANTOM
The marque presents its pinnacle product in Sapphire Gunmetal, complemented with a single Coachline and wheel-centre pinstripes on the 22" Forged Black Painted Disc wheels hand-painted in Peony Pink. The interior is trimmed in Navy Blue primary and Peony Pink secondary leathers, with Piano White veneer and Navy Blue carpets. The Starlight Headliner includes the animated ‘shooting star’ feature, in which lines of fibre optic ‘stars’ light up sequentially to create the effect of a meteor crossing the night sky.

GHOST
For Ghost, the design team has selected a Bespoke Verde Ermes exterior finish with no Coachline: the interior is trimmed in Tan leather with Havana as the secondary colour, complemented with Dark Amber veneer and Dark Spice carpets and foot-mats. Ghost is also equipped with the ‘shooting star’ Starlight Headliner, which is an increasingly popular Bespoke option.

CULLINAN
The ‘Rolls-Royce of SUVs’ is finished in Monteverde and fitted with a panoramic glass sunroof. The interior is composed of Seashell primary and Tan secondary leathers, with contrasting Black carpets and foot-mats. The main veneer is Open Pore Calamander; the door linings and headrests are embossed with the ‘double R’ logo. The Lounge Seat configuration is designed to allow three passengers to travel comfortably in the rear cabin.

SPECTRE
Spectre’s two-tone exterior pairs Morganite for the lower section with the upper contrast section in Gunmetal. The Illuminated Grille and up-lit Spirit of Ecstasy mascot are in keeping with the motor car’s all-electric powertrain. The striking and complex interior palette is composed of Grace White primary leather; the Ardent Red secondary colour also extends to the carpets, while the seat piping is in Peony Pink. The veneer is open-pore Tudor Oak with Canadel door linings.

Founded in 1957, the RREC is the international club for Rolls-Royce enthusiasts, owners and anyone with a genuine interest in the life and works of Sir Henry Royce, The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls and their distinguished colleagues and successors, who created ‘the best car in the world’. It has around 7,500 members in 60 different countries; at its global headquarters, The Hunt House in Paulerspury, Northamptonshire, it maintains a vehicle archive, museum and workshop for technical seminars.

• Rolls-Royce unveils ‘Spirit of Expression’ Bespoke commissions of Ghost Extended, Phantom Extended and Spectre ahead of Auto China 2024 debut in Beijing
• Global creative collaboration between Goodwood-based designers and the Private Office Shanghai Bespoke designer
• Exterior colourways inspired by flora and scenery of remarkable global destinations frequented by Chinese clients
• Reflects China’s standing as one of the key markets for Rolls-Royce and the marque’s ongoing commitment to the region

“These unique motor cars have been designed and crafted for our clients in China, who see the world as their home and rightfully demand super-luxury products that reflect their personal tastes through finishes, materials and contemporary crafts. Each Spirit of Expression commission tells its own story, inspired by locations around the world that resonate with our clients in the region — from the beaches of Sicily to the sunset on Boracay Island. Our artisans have brought these concepts to life with exquisite Bespoke craftsmanship, including a unique celestial-inspired motif created using embroidery and stainless steel. These individual motor cars exemplify the power of our Private Office strategy. By placing Bespoke designers in super-luxury centres around the world, they are even better placed to translate regional preferences and codes of luxury into fabulously personal and emotionally resonant Rolls-Royce motor cars, creating ever-more value for our clients.”
Chris Brownridge, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is proud to unveil ##Spirit of Expression## – three magnificent Bespoke commissions of ##Ghost Extended##, ##Phantom Extended## and #Spectre, the first-ever creations to emerge from the Private Office Shanghai, opened last year. These striking Bespoke creations will make their public debut at the 18^th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2024), commencing on Thursday 25 April.

The ‘Spirit of Expression’ commissions perfectly embody the tastes of the younger progressive Chinese clients – global trendsetters who commission super-luxury products on their own terms and in their own image.

Each exterior colourway captures a fleeting moment in time from a number of remarkable destinations around the world frequented by clients from the Greater China region. These range from the vivid bloom of the Lantana flower in South America to the stunning sands of Sicily’s Cala Luna beach and the expansive sunsets witnessed on Boracay Island in the Western Visayas in the Philippines. Inside each ‘Spirit of Expression’ motor car, a recurring celestial motif celebrates the night sky above these extraordinary locations and the inspirational power of the stars.

Each of these one-of-one commissions has been envisioned as part of a global creative collaboration between the marque’s designers in Goodwood and the Bespoke designer based permanently in the Rolls-Royce Private Office Shanghai. Through the growing Private Office network – currently operating in Goodwood, Dubai and Shanghai, with further international launches planned for 2024 – Rolls‑Royce is immersing its talented creatives in luxury hubs around the world. Here, they can engage with the clients on an even deeper level, thereby elevating the marque’s Bespoke offering and experience still further, whilst also bringing essential regional insights back to the global headquarters at Goodwood.


ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM EXTENDED ‘MAGNETISM’

Representing a modern interpretation of Rolls‑Royce’s pinnacle model, the Phantom Extended ‘Magnetism’ commission reflects the magnetic ambiance of a beach bay under the night sky. The two-tone exterior coachwork is finished in Cala Luna Sand, inspired by the hue of the moonlit beach sands, and Kabira Blue, reminiscent of the profound intensity of the horizon when the vast sea meets the midnight sky. The exterior is completed with a double coachline hand-painted in Arctic White and Cala Luna Sand.

Inside, the celestial concept is brought into technicolour with a complex Starlight Headliner: 768 Galileo Blue and 576 White hand-placed ‘stars’ make up the motif, which becomes animated by a further eight ‘shooting stars’.

The rear waterfall is adorned with an intricate expression of the celestial motif inlaid in stainless steel. The motif also appears on the exquisite Gallery artwork, which is embroidered in Arctic White thread on a Navy Blue canvas using satin stitch technique. In total, the Gallery piece comprises 43,096 stitches, carefully placed to make the most of the interplay between light and shadow on the textured surface. The motif is also referenced on the passenger panel.

The front and rear reclining seats are trimmed in Blue Grey, Navy Blue and Arctic White leather with Arctic White contrast stitching, seat piping and headrest monograms. The door veneer is open-pore Obsidian Ayous – a contemporary, tactile finish that celebrates the wood’s natural grain.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE ‘ESCAPISM’

The bold colourway of Spectre ‘Escapism’ recalls the tropics of South America, whence the inspiration for this motor car is drawn. The two-tone exterior is finished in celebratory Lantana Red, referencing the vivid red tones of the Lantana Flower, whose vibrant bloom is believed to bring good luck. The upper section and coachline are rendered in a more subdued Tempest Grey. The 23" seven-spoke part-polished wheels have centres painted in Lantana Red, matching the surface above. The exterior coachwork treatment concludes with a softly illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy figurine.

Inside, the interior is presented in Selby Grey, Purple Silk and Sunset leathers. Sunset is also selected for the seat piping, contrast stitching and headrest monograms. Above, the Starlight Headliner features 960 fibre-optic ‘stars’ in the Sunset hue, completed with eight white ‘shooting stars’, formed with 192 fibre-optic lights. The Obsidian Ayous veneer extends to the spokes of the Purple Silk steering-wheel, which is complemented by purple instrument dials.


ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST EXTENDED ‘EXPRESSIONISM’

Rolls-Royce Ghost provides the purest blank canvas for Bespoke personalisation. The expressive nature of Ghost is unleashed with the ‘Boracay Blue’ exterior colour of the ‘Expressionism’ commission, evoking the sunsets over Boracay Island. This vivid Bespoke colour captures unique hues witnessed during the transition from sunset to twilight, when the sky appears to become one with the Sulu Sea. This is accentuated with a single hand-painted Lime Green Coachline, subtly referencing Boracay Island’s rich, tropical flora and fauna. The exterior is resolved with part-polished 21-inch alloy wheels incorporating Orbit Grey centres and Lime Green pinstripes, shod in White pinstripe tyres.

Inside, the seats are trimmed with Black and Arctic White leather with Lime Green accents. The latter hue also appears in the seat and door piping, contrast stitching and headrest monograms.

The inner door pockets are embroidered with a celestial motif, rendered in Lime Green. To add texture and depth to this elegant expression of contemporary craft, the marque’s artisans used two different, contrasting stitching techniques. By carefully alternating the direction and angle of the stitch, the embroidery accentuates the curve of the pocket, creating a subtle three-dimensional effect. A total of 104,268 stitches are used across all four doors.

Above, the Starlight Headliner is presented in a vivid, abstract wave pattern, like silk in the wind, mimicking the embroidered pattern on the doors. The design is created with 520 Lime Green and 520 White ‘stars’ with eight White ‘shooting stars’ that follow the curvature of the design.

The ‘Spirit of Expression’ Bespoke commissions will be on public display at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2024), which takes places in the capital’s China International Exhibition Centre (CIEC) from Thursday 25 April until Saturday 4 May 2024.

• Spectre European Media Drive commences from marque’s headquarters in West Sussex
• Invited guests will embark on an exciting adventure in Spectre, an opportunity to experience this transformative motor car in its home market
  
  

“The launch of Spectre is a significant moment in the marque’s near 120-year storied history; Spectre is the first all-electric Rolls-Royce and represents the beginning of an exciting, bold, and new era for the brand. Two years ago, the marque made a historic announcement that in 2023 Rolls-Royce would launch its first all-electric motor car and that by the end 2030, the entire portfolio would be fully electric. Since this time, Spectre has been on a remarkable journey, completing a rigorous testing programme, spanning 2.5 million km, and has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from media and clients. It is now a great pleasure to see this motor car on the roads in our home market and I am delighted to offer the European media the opportunity to experience this transformative motor car in the United Kingdom.”
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director, United Kingdom, Europe, and Central Asia


With client deliveries just begun, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has invited European media to experience Spectre, the marque’s first fully electric motor car, within the beautiful countryside surrounding the marque’s headquarters in West Sussex.

The adventure commenced at the Home of Rolls-Royce, on the Goodwood Estate – the only place in the world where Rolls-Royce motor cars are designed and handbuilt. The marque’s global headquarters and Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence is revered as the world’s leading House of Luxury. It is a place where creativity, talent and ingenuity is nurtured and encouraged, and of course a place where clients, media and friends of the marque can enjoy a fully immersive Rolls-Royce experience.

From the Home of Rolls-Royce, media embarked on a voyage of discovery through the beautiful rolling hills of Hampshire and Sussex – a route purposefully selected for its breath-taking views. After experiencing this remarkably silent motor car, media will arrive at Heckfield Place, a modern country haven, set in an eco-estate of 430 acres.

• Spectre, the marque’s first all-electric super coupé, will be on display at the event
• Ghost will also join the assemblage of motor cars
• A Bespoke Ghost will lead 120-mile Tour Privé around the Cotswolds on 29^th August

“Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to return once again to Salon Privé, set in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire. This event is an important occasion in our annual calendar – it is a great celebration of automotive luxury and high-class society, in a beautiful, historical setting. I am delighted to confirm that Spectre, the marque’s first-fully electric car, will be on display at the event – an incredibly agile, remarkably silent, and transformative motor car, that exudes sophistication and cool modern luxury. Alongside Spectre, a vibrant Ghost, presented in a vivacious hue, Tucana Purple, will also be on display. I am very much looking forward to meeting our trusted dealer partners, esteemed clients, and media friends at this highly exclusive Concours d’Elégance.”
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director – United Kingdom, Europe, and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

From 30^th August 2023, patrons of luxury will convene at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire for one of the final summer highlights in the luxury calendar: Salon Privé. In recognition of this highly exclusive gathering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will showcase Spectre, the world’s first ultra-luxury all-electric super coupé, and Ghost, the most successful product in the marque’s storied 119-year history. Each of these beautiful commissions is indicative of the extensive scope of the marque’s craft, design, and engineering competencies.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE

Spectre represents an exciting new era for the world’s leading luxury marque – the beginning of a bold all-electric age. Almost two years ago, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars made an historic announcement, declaring its commitment to electric technology: in 2023, the brand would launch its first-fully electric car, and by the end of 2030 the marque’s entire portfolio of cars will be all-electric. Since this momentous announcement, Spectre has been on a remarkable journey, undergoing a rigorous testing programme, in extreme conditions and temperatures, spanning 2.5million kilometres, simulating more than 400 years of use.  Spectre has also received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the world’s media, following its global launch in California earlier this summer.

At this year’s Salon Privé, Spectre will be presented in a bright expression of Wittering Blue with a vibrant Mandarin Coachline, illustrating the contemporary yet luxurious essence that exists at the very heart of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Upon opening the doors, one encounters an interior suite of Charles Blue, offset with Mandarin applied to the seat piping and monogrammed headrests.

In addition to the Wittering Blue Spectre that will take pride of place front and centre of the stand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to confirm that a second Spectre will be on display at the event. A truly sleek and bold commission presented in Chartreuse and Black Diamond, with a cosseting and calming cabin finished in Chartreuse, Grace White and Peony Pink, will join the daily parade throughout the grounds of Blenheim Palace.

ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST

Ghost represents a world of boundless potential, an authentic automotive wonder, built on the marque’s proprietary all-aluminium spaceframe Architecture of Luxury. For Salon Privé, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents a truly vibrant and playful expression of Ghost, finished in Tucana Purple, a colour reminiscent of the Southern night sky that surrounds the Tucana constellation. A striking and contrasting Lime Green Coachline, combined with Lime Green Pinstripe Tyres, confidently resolve the exterior. Inside, the Lime Green interior appointments on the seat piping, steering wheel, monogrammed headrests, and arm rests, echo the exterior hue.

In addition to the Tucana Purple Ghost on the stand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to confirm that a second Ghost will elegantly lead the Tour Privé, a rolling 120-mile concours through the Cotswolds – an honour reflective of this motor car’s significant stature.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars showcases contemporary expressions at Festival of Speed
• Collection presented on Festival’s Laundry Green, adjacent to Goodwood House
• Rolls-Royce Spectre, the marque’s first fully-electric car, will be on display at the event
• Rolls-Royce Spectre will take to the fabled Hillclimb

“Each year automotive enthusiasts enjoy the ultimate celebration of motorsport at the prestigious Festival of Speed, set in the magnificent grounds of the historic Goodwood House. This event, with its proximity to the Home of Rolls-Royce, is always an important occasion in our annual calendar. This year, however, is of particular significance – it marks the first year that our all-electric, ultra-luxury, super coupé, Spectre, will be on display at the Festival of Speed. Spectre is the most anticipated Rolls-Royce ever, and we are very proud to present this transformative motor car at this year’s event. Alongside Spectre, we are delighted to showcase a vibrant and captivating assemblage of motor cars, created especially for this year’s Festival of Speed. We are looking forward to the opportunity to meet with esteemed clients, valued dealer partners and media friends during this remarkable occasion."
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director, United Kingdom, Europe and Central Asia


Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will celebrate a highly contemporary presence at this year’s Festival of Speed. Displayed on the Festival’s Laundry Green, adjacent to Goodwood House, a beautifully commissioned Phantom, Ghost, Cullinan and Spectre will each provide a unique, exquisite expression of the marque’s peerless craftsmanship. The marque’s presence at this year’s event comes as the company celebrates 20 years of production at the Home of Rolls-Royce, at Goodwood.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE

In 2021, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars made a historic announcement that would shape the marque’s history forever. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars declared its commitment to electric technology both by announcing Spectre, an all-electric super coupé, and that by the end of 2030, the marque’s entire portfolio would be fully electric. Since this significant moment in the storied history of Rolls-Royce, Spectre has been on a remarkable journey, including completing a highly demanding testing programme, spanning 2.5 million kilometres. Last October, Spectre was unveiled to the world at the Home of Rolls-Royce in West Sussex, and response from the world’s opinion leaders across the globe has been unequivocally positive. The first customer deliveries will occur in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Now, for the first time ever, Rolls-Royce Spectre will be presented at this year’s Festival of Speed. Presented in two-tone Chartreuse and Black Diamond, this expression of the marque’s genre-defining motor car exudes cool modern luxury. To embolden the exterior and highlight Spectre’s dynamic presence and prowess, twenty-three-inch wheels are fitted to the motor car – the first time in almost one hundred years that the marque has equipped wheels of this stature and size to a two-door coupé. Chartreuse interior appointments echo the exterior hue, whilst Grace White and Peony Pink create a calming and serene aesthetic to the cabin.  

In addition to Spectre’s presence on the stand, Rolls-Royce Spectre, will ascend the famous Hillclimb course at Goodwood during the Festival’s Supercar Run.


ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM

Occupying a truly unique position at the apex of luxury, Phantom Extended knows no discerning rival. Instead, with its cossetting interior suite, imperious design, and almost boundless scope for personalisation, Phantom defines the barometers of luxury, and therefore will rightly resume pride of place on the stand on the Laundry Green.  

Inspiration for the commissioning of a Rolls-Royce comes from a variety of sources, and Rolls-Royce’s highly talented Collective of artisans, designers and engineers are in constant admiration, intrigue, and awe of clients’ wishes, dreams and visions for their motor car.

For this year’s Festival of Speed, inspiration has come from the world of yachting, a popular pastime amongst Rolls-Royce’s illustrious clientele. A befitting exterior colour – Submariner Blue – was selected for this unique commission. The maritime connotations in this colour name are not coincidental: Submariner Blue is a very rich colour, mimicking the deep hues of the ocean.

Inside Phantom’s inviting cabin, the nautical theme continues, with the steering wheel, seat belts and front interior predominantly finished in Navy. In contrast, the rear interior is finished in Selby Grey, with a stitching in Sunset.

Phantom offers patrons an unprecedented opportunity: a chance to showcase eclectic works of art, sculpture, or objects of self-expression in the Gallery. This unique single piece of uninterrupted glass, spans the entire fascia and means patrons can enjoy, admire, and appreciate their favourite artwork from the sanctuary that is Phantom’s sumptuous cabin. For this nautically-inspired commission, an embroidered gallery, recognisant of the weave pattern on yacht rigging, has been created.

Bespoke is Rolls-Royce; an ethos which permeates every commissioned creation, from exquisite motor cars to luxurious accessories. This extends from glamorous cellarettes and champagne chests, to personalised umbrellas, and picnic hampers. For the Festival of Speed, Rolls-Royce presents a striking Bespoke luggage collection in Navy and White, perfectly complementing the nautical theme.


ROLLS-ROYCE CULLINAN

Rolls-Royce’s highly skilled artisans, designers and engineers have taken inspiration from the world of pop-art, the famed art movement that emerged and flourished in America and Britain in the 1950s and 1960s, to create a unique expression of Cullinan for this year’s Festival. Presented in Gunmetal, with a double Coachline and Coachline Motif, finished in Phoenix Red and Serenity Green – this expression of the world’s most desirable SUV conveys the contemporary yet luxurious essence that exists at the very heart of the marque. Striking Red brake callipers, echo the Phoenix Red Coachline and confidently resolve the exterior.

Whilst the combination of Gunmetal with a bright Coachline sets the tone of this expression, it is perhaps the interior of the car that is the true pièce de résistance. An eye-catching geometric Red pattern, replicated throughout the car, creates a bold and dynamic aesthetic, and demonstrates the extensive scope of marque’s Bespoke capabilities.


ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST

Launched in 2020, Rolls-Royce Ghost is the latest iteration of the marque’s most successful product and for this year’s Festival of Speed, a truly stylish expression of Ghost has been created. Presented in Iced Arctic White, this motor car exudes luxury, style and grace, whilst demonstrating the extensive scope and skill of the marque’s exterior surface centre. Inside, Black and Iceland Moss interior appointments create a vibrant aesthetic, whilst the Mandarin seat piping adds an additional splash of colour.

In addition, a Rolls-Royce Ghost, presented in Salamanca Blue, has been selected as Course Car and a Cullinan, in Dark Emerald, chosen as a Safety Car.

This Press Kit provides an overview of Spectre, its design philosophy and position within the Rolls-Royce product portfolio. The original launch press release is available on Press Club , where you can also find pre-launch information about Rolls-Royce’s electric experimental models and heritage.

Background

In 1900, motoring pioneer The Hon Charles Stewart Rolls made a bold prediction in a magazine article: “The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged,” he declared. Those words, written four years before his historic first meeting with Henry Royce, were to prove prophetic; but it was more than a century later that his vision was finally realised by the company they co-founded.

In September 2021, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars confirmed it had begun testing of the first model in its history to be conceived and engineered from the beginning as an electric car. That testing programme extended to more than 2.5 million kilometres in every extreme of terrain and temperature, simulating over 400 years of normal use. A year later, in October 2022, Spectre was unveiled to the world: an audacious promise kept, and a monumental technical undertaking completed.

As the first fully-electric Rolls-Royce ever made, Spectre proves that battery-electric technology has entirely come of age, and can be successfully deployed at the very apex of automotive excellence, luxury and performance. It also represents an epochal technological and intellectual shift for the marque: by the end of 2030, its entire product portfolio will be fully electric; Rolls-Royce will never again produce a new model with an internal combustion engine.

Spectre has created an entirely new class of motor car: the ultra-luxury electric super coupé. The all-electric powertrain takes the signature Rolls-Royce experience – instant torque, silent running and the sense of one imperceptible gear – and enhances it for a new generation of clients. Its ‘Decentralised Intelligence’ system enables free and direct exchange of information between thousands of individual vehicle functions, further elevating the marque’s celebrated ‘magic carpet ride’. And in its contemporary yet timeless aesthetic, it takes the brand’s design language and Bespoke capabilities into a new, electric age.

Spectre philosophy and positioning

Spectre is the Rolls-Royce that changes everything – the world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé, ushering in the marque’s bold new all-electric future. Crucially, it is a Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second: no concessions or compromises in terms of interior space, comfort, performance or ride quality have been made– indeed, all have been refined and augmented by the car’s underpinning architecture and engineering.

A generously proportioned, visually striking two-door fastback, Spectre is the spiritual successor to the fabled Phantom Coupé. Its intimate interior provides a perfect canvas for Bespoke personalisation, complemented by a unique illuminated fascia and the first Starlight Doors ever specified in a production Rolls-Royce.

No two Spectre clients are exactly alike, but they generally share a keen appreciation of fine materials and craftsmanship, and a marked preference for uncluttered, minimalist design free of ostentation and superfluity. Often younger, self-made and self-confident people, many Spectre clients embrace contemporary ideas around sustainability, authenticity, conscientiousness and longevity. As one of the world’s most desirable luxury goods, Spectre is an extension of the people who commission it, reflecting their individual personalities and values, as well as symbolising their achievements.


ENGINEERING

‘Rolls-Royce 3.0’

The first Goodwood-era Rolls-Royce, launched in 2003, was Phantom. Underpinned by its own Bespoke architecture, this was Rolls-Royce 1.0. For its successor, the marque created the ‘Architecture of Luxury’ (see below) - an all-aluminium spaceframe that also provides the foundations for Cullinan and Ghost - representing Rolls-Royce 2.0. With its fully-electric powertrain and Decentralised Intelligence, Spectre marks the start of Rolls-Royce 3.0, and a new era for super-luxury motoring.

All-aluminium Architecture of Luxury

Spectre is the fourth series Rolls-Royce to be built on the Architecture of Luxury platform, which is unique and proprietary to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. In a farsighted move reminiscent of Charles Rolls’ famous prophecy, it was deliberately conceived from the outset to accommodate an electric powertrain as and when the technology became available.

It comprises an all-aluminium spaceframe that is infinitely scalable and modifiable around four fixed points, one at each corner of the motor car. This inherent flexibility allows Rolls-Royce to adjust the bulkhead, floor, crossmembers and sill panels in a way most appropriate to each individual product.

With Spectre, Rolls-Royce engineers unlocked previously unexplored potential in the concept. The sophisticated extruded aluminium sections and integration of the battery into the structure make Spectre’s spaceframe 30% stiffer than in any previous Rolls-Royce. The architecture also allowed engineers to place the floor halfway between the sill structures rather than above or underneath them.

A channel for wiring and climate control pipework runs between the battery and the floor, with the battery mounted underneath, producing a perfectly smooth underfloor profile. This allows a low seating position, while moving the bulkhead location deepens the dashboard to create a truly cocooning passenger cabin. This sensation is amplified by Spectre’s dramatically raked windscreen, which also contributes to the car’s exceptional aerodynamics (see below).

The battery’s position gives it a highly beneficial secondary function: fully integrated into the motor car’s architecture, it acts as 700kg of additional acoustic insulation.  

All-electric drivetrain

With Spectre, Rolls-Royce committed to an uncompromised electric future by specifying an all-electric drivetrain rather than a hybrid solution. It is fitted with two Separately Excited Synchronous Motors (SSMs). The front electric motor produces 190kW / 365 Nm, with the rear motor delivering 360kW / 710 Nm. In performance terms, this equates to an internal combustion engine of 430kW (584 hp) with 900Nm of torque. In terms of acceleration, Spectre achieves 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds (0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds).

In establishing an appropriate range for Spectre, the marque first engaged with clients, to understand their requirements. The confirmed range of 530km (329 miles) WLTP goes beyond these requirements, confirming that Spectre fits perfectly into the lifestyle of Rolls-Royce clients, who have an average of more than seven cars in their garage to choose from for any occasion, and who drive an average of 5,100km in their current Rolls-Royce per year.

Charge time from 10-80% is 34 minutes using a 195 kW (DC) fast charger: this will also produce sufficient charge for 100km in around nine minutes.

Spectre is equipped with Active Lane Centring and Adaptive Cruise Control simultaneously.

Battery

Spectre has a 102kWh lithium-ion battery, made using cobalt and lithium from strictly controlled sources in Australia, Morocco and Argentina: the battery cells are produced using 100% green electricity. It has been extensively tested in temperatures ranging from -40°C to +50°C: Spectre’s on-board thermal management system maintains an optimum operating temperature at all times.

Braking Recuperation

Spectre has a braking recuperation function that the driver can configure by pushing a button marked ‘B’ on the Column Shifter. By activating ‘Brake Mode’, braking recuperation is increased, enabling so-called single-pedal driving and even allowing the car to come to a complete stop if desired. The default setting on starting is low recuperation, mimicking the automatic driving style of an internal combustion engine Rolls-Royce.

Digital Engineering

Spectre is the most connected Rolls-Royce in history, with three times as many sender-receiver signals as any previous model. Indeed, engineers describe it as ‘Rolls-Royce in ultra-high definition’ on account of the speed and accuracy of its responses to road and weather conditions. Each of the car’s thousands of drivetrain and chassis characteristics were exhaustively tested and refined during its 2.5-million-kilometre testing programme.

Through a software architecture known as Decentralised Intelligence, data is processed closer to its source rather than being handled in its entirety by a single central processing unit. To achieve this, each of the 141,200 sender-receiver variables has its own dedicated handmade control; in nearly all cases, several additional sub-variables account for variations in climate, ground speed, road type, vehicle status and driving style. This enables the car to respond more quickly to driver inputs and changing road conditions.

Planar Suspension System

Spectre's suspension is an evolution of the Planar System originally launched on Ghost. Engineers describe it as ‘an orchestra of systems’, which combines specially developed hardware and Spectre’s high-speed processing capabilities to deliver the marque’s hallmark ‘magic carpet ride’.

Spectre’s 30% greater torsional rigidity negates the need for the upper wishbone damper used in Ghost. On straight roads, the system can automatically decouple Spectre’s anti-roll bars, allowing each wheel to act independently. This prevents the rocking motion that occurs when one side of a vehicle hits an undulation in the road, and dramatically reduces high-frequency disturbances caused by smaller, repeated surface defects.

When the system detects a corner, it recouples the components and stiffens the damper, and prepares to activate the four-wheel steering system to ensure effortless entry and exit. During cornering, individual sensors monitor almost 20 different steering, braking, power delivery and suspension parameters, and adjust them automatically to maintain perfect tracking and stability.

SPIRIT – Digital Architecture of Luxury

SPIRIT is a completely redesigned digital architecture that connects the Spectre owner with their car more closely than ever before. As well as managing the motor car’s functions, SPIRIT is seamlessly integrated into the marque’s Whispers app, allowing owners to interact with their car remotely.

For the first time, clients are able to extend their Bespoke commission into the digital realm; for example, by selecting the colour of the instrument dials to complement the car’s interior palette or exterior finish.

Effortless Doors

At almost 1.5 metres in length, Spectre’s laser-welded pillarless coach doors are the largest ever fitted to a Rolls-Royce. Made from 100% aluminium to reduce weight without compromising rigidity and strength, they are equipped with a specially developed iteration of the Effortless Doors power-assisted system specified on every Rolls-Royce from Phantom onwards. As originally developed for the current Ghost model, Spectre’s Effortless Doors operate on opening as well as closing.

A single pull of the interior handle opens the door to ‘comfort position’, allowing the occupant to check for hazards or obstructions. They then pull and hold the handle to activate full power assistance. When the door has opened sufficiently, they simply release the handle, which engages the door brake. The door can be closed automatically by pushing of a button on the external handle, or manually with power assistance. On-board longitudinal and transverse sensors, as well as G-force sensors fitted to each door, allow the same speed of operation regardless of hill or driveway angles.

In a feature unique to Spectre, the driver’s door closes automatically when the driver presses the brake pedal.


EXTERIOR

Spectre’s design draws inspiration from worlds far beyond automotive, including haute couture, modernist sculpture, nautical design, tailoring and contemporary art. In particular, the design takes cues from the clarity and precision of line and intelligent use of reflection in modern racing yacht styling.

Spectre’s Pantheon grille is the widest ever fitted to a Rolls-Royce. The polished stainless-steel vanes are smooth and flush-fitting, and softly illuminated with 22 LEDs lighting up the sandblasted rear surface, creating a subtle three-dimensional signature at night.

The Spirit of Ecstasy figurine was specially created for Spectre. With a lower stance and more aerodynamic profile, perfected over 830 hours of design modelling and wind-tunnel testing, it contributes to the motor car’s drag coefficient of just 0.25cd, making Spectre the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever built.

The split headlights have been a signature Rolls-Royce feature for many years, and are a direct visual reference to Spectre’s illustrious forebear, Phantom Coupé.

The sharp, vertical bow line draws the eye rearward to Spectre’s fastback, which is inspired by both classic motor cars and racing yachts. The seamless roofline contributes significantly to Spectre’s exceptional aerodynamics.

The lower ‘waft line’ is the visual representation of the fabled Rolls-Royce ‘magic carpet ride’; Spectre’s coachwork gently tucks into the sill, lightening the surfacing and creating a sense of motion by reflecting the road passing beneath it, much like the hull of a racing yacht reflects the water as it cuts through it.

Following the roofline back, the tail lamps are set into the largest single body panel ever produced for a Rolls-Royce, which extends from the A-pillar to the luggage compartment. In anticipation of a variety of Bespoke exterior colour commissions, the rear lamps are colourless for neutrality.

To match Spectre’s generous proportions, it is the first production Rolls-Royce two-door coupé to be equipped with 23-inch wheels in almost 100 years.


INTERIOR

Spectre’s interior contains a wealth of technologically advanced Bespoke features. For the first time on a series production Rolls-Royce, these include Starlight Doors, which incorporate 4,796 softly illuminated ‘stars’. If they wish, customers can alternatively choose a backdrop of Canadel panelling, hand-crafted from a range of exquisite wood.

The ethereal, celestial theme continues with Spectre’s Illuminated Fascia. Developed over the course of two years and more than 10,000 collective hours, it incorporates the Spectre nameplate surrounded by a cluster of over 5,500 stars. Located on the passenger side of the dashboard, the illuminations are completely invisible when the motor car is not in operation.

Inspired by British tailoring, the all-new front seat design has lapel sections that can be rendered in contrasting or matching colours to the main base.

As with all Rolls-Royce motor cars, Spectre’s interior suite offers clients near-infinite Bespoke possibilities.


THE ROLLS-ROYCE THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING

Spectre is perfectly in tune with contemporary sensibilities, while also setting the direction for the future of the marque. As Charles Rolls himself foresaw, it is the motor car Rolls-Royce has been driving towards since it was founded – an elevated expression of effortlessness, power and historical endurance. A Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second, Spectre has been boldly conceived, meticulously engineered, exhaustively tested and spectacularly realised, and represents an unequivocal statement of intent, signalling to the world what Rolls-Royce stands for now and in the decades to come.


EXECUTIVE QUOTES

“Spectre possesses all the qualities that have secured the Rolls-Royce legend. This incredible motor car, conceived from the very beginning as our first fully-electric model, is silent, powerful and demonstrates how perfectly Rolls-Royce is suited to electrification. Spectre’s all-electric powertrain will assure the marque’s sustained success and relevance while dramatically increasing the definition of each characteristic that makes a Rolls-Royce a Rolls-Royce.

“At Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, perfection is about more than making the very best products. It is a culture, an attitude and our guiding philosophy. Indeed, it is our founding father Sir Henry Royce who said, ‘strive for perfection in everything you do’. Spectre has been conceived within this culture. It is perfectly in tune with the sensibilities of our time. It states the direction for the future of our marque and perfectly answers a call from the most discerning individuals in the world to elevate the electric motor car experience, because Spectre is a Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second.

“This is the start of a bold new chapter for our marque, our extraordinary clients and the luxury industry. For this reason, I believe Spectre is the most perfect product that Rolls-Royce has ever produced.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“It is a highlight of my professional life to have developed Rolls-Royce Spectre, the car which propels Rolls-Royce into its bold, electric future. Such a remarkable car requires a remarkable testing programme and I am enormously proud that Spectre has now completed what has been the most arduous schedule ever conceived for a Rolls-Royce motor car. Indeed, it is where automotive manufacturers finish testing that so much of our work begins in fulfilling the requirements of the super-luxury consumer. This has been an extraordinary undertaking from a team of dedicated and highly skilled engineers that span both traditional technical disciplines and exciting emerging technologies. Rolls-Royce Spectre brings the future of this great marque into the present.”
Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Director of Engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“We have designed Spectre as a true Rolls-Royce, with a strikingly modern yet timeless aesthetic, which brings our marque’s design language and Bespoke capabilities into a new, electric era. Working closely with our engineering colleagues and drawing inspiration from many spheres, including haute couture, modernist sculpture and nautical design, we have succeeded in creating a dramatic, highly emotional super coupé. In particular, the design takes cues from the clarity and precision of line and intelligent use of reflection in modern sailboat styling. Within the luxurious and welcoming cabin, Spectre’s cosseting interior wraps itself around those inside the car, whilst enchanting Bespoke features surprise and delight, showcasing the very outstanding skill and artistry of our world-renowned designers and craftspeople.”
Anders Warming, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.”
The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls, Co-Founder, Rolls-Royce, 1900

- ENDS -


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE TECHNICAL DATA

• Rolls-Royce concludes 2.5-million-kilometre testing programme of all-electric Spectre
• Motor car has been exposed to temperature extremes of -40°C to +50°C
• More than 50,000 total driven hours expended testing the motor car
• Test programme concludes with Lifestyle Analysis testing in marque’s home market
• Programme created to respond directly to Rolls-Royce client lifestyles

 

“Spectre is the Rolls-Royce that changes everything. It symbolises not only the marque’s technological leadership of the super-luxury sector, but that a bold electric future, first prophesised in 1900 by our founder, Charles Rolls, is now upon us. To attain its final, perfect form, Spectre has passed through our engineers’ ‘finishing school’ – and in so doing, completed the most demanding testing regime in our brand’s history, spanning 2.5 million kilometres and every conceivable extreme of temperature, weather, road type and surface condition. Equally importantly, it has also undergone our extensive Lifestyle Analysis testing. Applying our detailed knowledge of our clients' tastes, habits and requirements, this unique evaluation process ensures Spectre delivers an authentic, personal and effortless super-luxury experience, as well as true engineering substance, specific to the most demanding consumer group in the world – the Rolls-Royce client.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


“It is a highlight of my professional life to have developed Rolls-Royce Spectre, the car which propels Rolls-Royce into its bold, electric future. Such a remarkable car requires a remarkable testing programme and I am enormously proud that Spectre has now completed what has been the most arduous schedule ever conceived for a Rolls-Royce motor car. Indeed, it is where automotive manufacturers finish testing that so much of our work begins in fulfilling the requirements of the super-luxury consumer. This has been an extraordinary undertaking from a team of dedicated and highly skilled engineers that span both traditional technical disciplines and exciting emerging technologies. Rolls-Royce Spectre brings the future of this great marque into the present.”
Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Director of Engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ genre-defining all-electric super coupé, Spectre, has now concluded an historic and unique undertaking: a 2.5-million-kilometre testing programme simulating more than 400 years of use. In the most demanding development process in the marque’s 119-year history, Spectre has endured temperatures ranging from -40°C to +50°C, and in conditions spanning from Arctic snow and ice to deserts, high mountain passes and the world’s megacities.

En route, every one of Spectre’s 141,200 digital sender-receiver relations and 25,000 performance-related functions has been minutely observed, analysed and tuned by Rolls-Royce engineers, a process representing over 50,000 collective driven hours of highly skilled work. This has resulted in thousands of iterative improvements in everything from Spectre’s acoustic performance, composure under cornering and steering precision to its charge time, electric range and torque delivery; each small in itself, but with an immense overall cumulative effect on the client experience.


LIFESTYLE ANALYSIS

As a Rolls-Royce, Spectre must be more than just an engineering tour de force – it must also offer clients an authentic super-luxury experience. It has therefore also been subjected to the marque's unique Lifestyle Analysis process, which has informed the development of every new product emanating from the marque’s home in its Goodwood era. This additional testing programme goes far beyond standard automotive assessments to encompass how clients will use the motor car in their daily lives.

Lifestyle Analysis is based on the marque's detailed knowledge and understanding of the super-luxury consumer, and continuous intelligence-gathering across the luxury sector. It enables engineers to anticipate the very particular demands likely to be placed on a new Rolls-Royce and ensure that final engineered and fashioned experience incorporates appropriate features and responses.

Using this knowledge, engineers have considered a range of variables of particular relevance to Rolls-Royce clients. For example, they have examined how Spectre’s drivetrain performs on specific roads in and around the world’s most exclusive enclaves, including: Sanya on Hainan Island, China; Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; Napa Valley in California; and London, in the marque’s home market.

This testing is not limited to performance under highway speeds. Specific city centre destinations are also used to ensure that features such as four-wheel steering offer the requisite manoeuvrability benefits to access areas roads and property approaches with limited space. Indeed, testing in and around the boroughs of Mayfair and Kensington and Chelsea, London, ensured the appropriate rear axle steering to approach key residential streets and luxury retail locations.

Similarly, given the environments Spectre will be placed in worldwide, a large number of static testing procedures are undertaken that address key client concerns. These include if it is possible to hold a normal telephone conversation inside the motor car while it is parked alongside a waiting helicopter, the strength of the motor car’s in-car internet connection between specific skyscrapers, and ease of access when placing specific objects inside the motor car – the long garment bags used to protect formal evening suiting and gowns.

As with the technical road testing, the Lifestyle Analysis phase of testing is in place to highlight necessary adjustments to the motor car's specification or performance. For example, after testing the power-assisted doors on an exceptionally steep hill – replicating the steep driveways common to the hills of Los Angeles, California – engineers added gyroscopic and G-force sensors to ensure that doors open and close at the same effortless speed, regardless of longitudinal or transverse parking angles.

Additionally, one corner was used so frequently to test the steering precision of Spectre, which the marque’s engineers believe is the most exact in Rolls-Royce history, they have named a switchback within the environs of Rolls-Royce’s home in Goodwood, West Sussex, ‘Spectre Corner.’

Fittingly, it was during Lifestyle Analysis testing in London, the capital of Rolls-Royce’s home market, that Spectre completed its 2.5-million-kilometre odyssey in preparation for client deliveries, which will commence in the fourth quarter of this year.

• Spectre, the first fully electric Rolls-Royce, made its UK dealer debut at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London on 1^st June
• Following on from its reveal in London, Spectre will go on tour throughout the UK
• Clients offered a fully immersive Rolls-Royce experience and an opportunity to see this remarkable motor car

 
“As our home market, the United Kingdom has always been, and will continue to be, a very important market for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. I am delighted to announce that from today, the most anticipated Rolls-Royce in the marque’s 119-year storied history will go on tour throughout the UK, starting in London. Clients, media, and friends of the brand first had the opportunity to see this transformative motor car in the marque’s flagship showroom in Mayfair, before Spectre undertakes a tour around the UK. The response from the world’s opinion leaders to our genre-defining all-electric super-coupé, has been unequivocally positive, and I am delighted now to have the opportunity to showcase this remarkable motor car in the country where it was built.”
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director United Kingdom, Europe, and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


In 2021, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars made a historic announcement that would shape the marque’s history forever. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars declared its commitment to electric technology by both announcing Spectre, an all-electric car with first customer deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023, and that by the end of 2030, the marque’s entire portfolio would be fully electric. Since this significant moment in the storied history of Rolls-Royce, Spectre has been on a remarkable journey, including completing a highly demanding testing programme, spanning 2.5 million kilometres. Last October, Spectre was unveiled to the world at the Home of Rolls-Royce in West Sussex, and response from media across the globe has been overwhelmingly positive.

Now, ahead of first client deliveries later this year, Spectre made its UK dealer debut on 1^st June at the marque’s flagship residence in Berkeley Street, Mayfair, London. The world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé will now embark on its UK tour, offering clients an opportunity to draw closer to the brand, viewing this remarkable motor car and thereby participating in Rolls-Royce’s electric future.

Spectre heralds the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and the start of the marque’s all-electric era. Spectre represents a promise made, a prophecy kept and a remarkable undertaking. The marque has a long-standing connection with electric technologies; in 1900, Rolls-Royce co-founder Charles Rolls prophesised an electric future for the motor car. Having experienced an electric vehicle named The Columbia Electric Carriage, he foresaw the technology’s suitability as a clean, noiseless alternative to the internal combustion engine – providing there was sufficient infrastructure to support it. In 2011, Rolls-Royce showcased a fully electric Experimental Phantom concept named 102EX. This was followed by 103EX, a dramatic design study that anticipated a bold electric future for the marque.

• Rolls-Royce Spectre, the world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé, celebrates its China debut at Auto Shanghai 2023
• A Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second: Spectre is greeted by clients as a powerful step into a bold new future as the brand prepares to become fully electric by the end of 2030
• Rolls-Royce Bespoke unveils a new colour for Spectre: Morganite is named after the rare gemstone
• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars celebrates the luxury of handcraftsmanship with three stunning Bespoke motor cars, underlining the near-infinite personalisation possibilities offered by the marque
• ‘Private Office Shanghai’ announced as the next step in the company’s strategy to bring the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood closer to its global clientele and cater for increasing demand for Bespoke
• Exclusive and immersive visitor experiences offer a glimpse of the marque’s Bespoke capabilities as well as its support and interest in contemporary art.
  
  

"Rolls-Royce Spectre is perhaps the most important car in our long and storied history and I am delighted to be in Shanghai for the China premiere of this fabulous car, an important step on our ambitious journey to become an all-electric brand by the end of 2030. As one of the world’s leading NEV countries, China is a key market for Spectre and I am delighted to see that our clients here share our great excitement for this car. Rolls-Royce and electric drive are a perfect fit: battery electric power offers silent propulsion, instant torque and tremendous power – just like our beloved V12. Waftability and our famous 'magic carpet ride' are assured.

“Our Chinese clients also truly appreciate the almost endless possibilities offered by Rolls-Royce Bespoke. Here at Auto Shanghai, we are highlighting the power and beauty of our marque’s extraordinary and special models , where rare and luxurious materials meet world-class craftsmanship in a way only Rolls-Royce can deliver . Reflecting our Chinese clients’ ever-increasing desire to commission exquisite, highly personalised motor cars, I am delighted to announce that Shanghai will this year see the opening of a Private Office, bringing the Home of Rolls-Royce to China and marking the next step in our global strategy to bring Goodwood even closer to our patrons around the world.”
Henrik Wilhelmsmeyer, Director of Sales and Brand, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“Spectre represents the dawn of a new design typology. This highly emotional, dramatic and progressive design marks a bold first statement for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ electric future, showcasing our commitment to innovation. With its groundbreaking ultra-luxury electric super coupé design, Spectre pays homage to Rolls-Royce heritage while embracing the advancements of modern technology. This extraordinary vehicle is a testament to our relentless pursuit of perfection, ensuring that every aspect of the car, from its aesthetics to its efficiency, is a true embodiment of the unparalleled Rolls-Royce experience. It is, without a doubt, a Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second."
Anders Warming, Design Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“We are honoured to have played a significant role in Rolls-Royce achieving not only record global sales but also, more importantly, record levels of Bespoke in 2022. As we boldly embark on a transformative journey towards an all-electric future, championed by Rolls-Royce Spectre, I am confident that our discerning Chinese clientele will continue to support our success. Moreover, they will undoubtedly revel in the exceptionally high-touch encounters and authentic Rolls-Royce experiences we continue to develop. These include Rolls-Royce Whispers, the marque’s exclusive client-only application created to offer this eclectic group of people a digital world of curated luxury, and our recently updated dealer showrooms, which exude luxury and sophistication, providing our clients with an immersive and contemporary experience to view our motor cars and discuss their own Bespoke commissions.”
Leon Li, Regional Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Greater China

CHINA PREMIERE FOR ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE

Designed and engineered to be a Rolls-Royce first, and an electric car second, Spectre marks the beginning of a new era for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. To celebrate its China premiere, Spectre is presented at Auto Shanghai 2023 for the very first time in a two-tone Morganite with Gunmetal exterior finish, creating an exceptionally elegant aesthetic. Morganite, a colour between mauve and dark rosé, was inspired by the rare Morganite gemstone and is a new addition to the Rolls-Royce Bespoke portfolio.

Combining elegance and innovation, Spectre delights in an imposing yet effortlessly refined appearance. Creating an extraordinary sense of strength, Spectre has the widest-ever grille produced by Rolls-Royce, with a proud angle and polished stainless-steel finish. The car presents with stunning proportions, revelling in its long front bonnet and graceful silhouette with a beautiful falling fastback roofline; Spectre’s presence is further underlined by the magnificent 23-inch wheels

The excellence of the uncompromising exterior design is continued within, where Spectre’s interior sanctuary offers unrivalled luxury. Auto Shanghai marks the premiere for Spectre’s exquisite Canadel doors: the interior panel is crafted from a single sheet of wood, precisely placed at an exact 55-degree angle to evoke a sense of motion within the car. Sumptuous Grace White leather upholstery is highlighted by bold Ardent Red secondary details, creating a visually stunning hand-crafted masterpiece. The joyous interior is further enhanced by delicate Peony Pink accents on the RR monograms, contrast piping and stitching on the instrument panel. Open Pore Tudor Oak veneer panels gracefully merge into the fascia surfaces, while warmth is added to the exquisite interior design through the veneered steering wheel spokes, for an ultimate lavish touch.

To ensure the famous Rolls-Royce ‘magic carpet ride’, Spectre has undergone the most challenging testing programme ever undertaken by the marque. It was on the Côte d'Azur that Spectre’s digitally integrated evolution of the renowned Planar suspension system was finalised. Planar suspension is an orchestra of systems with precisely defined responses to driver inputs and road conditions, made possible by the latest software and hardware developments. Rolls-Royce’s hallmark experience of silence within the car is supported by the clever mounting of the battery, which enables Spectre’s perfectly smooth underfloor profile. This not only creates a low seating position and enveloping cabin but realises a secondary function for the battery – almost 700kg of sound deadening.

EXQUISITE BESPOKE MODELS SHOWCASE ROLLS-ROYCE CRAFTSMANSHIP

Alongside Spectre’s captivating stage presence are other specially created Bespoke models, showcasing Rolls-Royce’s world-leading expertise in handcraftsmanship and luxury excellence.

Bespoke Phantom Extended
Rolls-Royce Phantom occupies an unrivalled position at the very apex of the luxury world. Presented here in extended version and designed especially for the Shanghai Auto Show, this magnificent motor car is finished in a deep Submariner Blue with the bonnet, roof and rear pillar rendered in contrasting Silver.  Phantom Extended’s stunning exterior is further dramatised with a hand-painted single coachline and the Spirit of Ecstasy presented in stunning Rose Gold.

The exterior theme continues inside, with the front seats in Submariner Blue leather, accented with Rose Gold contrast stitching and ‘RR’ headrest monograms, and blue Piano Milori Sapphire Veneer throughout the cabin.  Phantom Extended’s generous rear suite is rendered in Cashmere Grey with Rose Gold speaker grilles and a Bespoke Starlight Headliner that emits an atmospheric blue glow.

The unique embroidered artwork in the Gallery features an extraordinary 47,943 individual stitches and takes around six hours to handcraft. It represents an abstract interpretation of a floral theme in a precise geometric pattern.

Bespoke Black Badge Cullinan
Another exceptional model is the super-luxury SUV Black Badge Cullinan, which takes the stage in Shanghai finished in a satin Iced Burnout Grey hue, reinforcing the truth that a Black Badge motor car need not be black. In this highly Bespoke commission, the Black Badge aesthetic has been extended to the smallest details: brake callipers, bumper inserts, side trims, Spirit of Ecstasy and 22” Part-Polished Black Badge Wheels are all finished in black.

Inside, the bold splash of Peony Pink over Scivaro Grey applied throughout the cabin, including the Bespoke steering wheel, provides a daring contrast to the more understated exterior. Textured Scivaro Grey boxgrain on the fascia and Technical Carbon veneers on interior surfaces provide additional depth. Each leaf of Technical Carbon is finished with six coats of lacquer before being left to cure for 72 hours and then hand-polished to Rolls-Royce’s hallmark mirror finish – a meticulous process that takes 21 days to complete.

The boundary-pushing Black Badge attitude is further exemplified by the Bespoke Starlight Headliner which features 1,344 fibre-optic ‘stars’ emitting a pink hue, given a playful extra dimension by the inclusion of ‘shooting stars’.

Bespoke Ghost
A stunning Bespoke Rolls-Royce Ghost completes the lineup of beautiful and unique Rolls-Royce motor cars. Gracing the Shanghai Auto Show in a Bespoke two-tone finish that showcases the limitless Bespoke potential of its pure, minimalist design, the main body is in rich, dark Olivin, with Diamond Black contrast above, accentuated with a single hand-painted coachline in Seashell. The matching tyre pinstripe mimics the white-banded tyres beloved by the marque’s patrons in its early days, reflecting a heritage dating back more than 100 years.

Ghost’s interior features a Bespoke colour split, with the front seats in Black Leather and the rear in Seashell, with contrast stitch and piping in Iceland Moss providing a visual connection to the exterior finish. The colour split is also carried over to the Bespoke two-tone steering wheel, which features Black outer and Seashell inner leather trims. Veneers in Stained Black Ash complete the motor car’s timeless, understated aesthetic.

THE BOUNDLESS CREATIVITY OF ROLLS-ROYCE
Beyond the display of these magnificent models, the Rolls-Royce stand offers a range of immersive experiences designed to captivate and fascinate. The Bespoke Atelier will provide guests with a unique opportunity to explore the countless personalisation alternatives that create the Rolls-Royce experience. Meanwhile, the MUSE Rolls-Royce Art Programme has a dedicated space to highlight the brand’s support for and interest in contemporary arts, showcasing the remarkable works of the three winning artists from the recent Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge. These artistic endeavours demonstrate the brand’s commitment to fostering creativity and inspiring greatness, while connecting patrons and the public to the thriving art world. 

• Rolls-Royce continues 2.5 million kilometre testing programme of all-electric Spectre
• Almost 2 million kilometres of testing now completed across the world
• Extreme hot weather testing currently being undertaken in South Africa at 50°C
• ‘Marginal gains’ theory employed to make substantial overall improvements
• Spectre will be cycled through ‘final four seasons’ of conditions to ratify results
• Final ‘Lifestyle Analysis’ process will conclude Spectre testing

“Spectre has already secured its place as the most anticipated Rolls-Royce in history. This remarkable and transformative motor car represents the beginning of the marque’s bold electric era as well as our unquestionable technological leadership of the super-luxury space. Equally, this vast, ambitious and demanding testing process symbolises our promise to ensure Spectre is undoubtedly a Rolls-Royce first. A profound aspect of our approach to this precious brand is to inspire greatness in everything we do and with Spectre, we are elevating the automotive experience to unparalleled heights, creating a new benchmark of distinction. It is the fulfilment of this promise that underpins the marque’s ongoing success and drives our constant focus to meet, and exceed, the expectations of our discerning clients.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“The reason for our extraordinary and restless global testing process is simple: there has never been a motor car like Spectre before. As the first all-electric Rolls-Royce, Spectre represents not just a new paradigm in our technology, but the entire future direction of our brand. Only Rolls-Royce engineers could conceive this astonishing journey, and only Rolls-Royce engineers could undertake it: the task is not to test a motor car but to elevate the benchmark of automotive excellence.”
Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Director of Engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: HOT WEATHER TESTING

Spectre, Rolls-Royce’s genre-defining all-electric super coupé, has now covered almost two million kilometres as it completes the third phase of the most rigorous testing programme ever devised in the marque’s 118-year history. This has already surpassed every Rolls-Royce testing programme before it – and it is still far from over.

Spectre is currently undergoing extreme hot weather tests in two locations in South Africa: Augrabies in the Northern Cape; and Franschhoek, the ‘French Corner’ in the Western Cape winelands. The stable yet contrasting climates provide some of the finest summer-weather driving in the world, with dry and extremely hot conditions in the north and more humid, Mediterranean-style, conditions in the south. At its hottest, temperatures can exceed 50°C, while the southern region hosts a great variety of surfaces and terrains, including twisting country roads replete with gravel, dust and dirt. Truly testing conditions, by any measure.

During this stage, engineers are observing and refining every system, hardware item and software protocol that has been developed over the course of almost two million kilometres of continuous testing. Only through such painstaking assessments can Rolls-Royce’s technical experts achieve the exacting levels of ride refinement that are so central to the experience beloved by clients, and successfully translate the marque’s defining ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ to the new all-electric paradigm.

Throughout Spectre’s testing, each of the motor car’s 25,000 separate performance-related functions have been meticulously tailored to deliver a quintessentially Rolls-Royce experience. The refinements being made now follow the principles of ‘marginal gains’, in which individual, very small and incremental adjustments cumulatively produce a significant overall improvement. Though widely used and proven in elite sport and high-level business, this theory is being used during Spectre testing to an unprecedented extent, as part of the wider validation process characterised internally as the Rolls-Royce Finishing School.

Examples of the meticulous attention-to-detail that Spectre prototypes are being subjected to are manifold but often impossible to quantify, as they represent the judgement and instinct of the marque’s peerless and long-standing engineering elite. For example, over 1500 hours have already been dedicated to finessing the car’s regenerative braking to ensure it feels effortless but present. Data-logging equipment processes sensor inputs generated by this braking force, to ensure that adjustments do not compromise the overall serenity of Spectre under any driving conditions. However, it is only the experience and judgement of long-standing Rolls-Royce engineers that can ensure the motor car will, when testing is completed, meet the inimitable standards required to deliver an elevated expression of the Rolls-Royce experience.

Similarly, anti-roll stabilisation is being tuned to reflect the dynamic promise of Spectre’s dramatic super-coupé design while still delivering on the marque’s hallmark ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ qualities. In South Africa, this testing has specific significance as high temperatures can alter the hardness of rubber suspension components, providing a parameter that is bookended by the results of extreme cold weather testing.

This exhaustive approach has also been applied to ensuring the correct colour-quality and brightness for the theatre of light that is prompted by opening Spectre’s coach door. To ensure a sense of harmony in the cabin, whatever the external light conditions, all internal illuminations, including the marque’s celebrated Bespoke Starlight Headliner, instrument cluster and SPIRIT interface, must be perfectly coordinated. This requires detailed analysis of a global range of sunlight exposure and types, to ensure consistency of colour-quality wherever in the world Spectre is.

As the car approaches the later phases of its exhaustive testing programme, further adjustments will be made to sealing materials to deliver Rolls-Royce’s famed aero-acoustic performance. This process is essential because rubber sealing materials perform differently through the spectrum of temperatures. For example, during Spectre’s testing phase at Arjeplog in Sweden, seals hardened in sub-zero temperatures. Conversely, in South Africa, Rolls-Royce engineers will be assessing the acoustic performance of seals softened in hotter conditions. Their work is therefore to find optimum balance to ensure the cabin is insulated in all extremes of climate.

In South Africa and throughout the remaining programme, the audio system will also be tuned and finessed to achieve fractional gains in the quality of the sound offered through Spectre’s 17 speakers. Following initial testing and calibration in a laboratory setting, the system is now being tested exhaustively in real-world conditions. A specially curated playlist presenting a wide range of genres to represent a full spectrum of sonic requirements is used.

This commitment to ensuring perfect acoustic performance extends to the key functions of the motor car. Indeed, even the speed at which the self-closing coach doors shut is being scrutinised to ensure that the perfect level of positive noise is generated upon closure.

ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: THE EXTRAORDINARY UNDERTAKING NEARS COMPLETION

When the experience and data collected from South Africa has been fully analysed, and relevant actions and measures have been implemented, Spectre’s testing programme will be around 80% complete as it sets off on the final ratification phase. This consists of taking the motor car through a condensed programme of ‘all-season’ testing, including return visits to the Arctic extremes of Arjeplog and the more temperate conditions of the Côte d'Azur.

The final 500,000 kilometres of Spectre testing will focus on Lifestyle Analysis. This proprietary testing process will see Spectre tested in super-luxury situations and use-cases specific to Rolls-Royce clients, to ensure Spectre performs as required in the centre of global megacities, around new and historical luxury destinations, and in other settings commensurate with owners’ needs, habits and lifestyles.

ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: TESTING BACKGROUND

Ahead of the first cars being delivered to clients, scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023, Spectre has undergone exhaustive trials designed to replicate almost 400 years of normal use, in some of the most extreme conditions on Earth. In total, the car will cover more than 2.5 million kilometres – the equivalent of circumnavigating the globe 62 times.

Testing began in the winter of 2021 at a special testing facility in Arjeplog, Sweden, just 55 kilometres from the Arctic Circle. In temperatures of -40°C, Rolls-Royce engineers examined and refined every aspect of Spectre’s performance and handling in snow and ice, and any effects of prolonged extreme cold on the motor car’s batteries and other electronic systems.

With this examination successfully completed, Spectre then spent the summer of 2022 in the sunnier, but no less exacting climes of the French Riviera and around the Côte d’Azur. This included testing at the historic Autodrome de Miramas proving ground, a former Grand Prix circuit that now provides over 60 kilometres of closed routes and 20 state-of-the-art test track environments. The majority of the testing, however, was conducted in the Provençal countryside, assessing Spectre’s capabilities under real-world conditions in an area where many production cars are likely to spend their lives.

• Rolls-Royce celebrates the first 20 years of production at its Goodwood manufacturing centre
• A story of continuous progress and evolution, told through 20 individual models
• Each created and handmade at the Home of Rolls-Royce since 2003
• Includes EX experimental cars, which revived a naming convention last seen in the 1950s
• Describes an arc of technical innovation and responses to changing client requirements
• Leads to the new all-electric era ushered in by the Rolls-Royce Spectre

“Rolls-Royce has always stood for innovation and progress, constantly pushing technical and creative boundaries in the relentless pursuit of perfection demanded by its co-founder, ##Sir Henry Royce##. Our remarkable record of creating 20 different models in our first 20 years at the Home of Rolls-Royce is a direct result of that restless, adventurous spirit. Each of these models is a magnificent achievement in itself; together, they demonstrate our unique understanding of – and ability to respond to – our clients’ changing needs, tastes and desires over time.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

When Rolls-Royce Motor Cars began full-scale manufacturing at Goodwood, it produced just a single model: the original, seventh-generation Phantom. The first completed motor car was handed over to its new owner in a special ceremony at one minute past midnight on 1 January 2003.

Since that historic moment, no fewer than 20 different models and variants have been created and handmade at #Goodwood – equivalent to one for every year. Today's Rolls-Royce model family reflects two decades of continuous innovation and progress in design, technology, materials and methods, as the marque seeks to satisfy its clients' ever-changing needs, tastes and desires.

Phantom, and its siblings Phantom Drophead Coupé and Phantom Coupé, were followed by the more approachable Ghost, which went on to become the best-selling model the marque has ever produced since its foundation in 1904. The product family grew further with Wraith (2013) and Dawn (2016), respectively the most powerful and seductive models in the marque’s portfolio; they were joined in 2018 by Cullinan, the 'Rolls-Royce of SUVs', which is now ranked among the world's most desirable and in-demand luxury products.

With the exception of Phantom, all models in the current product family are available as Black Badge variants. Created for a new breed of client who desired a more subversive, rebellious expression of the Rolls-Royce brand, this permanent Bespoke series now accounts for more than a third of the marque’s total output.

Since 2003, the Home of Rolls-Royce’s design and engineering teams have produced a number of experimental motor cars. In keeping with tradition, these were given the ‘EX’ designation, used until the 1950s by Rolls-Royce engineers to maintain secrecy during testing and development, and the distinctive red-on-silver 'RR' badge. Never intended for series production, they were fundamental to the process of creating some of the most technically significant and commercially successful products in the marque's history.

Two Coachbuild masterpieces that represent the ultimate expression of Rolls-Royce's Bespoke capabilities also grace the list. Individually commissioned and entirely hand-built, they echo the coachbuilding traditions of the marque's early years, while employing the very latest in contemporary design, engineering, manufacturing and craft techniques to create true works of art.

The first 20 years at #Goodwood have culminated in the launch of Spectre. The first all-electric Rolls-Royce in history, this landmark motor car also marks the beginning of a new technological era, in which every new Rolls-Royce model will be fully electric from 2030 onwards. With series production yet to begin, Spectre is not strictly among the 20 cars produced between 2003 and 2023, so does not appear in the list that follows. However, it is both the next evolutionary step in the model family's development, and the technical and philosophical foundation for all that will follow in future.

This remarkable period in the marque’s history has seen the creation of a countless deeply personal, complex and beautiful expressions of the marque’s motor cars. While it is nearly impossible to edit a selection of the best of the last twenty years, here are some truly exemplary examples:

20 CARS FOR 20 YEARS

1. Phantom, 2003
The original 'Goodwood Phantom' was the seventh generation to wear what is now the longest-established nameplate in automotive history. With its marriage of technology, comfort, performance and the signature 'Magic Carpet Ride', it set a new standard for every model that has followed.

2. 100EX, 2004
Produced to mark the centenary of the first meeting between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, this was the first Experimental Car produced by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars under BMW Group ownership. Powered by an extraordinary 9-litre V16 engine, it was never intended for production, but was the direct forebear for what would become the celebrated Phantom Drophead Coupé.

3. Phantom Extended, 2005
Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2005, Phantom Extended was 250 mm (9.8 in) longer than the 'standard' Phantom. This created additional legroom in the rear cabin, making this model especially popular with clients who prefer to be chauffeur-driven.

4. 101EX, 2006
Like 100EX, this experimental prototype was built on a shortened version of Phantom's aluminium space frame, with the body panels constructed in carbon-fibre composite. It would find enduring life and global fame in its eventual production guise as Phantom Coupé, powered by the iconic 6.75-litre V12 engine.

5. Phantom Drophead Coupé, 2007
One of the most sought-after models ever produced at Goodwood, the Phantom Drophead Coupé stunned the world on its debut. With distinctive styling derived from 100EX (see above), its defining feature is the interior wood veneering that flows around the cabin into the teak tonneau cover, inspired by a racing yacht deck.

6. Phantom Coupé, 2008
With its pillarless construction, this was a true hardtop two-door coupé – the first Rolls-Royce of its type to be produced in more than two decades. Like its drophead sibling, Phantom Coupé incorporated many of the design features and construction techniques developed on the experimental 101EX.

7. 200EX, 2009
Presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2009, 200EX was the experimental car that responded to client feedback for a more approachable and driver-orientated Rolls-Royce.

8. Ghost, 2010
Designed for a new generation of ascendent Rolls-Royce clients, Ghost immediately won praise for its simple, contemporary design and effortless, dynamic performance. To date it is the most commercially successful model in Rolls-Royce history.

9. 102EX, 2011
Known as the Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), this one-off electric prototype version of Phantom began Rolls-Royce's exploration into suitable technology to power future generations of its motor cars. The world’s first super-luxury battery electric vehicle, it toured the world gauging reactions from clients, enthusiasts, the media and the wider public.

10. Ghost Extended, 2011
Responding to feedback from clients who prefer to be chauffeur-driven, Rolls-Royce introduced an Extended version of Ghost, offering additional space and comfort for rear-seat passengers while maintaining the motor car’s more focussed driving characteristics.

11. Wraith, 2013
The fastback Wraith was intended as the ultimate gran turismo; a car that embodied the bold, pioneering spirit, sense of adventure and love of speed that inspired the marque's co-founder, The Hon Charles Stewart Rolls.

12. Dawn, 2016
The definitive super-luxury four-seater convertible, Dawn was designed to enable four adults to travel sociably together in complete comfort. The roof is a design and engineering masterpiece: dubbed 'the Silent Ballet' the mechanism operates in complete silence in just 22 seconds, and at cruising speeds of up to 50km/h; with the roof closed, the interior is as silent as a Rolls-Royce Wraith.

13. Black Badge Wraith and Black Badge Ghost, 2016
The Black Badge family introduced the world to the marque’s enfants terribles, subverting perceptions of what a Rolls-Royce ‘should’ be. These variants are more powerful and specifically engineered to deliver an even more direct, engaging driving experience, while still offering near-limitless opportunities for Bespoke personalisation. In Black Badge guise, both Wraith and Ghost received additional torque, unique air-suspension set-up and drive shafts, Intuitive Throttle Response and crisper, more urgent 8-speed automatic transmission. The result was an even more agile and involving motoring experience, without compromising the intrinsic elements of the effortless Rolls-Royce ‘Magic Carpet Ride’.

14. 103EX, 2016
Perhaps the most radical experimental car ever produced at Goodwood, Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100, codenamed 103EX, presented the marque’s uncompromised view of the future of luxury mobility. Fully electric, with a completely autonomous drive and enhanced artificial intelligence, it made an unequivocal statement about Rolls-Royce's future direction, both in terms of electric power and effortless, highly personalised travel.

15. ‘Sweptail’, 2017
Rolls-Royce revived the art of coachbuilding with the magnificent ‘Sweptail’, described at the time as ‘automotive Haute Couture’. Inspired by coachbuilt Rolls-Royces and racing yachts of the 1920s and 30s, this unique two-seat coupé featured a panoramic glass roof and a pair of attaché cases concealed behind the coach doors.

16. Phantom 8, 2017
No nameplate occupies a more revered place in the pantheon of great cars and indeed, luxury goods as Phantom. The task to re-invent it for a bold, new era was therefore approached with exquisite care. The result was a Phantom that responded to the changing sensibilities of a new generation whilst maintaining the iconic presence that ensures its ongoing status as the “Best Car in the World”.

17. Cullinan, 2018
Cullinan is truly the ‘Rolls-Royce of SUVs’, designed and built to take younger, successful high-net-worth individuals to the ends of the Earth in ultimate comfort. With its ‘effortless, everywhere’ capabilities, endless Bespoke possibilities and unique lifestyle features – including the Recreation Module – it has become one of the most desirable luxury goods on the planet.

18. Black Badge Cullinan, 2019
Cullinan revelled in its new, darker persona, which included a more powerful 6.7-litre V12 engine, black 22-inch forged alloy wheels, Pantheon grille and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, plus the first painted brake callipers ever fitted to a factory-delivered Rolls-Royce.

19. New Ghost, 2020
When it came to present a new Ghost, Rolls-Royce responded to the requirement from a new ascendent generation of successful women and men for a motor car, perfectly aligned with new codes of luxury. The result is an aesthetic that prioritises minimalist design and celebrates material substance. The motor car was also engineered to possess an engaging and dynamic character with no compromise to the serenity and comfort in the rear suite.

20. Boat Tail, 2021
The Boat Tail commissions took Rolls-Royce Coachbuild into new realms of complexity and audacity, in a demanding technical and creative project that lasted almost four years. A genuine objet d'art, this entirely handcrafted motor car demonstrated the marque's commitment to coachbuilding as a central part of its future direction and strategy.

• Rolls-Royce debuts Spectre, the marque’s first fully-electric motor car
• Spectre is a prophecy fulfilled, a promise kept and an undertaking completed
• Spectre “demonstrates how perfectly Rolls-Royce is suited to electrification”
• Spectre heralds the beginning of all-electric era for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
• Built on the Rolls-Royce all-aluminium Architecture of Luxury
• Spectre uses new SPIRIT software architecture with full Whispers integration
• World’s first Ultra-Luxury Electric Super Coupé is spiritual successor to Phantom Coupé
• First customer cars to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2023

 
“Spectre possesses all the qualities that have secured the Rolls-Royce legend. This incredible motor car, conceived from the very beginning as our first fully-electric model, is silent, powerful and demonstrates how perfectly Rolls-Royce is suited to electrification. Spectre’s all-electric powertrain will assure the marque’s sustained success and relevance while dramatically increasing the definition of each characteristic that makes a Rolls-Royce a Rolls-Royce.

“At Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, perfection is about more than making the very best products. It is a culture, an attitude and our guiding philosophy. Indeed, it is our founding father Sir Henry Royce who said, ‘strive for perfection in everything you do’. Spectre has been conceived within this culture. It is perfectly in tune with the sensibilities of our time. It states the direction for the future of our marque and perfectly answers a call from the most discerning individuals in the world to elevate the electric motor car experience, because Spectre is a Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second.

“This is the start of a bold new chapter for our marque, our extraordinary clients and the luxury industry. For this reason, I believe Spectre is the most perfect product that Rolls-Royce has ever produced.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.”
The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls, Co-Founder, Rolls-Royce, 1900


A PROPHECY FULFILLED. A PROMISE KEPT. AN EXTRAORDINARY UNDERTAKING.

In 1900, Rolls-Royce co-founder, Charles Rolls, prophesised an electric future for the motor car. Having acquired an electric vehicle named The Columbia Electric Carriage, he foresaw its suitability as a clean, noiseless alternative to the internal combustion engine – providing there was sufficient infrastructure to support it. Today, more than 120 years later, the time has come for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars to fulfil the prophecy of its founding father.

This prophecy could not have been fulfilled without a more recent promise, when Rolls-Royce CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, made a public commitment to electrification by announcing that he would bring a fully-electric Rolls-Royce to market within the current decade. Charles Rolls’ prophecy and Torsten Müller-Ötvös’ promise led to an historic moment. In September 2021, the marque confirmed that it had commenced testing of Spectre, the first Rolls-Royce to be conceived and engineered from the very beginning as an electric car.

To ensure that this transformative motor car was sufficiently prepared for the most demanding consumer in the world – the Rolls-Royce client – the marque devised the most exhaustive testing programme it had ever conceived. Spectre is being subjected to a journey of more than 2.5 million kilometres, simulating more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce. On its completion in 2023, Spectre will represent a prophecy fulfilled, a promise kept and an undertaking completed.

Spectre is not only an historic moment for Rolls-Royce, but also an historic moment for electrification – with Spectre, the marque confirms that the technology has reached a standard that can contain the Rolls-Royce experience. To that end, Rolls-Royce has confirmed that by the end of 2030 its entire product portfolio will be fully-electric.


THE FUTURE BEGINS

Spectre is more than a motor car. It is a statement of intent and a symbol of a bright, bold future as Rolls-Royce progresses into an all-electric era. This commitment to an all-electric powertrain will only enhance the Rolls-Royce experience – instant torque, silent running and the sense of one imperceptible gear have defined the characteristics of an extraordinary canon of products dating back to the very first Rolls-Royce, the 1904 10 H.P.

With Spectre, Rolls-Royce has harnessed a revolutionary ‘Decentralised Intelligence’ system that allows for the free and direct exchange of information between more than 1,000 vehicle functions, further elevating the marque’s celebrated quality of ride. Its designers have captured a contemporary yet timeless aesthetic that significantly progresses the brand’s iconography as it embarks on its electric age. Its craftspeople have created a suite of contemporary prêt-à-porter personalisation possibilities, including Starlight Doors and Illuminated Fascia, inspiring clients to realise their own Bespoke visions.


DESIGN

In unveiling Spectre, Rolls-Royce sets a new precedent in the creation of an entirely original class of motor car: the Ultra-Luxury Electric Super Coupé. This designation refers to Spectre’s indulgent proportions, specified in response to a commitment that there is no greater luxury than that of space.

The marque’s designers are deeply rooted in the context occupied by their motor cars. Therefore, their inspiration is drawn from worlds far beyond automotive, including haute couture, modernist sculpture, nautical design, tailoring and contemporary art. In conceiving the principal sketches for Spectre, the marque’s creatives were drawn to modern yacht concepts, specifically the clarity and precision of line, intelligent use of reflection and application of taper to emotionalise silhouettes.

From the front, Spectre’s split headlight treatment is intersected by the widest grille ever bestowed on a Rolls-Royce. The vanes of the Pantheon grille are now smoother in section and a flusher fit, designed to help guide the air around the motor car’s front.

The relaxed angle and polished stainless steel finish of the grille does much to enhance Spectre’s presence using environmental reflection. Along with an aero-tuned Spirit of Ecstasy figurine – itself the product of 830 combined hours of design modelling and wind tunnel testing – the grille enhances the motor car’s unprecedented drag coefficient, which at just 0.25cd makes Spectre Rolls-Royce’s most aerodynamic motor car, ever.

This intelligent treatment has been married to the iconography of Spectre’s spiritual predecessor, the Phantom Coupé. Spectre clearly acknowledges its forebear with its generous proportions and split headlight treatment – a contemporary Rolls-Royce design tenet. Spectre’s sharp daylight running lights emphasise the motor car’s imperious two-metre width and are offset with lower lamp clusters that appear darkened, at first glance, but hide jewellery box-like darkened chromium housings for the headlights. To affirm Spectre’s expression after dark, the grille is softly illuminated, with 22 LEDs lighting up the sandblasted rear side of each of the vanes, their gentle glow reflected in the polished front surfaces for a subtle and three-dimensional night signature.

In profile, the sharp, vertical bow line at the front of Spectre draws the eye rearward to its monolithic flanks. The lower line – known as the ‘waft line’ – borrows directly from yacht design. Instead of exaggerating movement with busy detailing or appliqués, Spectre’s coachwork gently tucks into the sill, lightening the surfacing and creating an uncomplicated sense of motion by reflecting the road passing beneath it, much as the hull of a racing yacht reflects the ocean as it cuts through water. This ‘waft line’ is the visual representation of the ‘magic carpet ride’ and its upwards sweep toward the front is inspired by the gently lifting bow of an accelerating power boat.

The silhouette’s most dramatic feature is Spectre’s fastback, which recalls the most evocative motor cars and watercraft in history. The seamlessness of the greenhouse surfacing significantly contributes to achieving the lowest drag coefficient ever for a Rolls-Royce. Following the roofline back, the tail lamps are set into the largest single body panel ever produced for a Rolls-Royce, which extends from the A-pillar to the luggage compartment. The jewel-like vertical tail lamps themselves are colourless for neutrality, in anticipation of the myriad of colourways selected by clients during the commissioning process. Their precision and reduced dimension complement the generous flow of the bodywork from the muscular shoulders backwards into the tail section with its characteristic tapering plan view.

The proportional demands of Spectre’s scale required Rolls-Royce to embolden its wheel strategy. Spectre is the first production two-door coupé to be equipped with 23-inch wheels in almost one hundred years.

Inside, Spectre is provisioned with the most technologically advanced Bespoke features yet, drawing inspiration from the timeless mystique of the night’s sky. For the first time on a series production Rolls-Royce, Spectre is available with Starlight Doors, which incorporate 4,796 softly illuminated ‘stars’. The coach doors can also be commissioned with a backdrop of wood Canadel Panelling, which takes its name from the cove in the South of France where Sir Henry Royce and his design team spent their winters.

The ethereal night-time theme continues with Spectre’s Illuminated Fascia. Developed over the course of two years and more than 10,000 collective hours, it incorporates the Spectre nameplate surrounded by a cluster of over 5,500 stars. Located on the passenger side of the dashboard, the illuminations are completely invisible when the motor car is not in operation.

Alongside the extraordinary, illuminated surfaces, Spectre is equipped with a completely redesigned digital architecture of luxury named SPIRIT, presented in quintessential Rolls-Royce style. Not only will SPIRIT manage the motor car’s functions, but it is seamlessly integrated into the marque’s Whispers application, allowing clients to interact with their car remotely, and receive live information curated by the marque’s luxury intelligence specialists.

For the first time ever, clients are now able to extend their Bespoke commission beyond the physical world and into the digital architecture that underpins SPIRIT. Inspired by the marque’s clients’ love of bespoke timepieces, the colour of the dials can now complement the interior hue of the motor car.

As with all Rolls-Royce motor cars, Spectre’s interior suite offers clients near-infinite Bespoke possibilities. The all-new front seat design has been inspired by British tailoring, with lapel sections that can be rendered in contrasting or matching colours to the main base. Bespoke stitching, embroidery and intricate piping has, as ever, been considered in their inception.


ALL-ALUMINIUM ARCHITECTURE OF LUXURY

2003 saw the first Goodwood-era Phantom, built upon its own Bespoke architecture. This renaissance of the brand was Rolls-Royce 1.0. Following this, the ‘Architecture of Luxury’ was conceived – a new, highly flexible all-aluminium spaceframe architecture, and visionary feat of engineering, that could be tailored for electric drive, as well as today’s Phantom, Cullinan and Ghost models, and Coachbuild projects. This expansion of the marque’s offering was Rolls-Royce 2.0. The ability to tailor the Architecture of Luxury for electric drive was a fundamental consideration when it was first conceived. However, it is only now that electric drive technology is advanced enough to fulfil the Rolls-Royce experience. The introduction of a fully-electric powertrain and Decentralised Intelligence into the marque’s portfolio represents Rolls-Royce 3.0 and the beginning of the bold new all-electric era.

By ensuring from the outset that the Architecture of Luxury could be tailored to the requirements of an all-electric Rolls-Royce, the marque’s engineers ensured the continuity of experience from its current portfolio, each evolution of which has done much to secure the brand’s ongoing global success. Indeed, the inherent flexibility of the architecture and ease of integration of an electric powertrain has freed engineers, designers and craftspeople to focus on the quality of experience, authenticity of design and innovation in Bespoke.

For Spectre, Rolls-Royce engineers have unlocked further benefits. The sophisticated extruded aluminium sections and integration of the battery into the structure of the motor car enable it to be 30% stiffer than any previous Rolls-Royce. The flexibility of the architecture has also allowed engineers to place the floor halfway between the sill structures rather than on top or underneath them. A channel has been created for wiring and climate control pipework between the battery and the floor, with the battery mounted underneath, providing a perfectly smooth underfloor profile. This not only creates a low seating position and enveloping cabin but realises a secondary function for the battery – almost 700kg of sound deadening.


DIGITAL ENGINEERING

For Spectre, Rolls-Royce’s engineers have seen much of their discipline pivot from the workshop to the digital space. Spectre is the most connected Rolls-Royce in history, and in harnessing the power of the motor car’s remarkable Decentralised Intelligence processing capabilities there is more requirement than ever for expert human experience.

To ensure the continuity of the Rolls-Royce experience, as well as its progression, the marque selected the most experienced test and development engineers to lead the project, some of whom have been with the marque for more than two decades and were responsible for creating the first ‘Goodwood-era’ Phantom. These engineers describe the experience offered by Spectre as akin to “Rolls-Royce in high definition” on account of the speed and accuracy of the motor car’s response to a worldwide spread of road and weather conditions.

For this to be realised, a dedicated control has been handmade for each of the 141,200 sender-receiver variables, and in nearly all cases engineers have designed several more sub-variables for variations in climate, ground speed, road type, vehicle status and driving style. These have been crafted over the course of Spectre’s 2.5 million kilometre testing programme both on advanced proving grounds and on real roads around the world.


PLANAR SUSPENSION

In testing Spectre, the process includes extreme driving conditions – development of the motor car began just 55km from the arctic circle in Arjeplog, Sweden, at temperatures as low as -40 degrees centigrade, and it will continue across Southern Africa, in temperatures of up to 55 degrees centigrade. Yet, 55% of testing is taking place on the very roads that many production Spectres will be driven on. Of particular significance was the French Riviera. It was on the Côte d'Azur that Spectre’s digitally integrated evolution of the renowned Planar suspension system was finalised.

Planar suspension is an orchestra of systems with precisely defined responses to driver inputs and road conditions, made possible by the latest software and hardware developments, delivering Rolls-Royce’s hallmark ‘magic carpet ride’.

Using a suite of new hardware components and leveraging Spectre’s high-speed processing capabilities, the Planar system can decouple the car’s anti-roll bars allowing each wheel to act independently, preventing the rocking motion that occurs when one side of a vehicle hits an undulation in the road. This also reduces high-frequency ride imperfections caused by shortcomings in road surface quality.

Once a corner is identified as imminent, the Planar system recouples the components and stiffens the dampers, the four-wheel steering system is then prepared for activation to ensure effortless entry and exit. Under cornering, 18 sensors are monitored, and steering, braking, power delivery and suspension parameters are adjusted so that Spectre remains stable. The result is effortless control.


POWER, RANGE AND DIMENSIONS

The final power, acceleration and range figures are still being refined, as the extraordinary undertaking of finessing Spectre enters its final phase before concluding in the second quarter of 2023. Preliminary data shows that Spectre is expected to have an all-electric range of 320 miles/520 kilometres WLTP and offer 900Nm of torque from its 430kW powertrain. It is anticipated to achieve 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds (0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds).

With many months of testing and optimisation of Spectre still ahead, these figures are subject to change ahead of official confirmation prior to market launch in Q4 2023.


SPECTRE DIMENSIONS:    
Number of doors / seats         2 doors / 4 seats

Vehicle length                         5453 mm / 214.685 in

Vehicle width                           2080 mm / 81.889 in

Vehicle height (unladen)          1559 mm / 61.377 in

Wheelbase                              3210 mm / 126.378 in

Turning circle                           12.7 m

Kerb weight                             2975 kg

MARKET DEBUT

Spectre is available for commission immediately, with first client deliveries commencing in Q4 2023. Spectre pricing will be positioned between Cullinan and Phantom.

•  Rolls-Royce Motor Cars reveals the history of the name chosen for its new battery-electric vehicle, Spectre, from the beginning of the project
• First time that the Spectre name has been given to a series production Rolls‑Royce
• Previously used only for one early demonstrator car and 10 experimental chassis
• Historic Spectre models profoundly influenced key Rolls-Royce developments in the 20^th Century
• Part of a long-standing use of ethereal names to encapsulate Rolls-Royce's near-silent running
  
  
  

“The advent of our first battery-electric car marks the start of a bold new era for Rolls-Royce. It is also the culmination of a long, painstaking process, in which every element in creating this landmark car has been considered in the minutest detail, over numerous iterations. But one aspect of this landmark motor car has always been certain: from the very outset, we determined that it would bear the name Spectre – the first series production Rolls-Royce ever to do so. It was a decision initially inspired by our heritage: 'Spectre' cars were always associated with ground-breaking technical innovations, the relentless pursuit of perfection, and a sense of mystery and otherworldliness. The motor car we now present to the world embodies all those qualities, while making the Spectre name entirely its own.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Choosing a name for a new Rolls-Royce motor car is a crucial, highly considered and painstaking process, in which the marque's unique heritage plays a central part. Of the current product family, all but Cullinan (named after the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered) bear storied names from the past: Phantom, Ghost, Dawn and Wraith all have namesakes spanning Rolls-Royce's 118-year history.

In naming its first battery-electric vehicle, Rolls-Royce sought to maintain and strengthen these important 'genetic' links, while also marking a definitive shift into new territory defined by innovation and progress. As the following brief history explains, it found the perfect solution with Spectre.



WHAT'S IN A NAME?
According to a Chinese proverb, ‘the beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names’, reflecting our innate need to identify and classify objects as a way to make sense of the universe. This is entirely obvious in relation to people, of course; and for our early ancestors, naming objects was a crucial survival technique. But why name an inanimate object like a motor car?

The practice is as old as the motor car itself. Before the First World War, road transport was still dominated by horses and horse-drawn vehicles and those who could afford a Rolls-Royce would certainly have also kept and used horses themselves. It would therefore have been entirely natural and logical for them to name their new car, just as they would have done a favourite steed.

The marketing potential of this fundamental human trait was immediately evident to the keen business mind of Claude Johnson, the commercial managing director of Rolls-Royce. Between 1905 and 1913 he personally devised, often in consultation with the client, individual names for almost 50 cars the company produced – the most famous of which was 'The Silver Ghost', created for the 1907 London Motor Show. The car's silver paintwork and silver-plated brightwork so impressed motoring journalists and the public alike that 'Silver Ghost' was adopted as the official model name for all 40/50 H.P. chassis built until 1925, when the New Phantom was introduced.

Johnson would surely be gratified that these ethereal, otherworldly names, intended to capture the car's near-silent running, still grace Rolls-Royce models, referencing this same quality more than a century later.



‘THE SILVER SPECTRE’ (CHASSIS 1601, 1910)
In August 1910, the marque built Chassis 1601, which Johnson used as a trials, or demonstrator, car. Johnson named it ‘The Silver Spectre’ ­– the first recorded use of the Spectre name in the company's archive.

Chassis 1601 was sold to the War Office in 1915 and its last known whereabouts was at a firm of motor engineers in Sheffield in 1933. Over the course of its lifetime, this car was rebodied at least three times. This was typical during this period, often to suit the new owner's tastes if the car had changed hands, and sometimes for more prosaic reasons: early coachwork employed materials and methods that, while perfectly suited to horse-drawn vehicles doing 10mph, quickly succumbed to the strains of travelling at 50mph or more in automotive use. While the eventual fate of Chassis 1601 remains somewhat unclear, one thing is certain: no Rolls-Royce would bear the Spectre name again for over 20 years.

THE EXPERIMENTAL PHANTOM III 'SPECTRE' CARS (1934-7)
Early in its history, Rolls-Royce established a special naming convention for its experimental cars, giving them chassis numbers with the suitably tantalising suffix 'EX'. Beginning with 1EX in 1919 and running through to 45EX in 1957, these 'large-horsepower' development models were subjected to test-runs of up to 15,000 miles, often covering 800 miles a day on the unforgiving roads of France. They also clocked up thousands of additional miles in heavy London traffic and through the British countryside. The EX designation continues in the modern era, the latest example being the 103EX electric vision vehicle, unveiled in 2016.

In 1930, Sir Henry Royce began developing a brand-new V12 engine for a completely new chassis with independent front suspension. However, his death in 1933 meant he never saw the project through to completion. The new car, 30EX, was finally ready for road-testing in November 1934.

As with all innovations, maintaining secrecy around the new V12 engine was commercially critical. Therefore, together with its chassis number, 30EX was also assigned a codename: ‘Spectre’. Nine further EX cars, with the ‘Spectre’ codename would follow, before the car entered production as Phantom III in 1936. Of these development chassis, seven would later be repurposed for sale to private customers, who presumably never knew of their motor car’s previous covert operations. It was the testing and refinement conducted using these ‘Spectre’ cars that allowed Phantom III to uphold the marque's reputation, first established by Silver Ghost in 1907, as “The best car in the world”.

ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE (2023-)
Like the EX cars of the past, the present-day Spectre represents a bold and enormously significant shift, both technically and philosophically, for Rolls-Royce. As the first all-electric Rolls-Royce, it marks an evolution in powertrain technology arguably even greater than the introduction of the marque's first V12 engine – the configuration, which after almost 80 years, is still used in every current Rolls-Royce model.

The Spectre name itself sits alongside Ghost, Phantom and Wraith as an evocation of silence, refinement and mystery; of something imagined and dreamlike that exists outside normal parameters and experience. And though it has previously been given to individual and experimental cars, no series production Rolls-Royce has worn the Spectre nameplate until now. This meeting of innovation and continuity makes Spectre the perfect name choice for a car of such singular and historic importance.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, says, “There is a pleasing symmetry between the Spectres of the past and the present-day incarnation. In our history, Spectre is a name synonymous with technical innovation and development, and Rolls‑Royce motor cars that go on to change the world. Though separated by almost a century, both the Spectres of the 1930s and our own today are the proving-grounds for propulsion technology that will shape our products and clients’ experiences for decades to come.”

• Rolls-Royce continues 2.5 million km testing programme for first electric product, Spectre
• 625,000 km testing phase in French Riviera region of southern France
• Spectre tested at Autodrome de Miramas facility and on Côte d’Azur roads
• Unprecedented processing speeds leveraged for new standard in ride
• Proprietary smart suspension system confirmed for production
• Developments in marque’s architecture make Spectre stiffest Rolls-Royce ever
• 30% increase in rigidity enabled by integrating battery pack into structure
• New drag coefficient of 0.25 makes Spectre most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce yet
• Spectre development now approximately 40% complete

 

“It is no exaggeration to state that Spectre is the most anticipated Rolls-Royce ever. Free from the restrictions connected to the internal combustion engine, our battery-electric vehicle will offer the purest expression of the Rolls-Royce experience in the marque’s 118-year history. This latest testing phase proves a suite of advanced technologies that underpin a symbolic shift for Rolls-Royce as it progresses towards a bright, bold, all-electric future. This will secure the ongoing relevance of our brand for generations to come.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“Spectre unlocks the extraordinary potential of integrating a fully electric powertrain into our Architecture of Luxury platform. From this engineering starting point, our testing and refinement processes combine empirical data and human experience, intuition and insights acquired over more than a century to refine the motor car’s driving dynamics and character. In coordinating this orchestra of systems with precisely defined responses to driver inputs and road conditions, made possible by the latest software and hardware developments, Spectre delivers the Rolls-Royce experience in exceptionally high definition.”
Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Director of Engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars



ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: BACKGROUND

Whilst Rolls-Royce has built a reputation for creating the pinnacle of super-luxury motor cars using internal combustion engines, the concept of electrification is long familiar to the brand. Henry Royce began his working life as an electrical engineer and dedicated much of his career to creating internal combustion engines that simulated the characteristics of an electric car – silent running, instant torque and the sensation of one endless gear.

Yet the connection with the marque’s founders is far deeper. When Charles Rolls drove a 1900 electric car named the Columbia, he made a prophecy: “The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.” Spectre is the fulfilment of this prophecy.

Spectre also represents a promise kept. In 2011, Rolls-Royce showcased a fully electric Experimental Phantom concept named 102EX. This was followed by 103EX, a dramatic design study that anticipated a bold electric future for the marque. These experimental cars prompted significant interest from Rolls-Royce clients, who felt that the characteristics of an electric powertrain would fit perfectly with the brand. Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Officer, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, responded to this with a clear promise: Rolls-Royce will go electric, starting this decade, and by 2030 Rolls-Royce will be a fully electric motor car brand.

In September 2021, Rolls-Royce confirmed that it had commenced testing of the first all-electric Rolls-Royce, Spectre. To ensure Spectre is first and foremost a Rolls-Royce, it will undergo the most demanding testing programme ever conceived by the marque, spanning 2.5 million kilometres, simulating on average more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce. It is an extraordinary undertaking.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: RIVIERA TESTING

Earlier this year, at a bespoke testing facility in Arjeplog, Sweden – just 55 kilometres from the Arctic Circle – Spectre received the first ‘lessons’ in a finishing school that is custom designed to teach the motor car how to behave and react like a Rolls-Royce. Over the past months, the marque’s test and development engineers have shifted their focus from extreme conditions to more formal scrutiny in a location that reflects the motor car’s everyday use: the French Riviera.

In evoking its spiritual successor, the Phantom Coupé, this Electric Super Coupé will be the first all-electric super-luxury motor car with continental touring central to its proposition. The French Riviera and its roads present a perfect combination of the types of conditions that will be demanded from Spectre’s clients, ranging from technical coastal corniches to faster inland carriageways.

Forming a crucial part of Spectre's 2.5 million kilometre global testing programme, a total of 625,000 kilometres will be driven on and around the French Côte d’Azur. This phase is split into two parts, beginning at the historic Autodrome de Miramas proving ground, located in the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône in Provence. Once a circuit that played host to the 1926 Grand Prix, the site is now a state-of-the-art test and development facility, incorporating more than 60 kilometres of closed routes and 20 test track environments that provide a vast number of testing opportunities over its 1,198 acre footprint.

These include irrigation units that create standing water, demanding handling circuits with tight corners and adverse cambers, as well as a heavily banked 3.1 mile three-lane high-speed bowl, enabling Spectre to be tested at continuous high speeds.

The second phase of testing in the region occurs in the Provençal countryside surrounding the Autodrome de Miramas. This region is enjoyed by many of the marque’s clients, therefore a significant 55%of testing here has taken place on the very roads that many production Spectres will be driven on following first customer deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023. This provision for testing under local, real-life conditions is repeated in key markets around the world, as the marque goes to painstaking lengths to ensure that its products meet – and so often exceed – the expectations of its highly discerning customer group.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: A BESPOKE ELECTRONIC ARCHITECTURE

Spectre is unlike any Rolls-Royce before it. This is not only because of its fully electric powertrain, but also its unprecedented computing power and application of advanced data-processing technologies. Spectre is the most connected Rolls-Royce ever and each of its components are more intelligent than in any previous Rolls-Royce. It features 141,200 sender-receiver relations and has more than 1,000 functions and more than 25,000 sub functions. This is around three times more sender-receiver signals than a typical Rolls-Royce.

The dramatically increased intelligence of Spectre’s electronic and electric powertrain architecture enables a free and direct exchange of detailed information between these functions with minimal centralised processing. To unlock the potential of this technology, Rolls-Royce software engineering specialists developed a decentralised intelligence for Spectre. This is based on data being processed closer to its source rather than being handled in its entirety by a single central processing unit.

By sending more sophisticated data packets – that not only describe a variable but propose a response – the motor car’s reaction time is significantly faster and more detailed. This advanced technology sees much of the development of Spectre pivot from the workshop into the digital space.

Yet developing Spectre is not an exercise in computer science alone. The motor car requires a response to hundreds of thousands of possible scenarios, and therefore it needs the most skilled and experienced specialists to define and finesse an appropriate mechanical reaction. Over the course of the Riviera Testing Programme, the marque’s most experienced engineers are painstakingly creating a dedicated control for each of Spectre’s 25,000-plus functions, incorporating variations of response depending on factors including weather, driver behaviour, vehicle status and road conditions.

In harnessing this new processing power, the marque’s engineers are creating unparalleled levels of detail, refinement and effortlessness for Spectre whilst ensuring continuity in the experience of Rolls-Royce’s internal combustion engine motor cars. These highly experienced specialists describe the result as “Rolls-Royce in high definition”.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: ‘MAGIC CARPET RIDE’ IN HIGH DEFINITION

Following months of continual testing, a new suspension technology has been approved that ensures Spectre delivers Rolls-Royce’s hallmark ‘magic carpet ride’. This technology is now being refined and perfected at Miramas and on the roads of the French Riviera.

Using a suite of new hardware components and leveraging Spectre’s high-speed processing capabilities, this sophisticated electronic roll stabilisation system uses data from the motor car’s Flagbearer system, which reads the road surface ahead, and satellite navigation system, which alerts Spectre to upcoming corners.

On straight roads, the system can automatically decouple Spectre’s anti-roll bars, allowing each wheel to act independently. This prevents the rocking motion that occurs when one side of a vehicle hits an undulation in the road. This also dramatically improves high-frequency imperfections in ride caused by smaller, more frequent shortcomings in road surface quality.

Once a corner is confirmed as imminent by satellite navigation data and the Flagbearer system, the components are recoupled, the suspension dampers stiffen and the four-wheel steering system prepares for activation to ensure effortless entry and exit. Under cornering, more than 18 sensors are monitored, and steering, braking, power delivery and suspension parameters are adjusted accordingly so that Spectre remains stable. For the driver, this delivers serenity, predictability and, ultimately, greater control in unprecedented high definition.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: INTELLIGENT ARCHITECTURE PROVIDES UNPARALLELED RIGIDITY

The unparalleled control of such a generously proportioned motor car that is provided by this new technology is enabled by the marque’s all-aluminium spaceframe architecture. Not only has this platform, which is reserved for the brand’s exclusive use, enabled designers to create a new class of Rolls-Royce – the Electric Super Coupé – but it has also provided Spectre with the most rigid body in the marque’s history.

Spectre’s aluminium architecture is reinforced with steel sections that provide exceptional torsional rigidity. This is combined with aluminium body sections that represent the largest of any Rolls-Royce yet. The one-piece side panel, which extends from the front of the A-pillar to behind the rear tail-lights, is the largest ‘deep draw’ part ever produced by Rolls-Royce – extending nearly four metres in length. Likewise, the pillarless coach doors, which are nearly 1.5 metres in length, are the longest in Rolls-Royce history.

Spectre’s exceptional rigidity, which represents a 30% improvement over all existing Rolls-Royce motor cars, has also been achieved by integrating the extremely rigid structure of the battery itself into Spectre’s aluminium spaceframe architecture. Only through the marque’s architecture has this been made possible.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: A NEW AERODYNAMIC STANDARD

In announcing the redesigned Spirit of Ecstasy mascot that will sit proudly at the prow of Spectre, Rolls-Royce aerodynamicists predicted that the motor car would have a drag coefficient (c_d) of just 0.26, making it the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever created. The dramatic design of this landmark motor car, which itself is only possible using the marque’s spaceframe architecture, has enabled engineers to further improve on this landmark figure.

Following rigorous wind tunnel testing, digital modelling and continuous high-speed testing in Miramas, this figure has been further reduced to just 0.25. This does not just represent a record in the context of Rolls-Royce, but is unprecedented in the luxury sector.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: THE EXTRAORDINARY UNDERTAKING CONTINUES

The Spectre global testing programme continues: the Electric Super Coupé will still be tested for a further one million kilometres before the marque’s engineers will consider this undertaking complete. First customer deliveries of Spectre will commence in the fourth quarter of 2023.

• All-electric Rolls-Royce concludes winter testing 55km from Arctic Circle
• Spectre endures -40˚C temperatures at specialist facility in Arjeplog, Sweden
• 25% of 2.5 million km testing programme, simulating 400 years of use, now complete
• Rolls-Royce aluminium spaceframe Architecture of Luxury confirmed
• Emotional design, size and ‘split’ lamps create spiritual successor to Phantom Coupé
• ‘Rolls-Royce 3.0’ heralds new era of digital drivetrain and chassis engineering
• Decentralised Intelligence created to harmonise 141,200 sender-receiver relations
• Architecture unlocks secondary battery function: 700kg of sound deadening

“The announcement of every new Rolls-Royce motor car carries a great weight of expectation, but Spectre is unquestionably the most anticipated product in the marque’s modern history. This is because it is much more than a product. It is a symbol for our bright, bold electric future, and it represents a seismic shift in our powertrain technology.

"It is for this reason that we have created a testing programme that is as significant and historical as Spectre itself. The extraordinary undertaking of educating Spectre to think and behave like a Rolls-Royce will cover 2.5 million kilometres, which is a simulation of more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce. Today, I can confirm that 25% of this journey is now complete, and the results have met our most ambitious expectations.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


“Refining the all-electric drivetrain that underpins Spectre challenges the very definition of engineering. The departure from internal combustion engines allows us to significantly increase the processing power of our individual components and create a Decentralised Intelligence. We refer to this unprecedented era, where we benefit from a multi-control, multi-channel and highly interconnected electronic and electric powertrain architecture, as ‘Rolls-Royce 3.0’.

“Our task is to teach each component and system how to think, behave and communicate like a Rolls-Royce, which sees much of the engineering pivot from workshops into the digital space. Here in Arjeplog we have built a significant foundation on which we will create a true Rolls-Royce. This is a big step forward for our brand, but also for electrification – even though Spectre is in its infancy, I can confirm that the technology is able to contain the Rolls-Royce experience.”
Mihiar Ayoubi, Director of Engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: BACKGROUND

In September 2021, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars made an historical announcement that it would launch its most important product since 4^th May 1904, when the marque’s founders Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce agreed that they would create “the best car in the world”. The Rolls-Royce Spectre.

While Rolls-Royce has built a reputation for creating what are regularly described as “the best cars in the world” using internal combustion engines, the idea of electrification is something that is familiar to the brand. Henry Royce began life as an electrical engineer and dedicated much of his life to creating internal combustion engines that simulated the characteristics of an electric car – silent running, instant torque, and the sensation of one endless gear.

Yet, the connection with the marque’s founders is far deeper. When Charles Rolls drove a 1900 electric car named the Columbia, he made a prophecy: “The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged”. Spectre is the fulfilment of this prophecy.

Spectre also represents a promise kept. In 2011, Rolls-Royce showcased a fully electric Experimental Phantom concept named 102EX. This was followed by 103EX, a dramatic design study that anticipated a bold electric future for the marque. These experimental cars prompted significant interest from Rolls-Royce clients. They felt that the characteristics of an electric powertrain would fit perfectly with the brand. Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Officer, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, responded to this with an unambiguous promise: Rolls-Royce will go electric, starting this decade.

In September 2021, Charles Rolls’ prophecy and Torsten Müller-Ötvös’ promise led to an historical moment. Rolls-Royce confirmed that it had commenced testing of the first all-electric Rolls-Royce in history, Spectre. This extraordinary undertaking would be the most demanding testing program ever conceived by Rolls-Royce and would span 2.5 million kilometres, simulating more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce, on average.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: WINTER TESTING

A new Rolls-Royce motor car always begins its life in winter. Temperatures at the Bespoke facility used by the marque, located in Arjeplog, Sweden, just 55km from the arctic circle, drop to -26 degrees centigrade and are further cooled to -40 degrees centigrade.

There are several reasons for subjecting the marque’s products to such extremes. When the first prototypes are built, engineers perform very basic tests in extreme conditions to ensure that each system is operational and functions at a basic level in a cold weather environment. This test is combined with the beginnings of the refinement process – the first ‘lessons’ in a finishing school that will form the foundations of a motor car worthy of the marque.

This begins with processes that are common to the automotive industry such as noise, vibration and harshness tests. The variables that affect this are manifold, spanning from the materials selected for major hardware components to the density of the door rubbers, bushing compounds, fastening materials and even properties of bonding agents. The performance of these variables can change considerably when subjected to extreme temperatures – likewise the efficiency of the motor car’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning and cooling systems.

As a true luxury brand, there is an additional component of winter testing that is of great importance to Rolls-Royce. This is defined by the marque’s engineers as ‘de-escalated time’, which enables incredible accuracy and control in creating the Rolls-Royce experience using Spectre’s chassis control systems, powertrain management and electronics control.

By driving on low traction surfaces such as snow and ice and wilfully destabilising Spectre, the engineers can create dynamic circumstances at low speeds that would ordinarily occur at high speeds. This can be reviewed and guided in situ and in slow motion, in doing so parametrising and finessing cold-weather vehicle performance in areas such as handling, controllability, stability, predictability and the ‘waftability’ that defines the Rolls-Royce experience.

De-escalated time enables engineers to create unparalleled detail in the motor car’s response, in doing so schooling Spectre to think, behave and communicate like a Rolls-Royce worthy of the marque. Following more than half a million kilometres of testing, 25% of this process has now been completed.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: ROLLS-ROYCE 3.0

Rolls-Royce 3.0 represents the beginning of the marque’s bold electric future. The term ‘Rolls-Royce 3.0’ is a reference to the brand’s progress during its renaissance, which began in Goodwood, West Sussex on 1^st January 2003. The first Goodwood Rolls-Royce was Phantom, and it was underpinned by its own Bespoke architecture. This was Rolls-Royce 1.0. Following this, a new, highly flexible all-aluminium spaceframe architecture was conceived that could be adapted for multiple applications, including the current Phantom, Cullinan, Ghost and Coachbuild projects. This was Rolls-Royce 2.0. Rolls-Royce 3.0 is the integration of a fully electric power train and Decentralised Intelligence into the marque’s architecture.

In component terms, the simplicity of the car has increased significantly. However, the requirement for engineering Spectre – of sending this uneducated car to Rolls-Royce finishing school – is unparalleled. The definition of engineering has changed. Historically, engineering a Rolls-Royce has taken place in workshops. Spectre sees this pivot into the digital space.

Spectre is the most connected Rolls-Royce ever and each component within it is more intelligent than in any previous Rolls-Royce. It features 141,200 sender-receiver relations and has more than 1,000 functions with more than 25,000 sub functions. By comparison, Phantom has 51,000 sender-receiver relations, 456 functions and 647 sub functions.

The dramatically increased intelligence of Spectre’s electronic and electric powertrain architecture enables a free and direct exchange of detailed information between these 1,000+ functions with no centralised processing. While this has required engineers to increase the length of cabling from around 2 kilometres in existing Rolls-Royce products to 7 kilometres in Spectre, and to write more than 25 times more algorithms, it offers a significant step forward for the brand. A dedicated control can be created for each set of functions which enables unprecedented levels of detail and refinement, allowing for what Rolls-Royce chassis specialists are already calling “Rolls-Royce in high definition”.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: ARCHITECTURE

In creating a design for Spectre, a generously proportioned, highly emotional body style was selected. This could only be enabled with the marque’s all-aluminium spaceframe architecture. Indeed, the scale is so far beyond other contemporary coupés that it has been designated an Electric Super Coupé. It is the brand’s belief that there is only one other contemporary product that occupies this space – Phantom Coupé. The marque’s designers consider Spectre to be Phantom Coupé’s spiritual successor. 

Indeed, when it came to styling Spectre, the marque’s designers considered the dimensions and emotionality of Phantom Coupé, and other grand coupés from Rolls-Royce’s past. Not only did they create this emotion with Spectre’s fastback silhouette and size, but they also carried forward a key design feature of Phantom Coupé: the iconic split headlights, a design tenet that Rolls-Royce has owned for many decades.

This design typology was selected in consultation with the marque’s clients, who found the idea of a Phantom-scale Electric Super Coupé highly appealing. However, the decision to pursue this aesthetic was also strategic. Leaders within the brand wanted the first fully electric Rolls-Royce to be highly emotional, something that shows that electric powertrain technology can deliver on the promise of such grand, seductive and compelling styling. While Spectre represents an historical moment for Rolls-Royce, it is also an historic moment for electrification – the technology is now able to contain the Rolls-Royce experience.

The flexibility of Rolls-Royce’s proprietary architecture, which is reserved for the marque’s exclusive use and does not underpin mass market cars, enables the exterior design to carry the scale required to create the presence of an authentic Rolls-Royce. This is plain to see in Spectre’s wheel size – it will be the first coupé equipped with 23-inch wheels since 1926.

The flexibility of the marque’s architecture also enabled designers to dramatize the coupé experience. By placing the floor halfway between the sill structures rather than on top or underneath the sills, there is a highly aerodynamic channel for the battery, providing a perfectly smooth underfloor profile. Likewise, this creates a low seating position and enveloping cabin experience.

By moving the bulkhead location, designers and engineers have also been able to deepen the dashboard location to truly cocoon passengers. This is amplified with a dramatically low windscreen rake and incredibly efficient airflow profile. This, along with other intelligent design solutions such as an aerodynamically tuned Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, contributes to a drag coefficient (cd) of just 0.26 in early prototypes.

The battery location, which is enabled by the marque’s architecture, unlocks another benefit that is commensurate with the Rolls-Royce experience. By creating wiring and piping channels between the floor of the car and roof of the battery, engineers have created a secondary function for the battery – 700kg of sound deadening.


ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE: THE EXTRAORDINARY UNDERTAKING CONTINUES

With the winter testing phase completed, Spectre will continue its global testing programme. The Electric Super Coupé still has to complete nearly two million kilometres before the marque’s engineers will consider this undertaking complete prior to first customer deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023. 

• Iconic Spirit of Ecstasy figurine recreated for Rolls-Royce’s all-electric future
• Forthcoming all-electric Spectre is marque’s most aerodynamic product yet
• Redesign contributes to a drag coefficient (c_d) of just 0.26 in early prototypes
• Product of 830 combined hours of design modelling and wind tunnel testing
• Simultaneously, Muse, the Rolls-Royce Art Programme, announces jury for Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge
• Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge sees artists create works in textile, inspired by figurine
• Spirit of Ecstasy officially registered as intellectual property of Rolls-Royce on 6^th February 1911, 111 years ago today
  
  
  

“The Spirit of Ecstasy is the most famous and desirable automotive mascot in the world. More than just a symbol, she is the embodiment of our brand, and a constant source of inspiration and pride for the marque and its clients. Like our brand, she has always moved with the times while staying true to her nature and character. In her new form she is more streamlined and graceful than ever before – the perfect emblem for the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever created, and for gracing the prow of our bold electric future.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


“111 years ago today, the Spirit of Ecstasy became an official part of Rolls-Royce. Yet, she has come to represent a spiritual direction for our brand. Her form perfectly captures the marque – she leans forward, expressing our relentless pursuit of progress, and her dress gracefully flows in the wind, echoing the serenity of our products in motion. For Spectre and beyond, she becomes lower and more focussed; braced for unprecedented speed and the exciting future her presence will define.”
Anders Warming, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


Rolls-Royce has reimagined its iconic Spirit of Ecstasy figurine to grace the bonnet of its new all-electric motor car, Spectre, 111 years to the day the Spirit of Ecstasy was first registered as intellectual property of Rolls-Royce on 6^th February 1911.

The figurine has been remodelled with a lower, more dynamic stance that brings her much closer to the drawings made by her original creator, the illustrator and sculptor Charles Sykes, in the early years of the 20^th century. It also sees her physical form represent The Expression, a visual device that forms part of the marque's new visual language.

The new Spirit of Ecstasy stands 82.73mm tall, compared to her predecessor’s 100.01mm. Her robes, which flow behind her in the slipstream – often but erroneously characterised as ‘wings’ – have been subtly reshaped to make them more aerodynamic and realistic.

The most visible change is her stance. Previously, she has stood with her feet together, legs straight and tilting at the waist. Now, she is a true goddess of speed, braced for the wind, one leg forward, body tucked low, her eyes focused eagerly ahead. These changes have both practical and stylistic benefits, contributing to Spectre’s remarkable aerodynamic properties. The earliest Spectre prototypes have a drag coefficient (c_d) of just 0.26, making it the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever created. The figure is expected to improve during the product’s exhaustive testing protocols undertaken in 2022.

This new expression captures the essence of Charles Sykes’ original drawings, but rather than simply being ‘redrawn’ or ‘redesigned’, her new shape has been digitally sculpted by a computer modeller working at the Home of Rolls-Royce, who has a passion for life drawing and sculpture. Their experience in this field was invaluable in developing the figurine’s elegant lifelike facial features as well as her expression, which deftly combines focus and serenity. The designers also consulted stylists at Goodwood for their perspective on her hair, clothes, posture, and expression, adding an authentically contemporary aura to her dynamism and commanding presence.

While all figurines are made using one of the oldest known casting techniques, named ‘lost wax casting’ or ‘cire-perdue’, each is individually finished by hand, so will be minutely different from figurine to figurine. As well as continuing a long Rolls-Royce tradition – until 1939, the mascots were made and polished by Charles Sykes himself – this subtle, ephemeral human element creates an intriguing contrast to the precise, highly engineered motor car she sits atop.

Though relatively rare in the modern era, changes to the Spirit of Ecstasy have been made throughout her 111-year lifespan. She has been rendered in various sizes and materials and, briefly, in a kneeling position. The new version created for Spectre will appear on all future models: the current design will still be used on Phantom, Ghost, Wraith, Dawn and Cullinan and their Black Badge alter egos where applicable.


AN ARTISTIC EXPRESSION OF THE ICON

Simultaneously, Muse, the Rolls-Royce Art Programme, has announced the jury for the Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge. This inaugural initiative invites the brightest and boldest young creatives to reimagine the icon of the Spirit of Ecstasy in a context beyond her current home on a Rolls-Royce motor car. In doing so, these young artists will create high-concept pieces that surprise, delight and inspire.

For each edition of this prestigious biennial event, a global panel of expert judges will select a medium for the emerging designers from which to create an artistic interpretation of the Spirit of Ecstasy. For this edition, that medium is textiles. The esteemed jury members are: Anders Warming, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Yoon Ahn, Creative Director of Ambush and Jewellery Director at Dior Men; Tim Marlow, Director and Chief Executive of the Design Museum in London; and Sumayya Vally, Principal of South African architectural practice, Counterspace. Together, they will select three finalists to participate in this extraordinary artistic initiative.

• CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, announces Rolls-Royce's first fully electric car
• Finished product will come to market in Q4 2023
• New product named ‘Spectre’
• Electric Rolls-Royce fulfils the 1900 prophecy of the marque’s founder, Charles Rolls
• A promise kept by CEO, who pledged to bring an electric car to market this decade
• Global testing will cover 2.5 million kilometres – a simulation of 400 years of use
• By 2030 all Rolls-Royce products will be fully electric
• Spectre underpinned by Rolls-Royce’s own spaceframe architecture

In an historic announcement, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced today, that on-road testing of its first fully electric motor car is imminent. In announcing this seminal moment for the marque, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chief Executive Officer, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, said:

“Today is the most significant day in the history of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since 4^th May, 1904. On that date, our founding fathers, Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce, first met and agreed that they were going to create ‘the best motor car in the world’. 

“Using the most advanced technology available to them at the time and by applying their remarkable engineering minds, these two pioneers elevated early internal combustion engine cars, from noisy, uncomfortable and rudimentary means of transportation, by setting a completely new benchmark of distinction. 

“The cars they created, introduced to the world a true luxury experience and secured for Rolls-Royce the ultimate pinnacle position that it continues to occupy, unchallenged, to this day.  The marque has continued to define the very best in internal combustion motoring for more than a century.

“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. This is not a prototype. It’s the real thing, it will be tested in plain sight and our clients will take first deliveries of the car in the fourth quarter of 2023.”


A PROPHECY FULFILLED

“The use of electric motors is not a new concept for Rolls-Royce. Sir Henry Royce was fascinated by all things electrified, and his first venture, named F. H. Royce and Company, created dynamos, electric crane motors and patented the bayonet-style light bulb fitting.

“However, it was Charles Rolls who truly prophesied an electrified future for automobiles. In April 1900 he experienced an early electric motor car named the Columbia and declared its electric drive to be ideal.

“Rolls said, ‘The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. 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.’

“Charles Rolls’ prophecy has been the subject of constant consideration during the marque’s Goodwood era. But we have not been satisfied that available technology could support the Rolls-Royce experience. Until now.

“Now is the time to change the course of the future of luxury.

“We embark on this bold new future with a huge advantage. Electric drive is uniquely and perfectly suited to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, more so than any other automotive brand. It is silent, refined and creates torque almost instantly, going on to generate tremendous power.  This is what we at Rolls-Royce call ‘waftability’.

“At Rolls-Royce, we have been experimenting with an electric powertrain for some time. In 2011 we revealed 102EX, a fully operational all-electric Phantom. We followed this in 2016 with our fully electric 103EX, which represented our vision for the marque several decades into the future.”


A PROMISE KEPT

“These extraordinary products prompted a huge amount of interest in electric powertrain technology amongst our clients. They considered it as the perfect fit for Rolls-Royce. And, over the past decade, I have been repeatedly asked, ‘When will Rolls-Royce go electric?’ and ‘When will you produce your first electric car?’

“I answered with an unambiguous promise: ‘Rolls-Royce will go electric, starting this decade.’ Today, I’m keeping my word.”


A REMARKABLE UNDERTAKING

“Charles Rolls’ prophecy and my promise have led us to a seminal moment for the marque. Rolls-Royce has embarked on an historic and unique undertaking, which today becomes a reality. Our designers and engineers have worked relentlessly to bring us here: we are now ready to commence road-testing of the first all-electric Rolls-Royce in history.

“This fundamental change in our powertrain technology requires that we challenge every single aspect of the product before we offer it to the most discerning and demanding individuals in the world – our Rolls-Royce clients.

“To do this, we have conceived the most demanding testing programme in Rolls-Royce’s history. We will cover 2.5 million kilometres – a simulation of more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce, on average – and we will travel to all four corners of the world to push this new motor car to the limit. 

“You will see these test cars on roads, around the world. Look out for them – they will be in plain sight. They will be tested in all conditions and over all terrains on their multi-million-mile journey – that will literally accelerate Rolls-Royce into the future.” 


TRULY FLEXIBLE ARCHITECTURE OF OUR OWN

“In 2017, we debuted Phantom, and with it the marque’s proprietary aluminium architecture: a scalable and flexible spaceframe that would underpin all forthcoming Rolls-Royce motor cars. This unique technology – developed for Rolls-Royce by Rolls-Royce and reserved for the marque’s exclusive use – was created to form the foundation of not just different internal combustion engine models, as it now does with Cullinan and Ghost, but models with completely different powertrains.

“To this end, our forthcoming electric car benefits from the Rolls-Royce architecture and therefore the extraordinary experience of a Rolls-Royce on the road. Free of any group platform sharing strategy, we were able to integrate our plans for an electric powertrain into the architecture’s initial design and ensure that this extraordinary new product meets the extremely high expectations of our clients.”


A NEW NAME: A NEW LEGACY

“This Rolls-Royce is the fulfilment of a prophecy and it represents a promise kept as we embark upon a unique undertaking. It is the beginning of a new legacy for our brand. In that spirit, we have decided on a completely new name for this car. A name that is as powerful and evocative as the nameplates that have served us so perfectly for the past century – names like Phantom, Ghost and Wraith. It’s a name that perfectly fits the ethereal and other-worldly environment within which our products exist – a name that we have reserved especially for this moment: Spectre.

“Spectre is a name given to otherworldly beings synonymous with great power and apparition; creatures of an alternative realm that make their presence felt through fleeting manifestation. A spectre forces the world to pause. It dominates the space it occupies. Then, as quickly as it appears, it dissipates, leaving a wake of exhilaration, energy, and intrigue.

“This name perfectly matches the extraordinary Rolls-Royce that we are announcing today – a motor car that makes its presence felt before disappearing into a world inaccessible to all but the very few. As a quintessentially British brand, we have selected the British spelling, however the meaning is universal.


AN EXTRAORDINARY FUTURE

“With this new product we set out our credentials for the full electrification of our entire product portfolio by 2030. By then, Rolls-Royce will no longer be in the business of producing or selling any internal combustion engine products.

“Spectre is the living fulfilment of Charles Rolls’ Prophecy. My Promise, made on behalf of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, is kept. Now we begin a remarkable undertaking. I am proud that we will continue to propel the world’s most progressive and influential women and men into a brilliant, electrified future.”