One of the more unusual experiences in life, is the feeling a Brit gets when standing in the BMW Museum, next to the Olympic village in Munich. If you grew up on a diet of black and white war films after Sunday lunch, than the sight of Rolls Royce being front and centre at the heart of the museum is, well, strange. But, at the same time, you can clearly see the sense of respect and reverence that everyone at BMW has for the brand. While testing the BMW i7 recently, we experienced the power and opulence that an EV costing up to £150,000, with fold-flat rear seats and an 8K cinema experience built in can deliver. Yet, at the same time, you just know that the Rolls Royce Spectre will be ‘a class above' in terms of looks, feel and refinement. Achieving that takes a huge amount of work. Following the latest report from Rolls Royce, we now know exactly how long that work took to complete.
BMW-owned Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has reached a major milestone in its history with the completion of a gruelling 2.5-million-kilometer testing program for its highly anticipated all-electric super coupé, Spectre. The rigorous testing regime, which lasted several years, simulated more than 400 years of regular use and pushed the boundaries of the vehicle's performance and durability. With extreme temperature variations from -40°C to +50°C, Rolls Royce claims that the Spectre has proven its mettle in the harshest environments, including Arctic snow, desert heat, and bustling city streets.
Under the leadership of Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Spectre was developed to meet the evolving demands and lifestyles of Rolls-Royce clients. Müller-Ötvös remarked, “Spectre is the Rolls-Royce that changes everything. It symbolises our technological leadership and signifies the realisation of the bold electric future envisioned by our founder, Charles Rolls, over a century ago. To achieve its ultimate form, Spectre went through an unparalleled testing program, covering millions of kilometers and enduring every conceivable weather condition and road surface. Additionally, we conducted Lifestyle Analysis testing to ensure Spectre delivers an authentic, personalized, and effortless super-luxury experience, tailored to the demands of our discerning clientele”.
If you're in the market for a coupé costing £350,000, then its good to know that it has been tested to destruction in all climates.
The final production version is likely to be packed with well over 100kWh of battery, capable of propelling the three ton vehicle to 60mph in less than 4.5 seconds – on to a top speed of 155mph.
The WLTP for a more measured use of the Spectre's accelerator is expected to be around 323 miles and it's 200kW charging has the potential to pick up 200 miles of range in around 35 minutes. Charging this vehicle with a 7kW home charger is likely to be a frustratingly slow process, but if you have £4,500 a month available for leasing payments – then you're also likely to be able to afford to install a 3-phase power supply at home and get a full charge in less than 12 hours overnight.
Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Director of Engineering at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, expressed his pride in the completion of the testing program. He stated, “Developing the Rolls-Royce Spectre has been a highlight of my professional life. This remarkable car propels Rolls-Royce into the electric future with unrivalled confidence. Our dedicated and highly skilled team of engineers has conducted the most demanding schedule ever conceived for a Rolls-Royce motor car. It is at this point, where other automotive manufacturers typically conclude their testing, that our work truly begins in fulfilling the desires of the super-luxury consumer. Rolls-Royce Spectre brings the future of this iconic brand to life.”
The testing program for Spectre encompassed an exhaustive analysis of over 141,200 digital sender-receiver relations and 25,000 performance-related functions. Rolls-Royce engineers invested more than 50,000 hours collectively to scrutinize every detail of the vehicle, resulting in thousands of iterative improvements. These enhancements significantly enhanced Spectre's acoustic performance, stability during cornering, steering precision, charge time, electric range, and torque delivery. According to the Rolls Royce communications team, the culmination of these refinements has had an immense cumulative effect, ‘elevating the overall client experience to new heights'. New heights, presumably, that are higher than those experienced by earlier, petrol-fuelled models.
However, as a Rolls-Royce vehicle, Spectre's significance extends beyond its engineering excellence. The super coupé must deliver an authentic super-luxury experience that resonates with the brand's discerning clientele. In light of this, Spectre underwent the marque's unique Lifestyle Analysis process, a comprehensive evaluation that surpasses traditional automotive assessments. Engineers took into account specific variables relevant to Rolls-Royce clients, examining how the vehicle performs on roads in exclusive locations worldwide, including Sanya in China, Dubai, Napa Valley in California and, the harshest of environments, London.
The Lifestyle Analysis testing program also included assessing the vehicle's performance in city centres and urban environments, ensuring that features such as four-wheel steering enable easy manoeuvrability in restricted spaces. In London, engineers evaluated Spectre's rear axle steering capabilities, ensuring the vehicle's seamless navigation through narrow residential streets and luxury retail locations, such as Mayfair and Kensington and Chelsea.
Moreover, static testing procedures were conducted to address clients' concerns regarding the in-car experience. Engineers examined the motor car's ability to facilitate normal telephone conversations while parked next to a helicopter and the strength of the in-car internet connection between skyscrapers. They also focused on the ease of access when placing specific objects inside the vehicle, such as long garment bags used to protect formal evening wear.
Evening wear that will no doubt look better if you opt for the 4,796 individual lights that come with the ‘Starlight Package' upgrade.
The Lifestyle Analysis phase of testing played a vital role in fine-tuning Spectre's specifications and performance. For instance, after testing the power-assisted doors on steep hills mirroring the driveways of Los Angeles, gyroscopic and G-force sensors were added to ensure consistent door operation regardless of parking angles.
The conclusion of the testing program coincided with Lifestyle Analysis testing in London, the home market of Rolls-Royce. After an arduous journey spanning 2.5 million kilometres, Rolls Royce says that the Spectre is now prepared for client deliveries, scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year. With its uncompromising performance, meticulous craftsmanship, and personalised luxury, Spectre is looking to revolutionise the super-luxury segment and propel Rolls-Royce confidently into the electric future.
