Rolls-Royce Spectre Drive Review : The Ghost Whisperer

In some quarters, luxury is freedom – freedom of choice and freedom from convention, as opposed to the accumulation of… stuff. (Pictured above: Familiar full-length brolly stored within easy reach. Naturally, the umbrella is fully-customisable!)

In this rarefied segment, consumption is often an afterthought that plays second fiddle to the entire ownership experience.

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Besides, it’s more about forging your own path than slavishly following trends, because money is already no object.

At such a level, one does not have anything to prove to onlookers, so if you're after some hearty bak chor mee as opposed to a Michelin-starred meal, it's your prerogative.

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From its unveiling in 2022, the Spectre two-door “fastback” has been touted as Rolls-Royce first, EV second.

Attractive price-equipment propositions from the influx of rather homogeneous Chinese brands vis-à-vis their legacy automotive brand counterparts have disrupted the mass market end of the spectrum, especially with buyers who are more price sensitive than brand-sensitive.

However, brand identity and legacy are everything as far as Rolls-Royce and its loyalists are concerned.

This means there’s no fretful arm-wringing as to whether EVs are/aren’t the future. You buy a Spectre because you can.

Besides, it isn’t going to be the only car (or Rolls-Royce, for that matter) in the household and charging on your own compound is likely to be a reality, so there’s no worry about waiting for a public charger to become available.

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Remember what we said about “choice”? The all-electric Spectre is a novelty that represents just one of many powertrain alternatives to drive out on any given day to its select clientele.

Given the legacy ownership profiles for its cars and the uncertainty over electrification in general, Rolls-Royce helps future-proof one’s ownership experience by offering a 15-year warranty to cover the high-voltage battery assembly against defects in materials or workmanship.

Of all the brands, Rolls-Royce is arguably most suited to electrification. It isn’t for the purposes of virtue-signalling, but more because the electrified powertrain delivers a lofty level of whisper-quiet waftability in keeping with the momentous V12 engines found at the heart of the other models.

Furthermore, the Spectre’s added weight is already par for the course for the brand’s range of models and its electrified powertrain makes light work of this.

At the start, this writer had his misgivings over Rolls-Royce’s first electric model, because in most applications, electrification has had the effect of transforming an automobile into an appliance for soulless commuting.

However, to drive, the Spectre has proven to be an exception to this, because it embodies everything exquisite that we’ve come to associate with the Rolls-Royce brand. Like its brethren, the Spectre isn’t so much a car as it is a delightfully curated experience. 

With its familiar upright Pantheon grille (the widest grille among all its models so far) and majestic presence, this spiritual successor to the Phantom Coupe turns heads wherever it goes.

Despite its proportions, its wind-cheating 0.25Cd makes it the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce model to date.

Like the Cullinan we so enjoyed, the Spectre is one of those Rolls-Royce models that is self-driven, as opposed to chauffeured around in like the Phantom (and to a lesser extent, the Ghost).

Naturally, one can self-drive any of the current crop of Rolls-Royces, but the Spectre has been engineered to be equally satisfying to drive, as well as to be driven in.

It’s all about the delicate touches, with the pillarless coach doors gliding effortlessly open with just the lightest of effort. As with the other Rolls-Royce models, one steps comfortably into the cabin.

Be it front or rear seats, no unnecessary body contortions are required for easy ingress/egress. However, it’s best to pick the parallel lots at the heartland food centres for quick, fuss-free in/outs as you make a beeline for your favourite bak chor mee stall.

Although the doors can swing open really wide to let the rear occupants out, its angle of opening is determined by keeping a constant pressure, or removing one’s hand from the handle completely to stop its motion. Unique to the Spectre is an auto-closing feature that engages the moment the driver steps on the brake pedal.

The Spectre is a wonderful platform on which to execute your Bespoke desires, especially given the possibilities of its illuminated fascia.

It is also the first Rolls-Royce to feature Starlight Doors, which mirror the ethereal Starlight Headlining optioned on so many of its brethren.

Unlike the average electric vehicle, the proceedings are not dominated by an oversized tablet.

The cabin is finished in the brand’s distinctive ornate and opulent style, with a satisfying weight to the various controls, switchgear and other moving parts that conveys a proper sense of gravitas.

At this strata, things become more simple, not complex. Confusing owners with multi-textured sub-menus and too many features is not the Rolls-Royce way.

There’s very little technical gobbledygook to muddle through, and one can simply slide into the Spectre, adjust the seat/steering and drive off.

Surprisingly, the Spectre’s daunting proportions (5475mm (L) x 2144mm (W) x 1573mm (H)) do not translate to a difficult car to manoeuvre around, even in tight city confines, with the Spirit of Ecstasy serving as an indicator as to where the bonnet ends.

Its silent cruising is almost eerie, but there’s a prodigious push when you plant pedal to metal that can only come with having the equivalent of 584hp and a massive 900Nm on tap from the dual motors.

We don't believe in talking hard technical specs when it comes to Rolls-Royce, because when you are in the presence of the superlative, all else becomes secondary.

One only needs to concern oneself with the fact that a Rolls-Royce will behave like a Rolls-Royce, nothing less, but often a whole lot more.

However, even if you can, a Spectre is not driven in a roguish stomp-and-spurt fashion. It swoops and swooshes in a silent, swift and stately style, which is no mean feat given its 2.8-tonnes kerbweight.

In a nod to the immediacy of electrification, the Spectre’s accelerator response is instant and translates to instant forward propulsion, with a 4.5secs 0-100km/h time that is almost surreal in its savagery.

Despite its brisk acceleration potential, the Spectre isn’t the sort of car you drive in a hustle and bustle, because time slows and things wait for your arrival to happen.

It's the same way traffic magically melts away before the Spectre as it gracefully glides through streets.

The occupants enjoy a tranquil, magic carpet ride from the intelligent Planar adaptive suspension system and are transported in sublime, cosetting comfort within the hermetically-sealed cabin.

All in, it needs to be experienced to be properly appreciated.

In spite of any initial reservations, this writer really enjoyed the Spectre, especially as it was put through its paces, be it in search of haute cuisine, or heartland fare.

There’s a familiar Rolls-Royce spirit to the luxurious motoring experience that is all the more impressive given this is the storied brand’s first foray into electrification and it all only goes to underscore why the brand successfully operates in a segment of just one.

ROLLS-ROYCE SPECTRE
Battery 102kWh, Lithium-Ion
Front Motor 190kW / 365Nm
Rear Motor 360kW / 710Nm
System Power 584hp
System Torque 900Nm
0-100km/h 4.5secs
Range 530km (WLTP)