Rolls-Royce recently announced its first-ever all-electric car — the Spectre. Not only is it an awesome name but it’s an incredibly exciting car. Built on the brand’s new Architecture of Luxury chassis, the Rolls-Royce Spectre will an the an electric two-door GT car with styling similar to its previous Wraith. But why a two-door GT car and not something more opulent? It’s all about emotion.
“A coupe is very emotional car and for us, it was very important that we make a statement,” Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes told Automotive News Europe. According to Mueller-Oetvoes, Rolls-Royce has the youngest target demographic of any BMW Group brand, including MINI (which is a statement I re-read sixteen times to make sure I wasn’t seeing things and somehow still dont’ believe). Because Rolls customers are getting younger and younger, the brand is looking to appeal to that clientele base with something more exciting.
Don’t just think the Rolls-Royce Spectre will be a Wraith with an electric motor thrown in. The Spectre is an entirely new vehicle. “It is not in any way the successor of the Wraith. It’s a different proposition for our clients. It will feel very different, it will look very different,” said Mueller-Oetvoes.
One interesting point Mueller-Oetvoes made was that most Rolls customers are already equipped for electrification, having already owned electric cars. A big question many enthusiasts had about Rolls switching to electric powertrains was how customers would react to charging. However, Mueller-Oetvoes claims most existing Rolls owners already have charging stations either at home, at work, or both.
He also spoke about how electrification makes sense for the Rolls-Royce brand. In fact, it makes more sense in a Rolls than in most other brands. “[Electrification is] silent, very torquey, and offers you the waftability we are famous for,” said Mueller-Oetvoes. “We are not a brand that defines itself with loud engine noises, exhaust pipe noises and so on.”
The Rolls-Royce Spectre is a car we’re very excited about. The Wraith is my personal favorite Rolls to drive, as it’s a brilliant GT car, so making another two-door GT but with an electric powertrain sounds like an absolute win. Using such a car as the brand’s first EV also seems like the right move, injecting it with some excitement and passion. We can’t wait to learn more.
[Source: Automotive News Europe]
