If there’s one brand for which an electric powertrain fits perfectly, it’s Rolls-Royce. Cars from Goodwood are already offering a serene driving experience but removing the combustion engine gives the Spectre an even smoother ride. The stately coupe has a massive battery pack that weighs 700 kilograms (1,543 pounds) that doubles as an extra layer of soundproofing to make the driving experience even more tranquil.
Ahead of deliveries scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2023, Rolls-Royce decided to bring a near-production prototype to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The BMW Group marque doesn’t actually need to advertise the Spectre since the ultra-luxury electric coupe is already a smash hit. Even though it kicks off at over $400,000, wealthy buyers have lined up to get the gargantuan EV. Ordering one today means you’ll have to wait until 2025 to take delivery as the entire production run for 2024 has already been sold.
The Spectre is the first RR product to do without the majestic V12, with the Ghost, Cullinan, and Phantom to follow suit by the end of 2030 when the British brand will have an electric-only lineup. MINI will also become a purely EV marque around the same time while BMW has yet to announce when it’ll wave goodbye to the good ol’ ICE. It’s certainly going to happen well after RR and MINI will have sold their last gasoline-fueled cars.
Spectre had to be among the biggest cars to attend this year’s Goodwood FoS as the opulent coupe stretches at 5453 millimeters (214.6 inches) long and 2080 mm (81.8 in) wide. It weighs a whopping 2,975 kg (6,558 lbs), making it about 265 kg (584 lb-ft) heavier than the much-criticized XM plug-in hybrid SUV – the heaviest BMW car money can buy.
Fun fact – the BMW Group will have a heavier car soon as the 7 Series / i7 Protection armored sedan coming in late 2023 will surely weigh even more.
[Photos: instagram.com/bernhard.filser]
