Rolls-Royce is feeling the heat with its first new all-electric sedan called the Spectre.
The British luxury carmaker says the aerodynamic, battery-powered hatchback will be tested 388,000 miles in an area expected to be one of its natural habitats – France’s Cote d’Azur, playground of the world’s super-rich and glamorous celebrities, and a short jump into the exclusive tax haven of Monte Carlo.
Warmer-weather testing in glamorous locations such as Nice, Cannes, Cap d’Antibes, Grasse, Monaco and the Provence countryside stands in sharp contrast to earlier winter testing, which was conducted at a bespoke but remote Arjeplog test facility until earlier this year , Sweden on the edge of the Arctic Circle.
It was here that Specter received its first “tuition” at a specially designed final school to teach the car to behave and react like a Rolls-Royce.
Electric Rolls-Royce on its luxury stretch of its test schedule: New images released by the premium car brand show the new Specter undergoing an evaluation on the French Riviera
But in the south of France, engineers are refining the ride and handling to make the super-luxe coupe behave like a Continental grand tourer before it goes on sale to customers late next year at a price point of around £400,000, with development now at around 40 percent complete.
It marks the start of an electric revolution from Rolls-Royce, which has committed to be an all-electric car brand by 2030.
More than 2,000 skilled men and women work at the BMW-owned company’s headquarters and manufacturing facility in Goodwood, West Sussex.
The £400,000 Specter is currently undergoing a 388,000-mile testing program in one of its natural habitats – France’s Cote d’Azur, the playground of the world’s super-rich and glamorous celebrities
As part of the warmer weather testing programme, the electric Specter will drive through glamorous locations such as Nice, Cannes, Cap d’Antibes, Grasse, Monaco and the Provence countryside
With the region just a stone’s throw from the exclusive tax haven of Monte Carlo, Rolls-Royce knows many Specters will end up there when they go on sale next year
Rolls-Royce said of Spectre development: “Over the past few months, the brand’s test and development engineers have shifted their focus from extreme conditions to more formal testing in a location that reflects the everyday use of the automobile: the French Riviera.”
Recalling the romantic spirit and driving scenes of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly (later Princess Grace of Monaco) embodied in Alfred Hitchcock’s film To Catch a Thief, Rolls-Royce said: “The French Riviera and its Roads offer a perfect combination of the types of conditions demanded by Specter customers, from technical coastal corniches to faster country roads.
It will be a fundamental part of Spectre’s global testing program totaling more than 1.55 million miles.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced that the testing phase on the French Côte d’Azur will be divided into two parts, starting at the historic Autodrome de Miramas proving ground in the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône in Provence.
The circuit that hosted the 1926 Grand Prix is now a state-of-the-art testing and development facility with more than 37 miles of enclosed tracks and 20 test track environments offering many testing opportunities across its 1,198 acres.
Half of the testing on the French Côte d’Azur was conducted at the historic Autodrome de Miramas proving ground in the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône in Provence
During its evaluation in the south of France, engineers fine-tune the ride and handling to make the super-luxury coupe behave like a Continental grand tourer
In terms of data processing by computer software, the new all-electric Specter is the most connected Rolls-Royce ever, with 141,200 electronic signal connections, meaning faster response times
Rolls-Royce said, ‘These include sprinkler units that produce stagnant water, challenging handling tracks with tight turns and awkward cambers, and a three-lane, high-speed bowl with a steeply inclined 3.1 miles that allow Specter to be tested at sustained high speeds.’
The second phase of testing in the region will take place in the Provençal countryside around the Autodrome de Miramas.
Rolls-Royce Spectre: Will it fit in my garage?
Built: Goodwood, near Chichester, England
First customer deliveries: Last quarter of 2023
Price: around £400,000
Style: Fastback “super coupe” which will be the spiritual successor of the Phantom coupe
Length: 5.6 meters (estimated)
Width: 1.9 meters (estimated
Height: 1.5 meters (estimate)
Weight: 2.7 tons (estimated)
Drive: Two electric motors – one drives each axle
Battery: Sits on the underside of the vehicle’s frame giving it a low center of gravity and contributes 700kg of soundproofing to reduce noise from the road
0 to 62mph: approx. 5 seconds (est)
Top speed: Limited to 250 km/h (expected)
Wheels: 23 inches (largest on a coupe since the 1926 Bugatti Royale)
Rolls-Royce said: “This region is valued by many of the brand’s customers, so a significant 55% of testing took place here on the very roads many production Spectres will be driven on following initial customer deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023.
“This practice of real-world, on-site testing is repeated in key markets around the world as the brand strives to ensure its products meet – and often exceed – the expectations of its highly demanding customer base.”
In terms of data processing by computer software, the new all-electric Specter is the most connected Rolls-Royce ever, with 141,200 electronic signal connections, meaning faster response times.
Specter is based on a new all-aluminum spaceframe architecture. A new suspension technology promises a magic carpet ride. It also features a redesigned and more aerodynamic Spirit of Ecstasy mascot that will sit proudly on Spectre’s bow.
Rolls-Royce said, “This technology is now being refined and perfected at Miramas and on the roads of the French Riviera.”
Rolls Royce Motor Cars Director of Engineering Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi said: “Spectre unlocks the extraordinary potential of integrating an all-electric powertrain.
“Our testing and refinement processes combine empirical data and human experience, intuition and knowledge acquired over more than a century to refine the driving dynamics and character of the automobile.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: “It is no exaggeration to say that Specter is the most anticipated Rolls-Royce of all time.
“This latest phase of testing demonstrates a suite of advanced technologies that underpin a symbolic shift for Rolls-Royce towards a bright, bold, all-electric future. This ensures the ongoing relevance of our brand for generations to come.’
He added: “Free from the limitations associated with the internal combustion engine, our battery electric vehicle will offer the purest expression of the Rolls-Royce experience in the brand’s 118-year history.”
Rolls-Royce said: “First customer deliveries of Specter will begin in the fourth quarter of 2023.”
The tests in southern France form a fundamental part of Specter’s global testing program, which totals more than 1.55 million miles
Part of the test involves the use of the French circuit’s heavily banked, three-lane, high-speed 3.1-mile bowl, allowing Specter to be driven at sustained high speeds
Specter is based on a new all-aluminum spaceframe architecture. A new suspension technology promises a magic carpet ride. It also features a redesigned and more aerodynamic Spirit of Ecstasy mascot that will sit proudly on Spectre’s bow
The electric journey of Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce points out that its connections to electrification stretch back more than a century to its founders, but that the technology required for a production electric model wasn’t right – until now.
Henry Royce began his professional life as an electrical engineer and devoted much of his career to the development of internal combustion engines that simulated the characteristics of an electric car – silent running, instantaneous torque and the feeling of an endless gear.
In 1900, Charles Rolls drove an electric car called the Columbia, he prophesied: “The electric car is completely silent and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be set up.”
In 2011, Rolls-Royce tested an all-electric Experimental Phantom called the 102EX. This was followed by a dramatic design study called the 103EX.
In September 2021, the company confirmed it had started testing Specter, the first all-electric Rolls-Royce.
VIDEO
VIDEOS OF ELECTRIC CARS
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