Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (BMW.DE) on Tuesday unveiled Spectre Series II, a refreshed version of its luxury EV, adding 18% more range, faster charging, and a new suite of bespoke interior options. The update arrives as much of the auto industry retreats from its electric ambitions, especially at the high-end.
Last year, Specter was the British automaker’s second-best-selling model globally, behind only the Phantom sedan, a surprise as many rivals struggled to find buyers willing to spend supercar money on a battery-powered vehicle.
Spectre’s ultra-quiet propulsion, and strong power figures coupled with smooth acceleration were a good fit for the Rolls-Royce brand, which values road isolation and “waftability” as top motoring qualities. It’s a recipe that seemingly has not worked for other brands.
“Spectre is a landmark motor car for Rolls-Royce,” the company’s CEO Chris Brownridge said in a statement. “It amplifies the qualities our clients value most: silence, effortlessness, and abundant power.”
The Specter “Series II” update is more evolution than an all-new product. Rolls-Royce re-engineered the battery cell technology to up its range to an estimated 390 miles, up from around 330, while cutting charging times by 14%. Power rises modestly to just under 600 hp (442 kW), with 748 lb-ft of torque (1,015 Nm).
It will also get a native Tesla (TSLA) NACS inlet, allowing the Spectre II to be charged at Tesla’s Supercharger network (Rolls-Royce parent BMW has a deal with Tesla).
The Black Badge variant, Rolls-Royce’s performance trim, goes further: 670 hp (500 kW) in “Infinity Mode” – making it the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever built.
Stunning performance and looks matter, but for Rolls customers, the interior cabin appointments are a huge matter. For Series II, Rolls said a new material called Duality Twill is available, made from bamboo-derived rayon and inspired by the bamboo groves near Sir Henry Royce’s former winter home on the Côte d’Azur. The new material incorporates up to 2.6 million stitches and 10 miles of thread.
New “Placed Perforation” leather uses 78,138 precision-cut holes to reveal a pattern derived from moonlit cloud silhouettes. A Brindled Walnut veneer combines non-fruiting walnut with eucalyptus fibers and a glass-flake lacquer. A new fascia illumination uses 8,108 individual pixel-like lights.
The details are a mouthful and extravagant, but that matters for Rolls clientele, and it also matters for the bottom line as commissions and heavy customization are huge profit drivers.
Rolls-Royce says demand for bespoke work on the Spectre is now surpassed only by the Phantom, with some buyers requesting more than 20 individual bespoke elements per car. One client in Korea has installed their Spectre in a purpose-built gallery as a work of art.
Meanwhile, Italian rival Lamborghini (VOW.DE) shelved plans for its luxury EV, with CEO Stephan Winkelmann adding that demand for such a vehicle was close to zero. Lamborghini had even brought a working EV prototype to Monterey a few years back for select journalists to drive; that’s how much has changed over the past few years.
Fellow British luxury automaker Bentley (VOW.DE) pushed its EV timeline back again, citing market conditions and the need to find the right fit for its customers. Aston Martin’s (ARGGY) EV timeline is in limbo, and the brand remains mum on the product though it had at one time struck a deal with Lucid (LCID) for EV tech.
Against that backdrop, the Spectre has become something of an outlier — a luxury EV that actually sells.
Ferrari (RACE), however, is plugging away at the top end luxury EV market with its new $640,000 Luce EV. Designed by former Apple creative head Jony Ive, the controversial design has many Ferrari fans and commentators in revolt, but the brand is steadfast in thinking it needed a fresh new design to reach new clients and new markets, in something that looks nothing like any prior Ferrari.
Conversely, Rolls-Royce built an EV that looks and feels exactly like a Rolls-Royce. While it’s hard to say which approach is the right one, it’s possible that the two differing approaches will work for each respective brand.
The only sure thing at this moment is that Spectre is already a hit with the kinds of clients that likely own both Rolls-Royce vehicles, and Ferrari sports cars.
Pras Subramanian is Lead Auto Reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram.
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