ARCTIC ROLLS

By 2030 every Rolls-Royce will be electric... but the ice-cool Spectre is the first

- JACK RIX

ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS

AROUND SINCE 1906

NOW OWNED BY The Germans... BMW this time

KNOWN FOR Buckingham Palace with numberplates. Except heavier

Charles Rolls noted over a century ago "The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.” Smart man, every word is still true. Take range out the equation and batteries and motors are the perfect solution for an ultra-luxury car - silent, powerful, effortless - which is why Rolls-Royce has been flirting with the idea of electricity for a while. The 102EX concept in 2011 worked fine but had a range of not-very-much, while the 103EX in 2016 envisaged a much more radical, driverless future. The Spectre is something radical in concept for the company, but normcore by comparison.

With its two-door coupe silhouette this is effectively a replacement for the Wraith, right? Apparently not. It's bigger than that, a spiritual successor to the Phantom Coupe. Which means it's enormous up close and comes with the option of 23-inch rims. Why a coupe though, when an electric Cullinan or Ghost would arguably sell better? Because Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Rolls-Royce CEO, wanted to make some noise "It's a seminal moment for us. We are going electric for the first time and this deserves a truly emotional body. We always had fond memories about our Phantom Coupé and when you see this in full flesh one day, camouflage off, it is spectacular."