SPECTRE

The first-ever all-electric Rolls-Royce, proves that the once-unfathomable is undeniably the right move

- JARED PAUL STERN

At one time it might have seemed unthinkable— an all-electric Rolls-Royce? Abandoning the iconic, handcrafted V12 engine—one of the very last in the industry—to rely on a bunch of batteries and a brace of electric motors? Borrowed from the Germans? Sacrilege, sir. Scandalous even.

Indeed, such was the initial reaction in some quarters to the announcement of Spectre, the first-ever all-electric Rolls-Royce, a twodoor “super-coupé” designed as the spiritual successor to the Phantom Coupé, ushering in a brand new era of electrification at the legendary marque—some years earlier than expected. How could an electric car possibly have the same presence, puissance, and pedigree of a proper Rolls-Royce? Wouldn’t a compromise on the order of Lamborghini’s Revuelto, a “V12 hybrid plug-in” or some such, have made more sense? Hedge your bets, old boy. Don’t throw the baby out with the Penhaligon’s-scented bathwater.

When these selfsame critics finally got their hands on one, however, these objections melted away like so much Arctic ice. Rolls-Royce, always a trendsetter in the rarified sphere of ultra-luxury, has ushered in a new era, the next chapter in its century-plus of history; and it’s no accident that Spectre makes its debut for the 120th anniversary of the fortuitous meeting of the Hon. Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. A hundred and twenty years from now, we may well look back on it as the beginning of an epoch termed “The Power of Pure Silence.”