DESTINATION DAWN

How best to evaluate the Black Badge Spectre, the most powerful Rolls-Royce series-production motorcar ever built by the factory? This was our conundrum when the sleek, 659-hp electric coupe glided into MotorTrend HQ.

- AARON GOLD

L.A. AT NIGHT GIVES US FREEDOM TO EXPLORE THE MOST POWERFUL ROLLS-ROYCE EVER MADE

Our usual modus operandi is to flee Los Angeles for the curvy canyons of Malibu or similar, but for a Rolls, that feels a bit undignified, like King Charles having to plunge his own toilet. Best to leave such blatant vehicular aggression to the commoners in their Bentleys.

Perhaps the answer lies not in space but in time. New York may be the city that never sleeps, but L.A. is the land of sunshine, and when the sun disappears, so do her denizens. Every weekday night, her traffic-clogged streets empty out like an elevator after a particularly noxious fart. With Angelenos tucked snugly into their beds, the Black Badge Spectre could roam this massive city like a panther on patrol, free to make use of all the power her software-enhanced motors could deliver. I called Billy Rehbock, MT Buyer's Guide staffer, night owl, and ever-ready candidate for my misadventures, and asked if he'd like to spend the night with me in a Rolls-Royce.

It took me 15 minutes to drive the 10 miles from my home in the San Fernando Valley to Rehbock's place in Mar Vista, which in and of itself is an L.A. miracle. That's a minimum half-hour trip in daylight and seemingly half a day at rush hour. Rehbock, groggy from an afternoon nap taken in preparation for this all-night outing, dropped into the car, his eyes rolling to take in the Spectre’s interior. The color, I gleefully informed him, is called Peony Pink, perfect for a couple of peons like us.

“We've got five hours and 58 minutes,” I said.

“Where to?” He didn't hesitate: “The 110 freeway up to Pasadena. It's going to be epic at this time of night.”