10 Biggest News Stories of the Week: Rolls-Royce Spectre Floats to the Top, Ghosts Hyundai Elantra
Well, now we’ve just seen everything, haven’t we? An all-electric Rolls-Royce. What’s next? Artificial intelligence? Oh, wait … well, OK then! Be it the dawn of a new day in the electric-vehicle era or a harbinger of the end times, the 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre is here, and it’s awesome. Officially gone are the days when making an eco-conscious vehicle choice meant compromising comfort, style, performance or cachet. In fact, perhaps no brand was better suited to run on a rechargeable battery than RR, with its reputation for big, heavy, fast, whisper-quiet cars.
Related: BMW, Mini, Rolls-Royce to Gain Access to Tesla Superchargers
In one of our most popular articles of the past week — Cars.com reviewer Aaron Bragman’s comprehensive critique of the Spectre — we share why the all-new super-high-end coupe may just be the best electric car you can buy (theoretically, given the price). The Rolls-Royce faithful will sacrifice none of the Rolls-Royceness by taking the plug-in plunge. To the contrary, the Spectre has the elegantly ostentatious exterior design that eschews sleekness for imposing presence, opulent and accommodating interior appointments, state-of-the art technology that doesn’t go overboard with touch-sensitive controls or configurability, confident handling and mass-defying quickness, and from-here-to-the-moon customization options. The luxury EV also only gets quieter and more cocooned inside, tuning out the anxiety-triggering racket of the outside world but for the light disturbance passing an oncoming car at highway speeds (which really just serves as a validating reminder of how good you’ve got it in there).
That’s in addition to its all-electric powertrain that’s expected to be capable of carrying you at least 260 miles between charges — the one stark contrast to the Spectre’s fuel-slurping fellow Rolls-Royces. All of this environmentally friendly and decadently indulgent excellence, of course, means paying $422,000 for the privilege (though, let’s face it, if you’re paying that … you’re privileged).
For Bragman’s full review of the 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre, follow the link below to the No. 3 finisher on this week’s countdown of most read articles.
Don’t feel bad if you’re not on the Rolls-Royce end of the spending spectrum — few are. For your consideration, we have a pricing report on the updated-for-2024 Hyundai Elantra. Although it has gone up a few hundred bucks with its refreshed exterior styling and interior-appointment upgrades, as well as its expanded roster of advanced safety features, the Elantra still starts at literally around 5% of the Rolls-Royce Spectre’s price, rising modestly across its four trim levels to top out at just over $28,000 for the Limited trim (including a $1,115 destination charge).
For full details on what the 2024 Hyundai Elantra offers for the price, follow the link below to the No. 9 news story of the week.
Beyond that, we’ve got headlines on the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Seltos, cheapest new cars, cheapest new SUVs, cheapest new electric vehicles and much more — so don’t stop reading till the digits double. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:
1. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New Cars You Can Buy Right Now
2. Is the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe a Good SUV? 6 Pros and 4 Cons
3. 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre Review: Eco-Conscious Excess Never Felt So Good
4. 2023 Affordable SUV Challenge: Which SUV Is the Best Value for the Money?
5. Which Electric Cars Are Still Eligible for the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit?
6. Here Are the 10 Cheapest New SUVs You Can Buy Right Now
7. Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
8. 2024 Kia Seltos Review: Better Than Ever
9. Updated 2024 Hyundai Elantra Starts at $22,590
10. Electric Cars With the Longest Range
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
