Rolls-Royce Black Badge Spectre: The Rebel’s Half-Million-Dollar EV
When Cars.com Detroit Bureau Chief Aaron Bragman drove Rolls-Royce’s first electric vehicle, the Spectre coupe, he contrasted it to its gas-powered predecessor, observing, “Whereas the Wraith was a kind of bad-boy, aggressive, statement-making two-door, the Spectre is a much more sedate, refined and cultured take on a two-door personal luxury coupe.” He must have been channeling Rolls-Royce customers directly, because the Black Badge Spectre is here for the express purpose of recapturing that attitude.
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Performance Enhancers
Rolls doesn’t use the phrase “bad boy,” but its chosen descriptor for the Black Badge is no less inconsistent with the brand’s aristocratic image. It describes it as “the alter ego, amplified.” The Spectre’s dual electric motors are amplified from a total of 577 horsepower and 664 pounds-feet of torque to 659 hp and 793 pounds-feet, increases of 82 and 129, respectively. Those higher figures are only available in short bursts and engaged through a pair of new driving modes, though.
Infinity mode unleashes the powertrain’s full fury while already underway and is activated by pressing a button on the steering wheel. Spirited mode is Rolls-Royce’s name for launch control (activated by pressing both pedals in what would be called “brake torquing” with an internal combustion engine with an automatic transmission), which enables the Black Badge Spectre to accelerate from 0-60 mph in a claimed 4.1 seconds.
Suspension tweaks informed through what Rolls-Royce claims was a clandestine cooperation with select buyers stabilize the Black Badge’s handling to match its more readily attained speed. The brand says it essentially leaked upgraded Spectres to owners who were sworn to secrecy and used their anonymized data to refine the Black Badge’s chassis. That feedback resulted in increased roll resistance to keep the body more level during aggressive cornering, upgraded dampers to reduce squat and dive under acceleration and deceleration, and heavier steering than the regular Spectre.
Standing Apart From the 1%
A special-edition Rolls-Royce must, naturally, feature exclusive detailing. Here, the curated spec is a literal interpretation of Black Badge: black-chrome exterior trim — including the grille surround and Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament — as well as 23-inch wheels in a choice of solid black or two-tone black and polished. An illuminated backplate behind the grille is available in five colors to contrast with the body.
Rolls debuted the Black Badge Spectre in a new color it calls Vapour Violet and says it was “inspired by the neon lights of 1980s and 1990s club culture,” which the brand goes on to add is “a celebrated reference among many Black Badge clients.” But Rolls-Royce will happily paint the Black Badge any one of the 44,000 colors in its catalog or work with buyers who insist on a hue somewhere indistinguishably between those in the palette. With the Black Badge Spectre, Rolls is also debuting an available matte-black hood and a lower-body pinstripe it calls a “waft coachline.”
Stars All Around
Rolls-Royce’s Starlight headliner debuted on the Phantom in 2007, studding the ceiling of the car with hundreds of LEDs to mimic the night sky. In the Black Badge Spectre, drivers finally ascend higher, so that the stars are not just above them but all around. More than 5,500 LEDs of different sizes stud the door and interior trim panels, creating a ring of light surrounding occupants; set against that is “Technical Fibre,” which is not just carbon fiber, metal or wood, but all three. Rolls artisans handcraft this material by layering carbon fiber and fine metal thread over black Bolivar wood, then drowning it in lacquer and hand polishing it.
Rolls-Royce hasn’t said how much it’s asking for the Black Badge Spectre, but seeing as the regular-production coupe goes for north of $420,000, if it isn’t $500,000 to start, it certainly will be by the time buyers are done rummaging through the Bespoke catalog.
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