British luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce is continuing its grueling testing program for the marque’s first-ever EV – Spectre. After completing winter testing in the Artic Circle region, the Rolls-Royce Spectre prototype has now entered the second phase of testing.
The first testing phase saw Rolls-Royce take the Spectre to the extreme cold of Arjeplog, Sweden. Now the upcoming Spectre EV is now undergoing the second phase of testing in a location that Rolls-Royce claims reflects the luxury motor car’s everyday use: the French Riviera.
Speaking about the second phase of testing for the upcoming Spectre, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars said, “It is no exaggeration to state that Spectre is the most anticipated Rolls-Royce ever. Free from the restrictions connected to the internal combustion engine, our battery-electric vehicle will offer the purest expression of the Rolls-Royce experience in the marque’s 118-year history. This latest testing phase proves a suite of advanced technologies that underpin a symbolic shift for Rolls-Royce as it progresses towards a bright, bold, all-electric future. This will secure the ongoing relevance of our brand for generations to come.”
As part of the Spectre’s 2.5 million kilometres testing program, which the carmaker claims simulates on average more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce, a total of 625,000 kilometres will be driven on and around the French Côte d’Azur.
This is split in two parts, with the first part seeing the electric Spectre being driven around the historic Autodrome de Miramas proving ground, located in the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône in Provence.
The second part of the testing phase in the French Riviera occurs in the Provençal countryside surrounding the Autodrome de Miramas. Rolls Royce claims that this region is enjoyed by many of the marque’s clients and therefore a significant 55 per cent of testing here has taken place on the very roads that many production Spectres will be driven on after customers first start receiving delivery of the EV in the fourth quarter of 2023.
The testing in the French Riveria will see Rolls-Royce refine and perfect a new suspension technology that the carmaker claims will ensure that the Spectre delivers on the marque’s hallmark ‘magic carpet ride’.
When it was first announced, Rolls-Royce stated that the Spectre would have a drag coefficient (cd) of just 0.26, making it the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever created.
Now following rigorous wind tunnel testing, digital modelling and continuous high-speed testing in Miramas, this figure has been further reduced to just 0.25, which is a record for a Rolls-Royce car and something the brand claims is unprecedented in the luxury car sector.
Thoughts About The Rolls-Royce Spectre
The Rolls-Royce Spectre electric coupe will be the luxury marque’s first-ever EV. With a further one million kilometres left in the 2.5 million kilometre journey, the testing program for the Rolls-Royce Spectre will continue to ensure that the brand’s first EV lives up to the standard set by its ICE predecessors.
Keyword: Rolls-Royce Spectre EV Tests Magic Carpet Ride In Its Natural Habitat - The French Riviera