2030; the year many automakers have set internal deadlines to cease production of internal-combustion engines (ICEs). Rolls-Royce is no different but while the yearns of enthusiasts and petrolheads fall on deaf ears for their beloved supercar monikers to ignore the mandates of the EU and continue to produce fossil-fuel-powered behemoths, this will bear very little significance for the Goodwood-based premium marque.
That is because electrification should, in theory, lend itself well to the plush and elegant models that bear Henry Royce and Charles Rolls surnames. Clean and silent propulsion paired with impressive power and torque outputs should continue right where the Phantom coupe, its spiritual successor, has left off.
“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.”
A prophecy has finally been fulfilled a century after Charles Rolls made this bold statement.
With a near-final portion of its 2,5 million km testing programme happening in our very own backyard, Rolls-Royce invited less than a dozen journalists from around the world to sample the pre-production model with Alex Shahini attending on behalf of CAR Magazine. Spotted along the scenic coastline of the Mother City on the final day of its testing, we were privy of an exclusive drive of the all-electric model around the roads of Franshoek.
With the laborious testing of the model mostly behind it, the historic British automaker looks all set to launch by Q4 of this year. While that date is still far down on the calendar, our official driving impressions will be published much sooner, in early February.
Keyword: Rolls-Royce Spectre – exclusive preview in Franschhoek