Rolls-Royce’s first electric vehicle sounds like no other

My favorite feature of the new $420,000, all-electric Rolls-Royce Spectre isn’t the cosseting ride quality or the illuminated stars embedded in the headliner of the insanely ornate interior. It isn’t the 577 horsepower or the 266 miles of range. It’s neither the “yes, that’s the spot” massaging seats nor the curbside presence of that upright, chromed front grille. It isn’t even the aerodynamically refined yet classically styled Spirit of Ecstasy statuette perched atop.

My favorite feature of the Spectre is the sound it makes. As an EV, it doesn’t really make any engine sound on its own. It’s a rolling cocoon made inherently anti-acoustic thanks to the tireless work of some surely big-eared scientists. So, to inject a little more life into the driving experience, the Spectre plays a little digital tone when you accelerate.

Yes, nearly every modern EV emits some kind of synthetic whir or trill when you get on the accelerator — but nothing like the Spectre. This car makes the kind of sound that you would expect to hear when an omniscient, all-powerful alien force swoops through the clouds in a sci-fi movie, the gut-shaking tone backing the moment when everyone realizes that humanity is about to get served. 

This heavenly chorus is so subtle, you almost can’t hear it, but with this Roller being as quiet as a tomb, the result is genuinely sublime. And that’s just one aspect of a completely refined experience that’s on a level above any other EV on the road. 

The Rolls-Royce brand has been applied to top-tier machines since 1904, and it feels like the previous 120 years have been leading up to this moment. 

If you’re lucky enough to see an early Rolls-Royce waft by, like a Silver Ghost or a Phantom, you won’t hear much. Despite massive engines in excess of seven liters (50 percent bigger than that of a current Ford Mustang GT), these early ultra-luxury cars featured exhausts designed to minimize drivetrain noise.

With the Spectre, Rolls-Royce’s first battery-electric EV, the company’s engineers can finally stop overengineering ye olde internal combustion to make it smooth and silent. The Spectre relies on two electric motors that make the combined 577 horsepower mentioned above and 664 pound-feet of torque. This thing weighs a massive 6,371 pounds, more than a Cadillac Escalade, yet it can accelerate to 60mph in just 4.4 seconds.

Yes, it’s fast when it needs to be, but you’ll see better range when driven calmly, up to 266 miles on a charge from its 102kWh battery pack. 

Not only is relaxed driving more efficient but it’s also much more rewarding. The Spectre has a generally calm demeanor, like a throttle pedal that requires a deep application to unleash all that power. The brake pedal is equally laid back, as is the slow steering, with just enough feedback to let you know you are turning the wheels and tires.

All four of them, in fact. Rear-wheel steering makes this nearly 18-foot-long ultra-coupe a cinch to navigate through tight parking lots. The 360-degree camera and standard automated parking also help to ensure that you don’t curb one of those 23-inch wheels, something I appreciated during my loan, as replacing any of them would surely have bankrupted me.

That 360-degree camera is just some of the tech that Rolls-Royce engineers borrowed from parent company BMW, but I wish they’d stolen a bit more, like BMW’s hands-off driver assist system. 

The touchscreen infotainment is also reasonably modern, offering integrated navigation and searching for charging stations. It’ll even do both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though, curiously, I couldn’t get the latter to work. Perhaps the car considered my last-season Samsung Galaxy S23 too passé? And though the media is played through a 16-speaker bespoke audio system that is powerful yet beautifully subtle, it sadly lacks Dolby Atmos support. 

So this highest of high-tech Rolls-Royces doesn’t quite offer all the world’s features, but what you get instead is an astronomically detailed interior, floor mats of the softest lambswool, and a comprehensive set of polished metal controls, all designed with the perfect weight and feel.

While you can get into a Spectre for $420,000, you’ll never get through the buying process without ticking a few boxes. Given options like the chartreuse paint you see here costs $13,100 on its own, expect to spend a lot more. This car stickered at $560,100 after a $2,750 destination charge. 

A worthwhile expenditure? That’s a difficult thing for someone with the budget of a mere mortal to say. The Spectre is hardly a good value, but it is exceptional, made all the more spectacular considering it’s Rolls-Royce’s. But the presence of That Sound does make it all seem worthwhile.

There are more EVs to come, but we’ll have to be patient; an SUV has been promised for 2027, ahead of the brand becoming all-electric in 2030. How well those future EVs look and drive is anyone’s guess at this point, but if they all sound this good, they’ll be off to a very good start.