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Rolls-Royce Spectre EV Will Have Trick New Suspension Tech

The Spectre will also be Rolls-Royce's stiffest, most aerodynamic car yet.

Rolls-Royce Spectre EV
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Rolls-Royce Spectre EV

Coming next year.

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce's first fully electric car, the Spectre coupe, is still working through its 2.5-million-kilometer testing process ahead of the first customer deliveries in late 2023. On Thursday it released a new set of images showing the Spectre on the lush roads of Southern France, and it confirmed a few new details about the electric coupe -- some of which are pretty rad.

For starters, the Spectre will have a new take on electronic roll stabilization. Lots of cars have active anti-roll tech, but what sets the Spectre's apart is the ability for the system to automatically turn itself on and off depending on the road condition.

Using the satellite navigation and Rolls-Royce's road-scanning cameras, when the Spectre detects a turn, the car's steering, braking, power delivery and dampers adjust so the coupe remains stable. When the road straightens out again, the system decouples the anti-roll bars. Rolls-Royce says this lets all four wheels act independently for a more solid straight-road ride.

Rolls-Royce Spectre EV
Enlarge Image
Rolls-Royce Spectre EV

Looks good.

Rolls-Royce

Beyond that, Rolls-Royce says the Spectre is the stiffest car in the company's history, largely thanks to integrating the battery structure into the car's platform. The company also says that while it originally quoted a drag coefficient of 0.26, the latest testing actually results in a slipperier 0.25, making this Rolls-Royce's most aerodynamic car ever.

The Spectre's shape is reminiscent of the now-departed , though Rolls-Royce insists this new car does isn't a replacement for the old one. We're still loving the weird camouflage wrap that features quotes from company founder Charles Rolls, and the Spectre will have Rolls-Royce's updated Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, too.

It's unclear exactly when Rolls-Royce will show the production Spectre, with the automaker only confirming deliveries will start by the end of next year.

Electric Rolls-Royce Spectre Undergoes Testing in Fancy France

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Steven Ewing Former managing editor
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
Steven Ewing
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.

Article updated on July 28, 2022 at 5:00 AM PDT

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Steven Ewing Former managing editor
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
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