“No new Wraith, one coupe is enough”
The dynamic aspects of the new Rolls Royce Specter are not limited to the new coupé. Other new models of the brand will also have aerodynamic elements that we did not see before.
Rolls Royce goes for fully electric and fast too. In 2030, all models of the brand must be electric, which means that the English will be ahead of strict European legislation worldwide. A few weeks ago we got to see their first EV: the Spectre. A coupe that serves as the spiritual successor to the Phantom Coupé. And not as a successor to the Wraith, as is emphasized again when we talk to some people from the factory about the car. “If you look at the format, it’s clear that this is Phantom territory. That must also be the presence of the car. Even if it is a different type of car.” However, we do not have to count on a separate successor to the Wraith, which was a de facto Ghost coupe. Despite the fact that a new Ghost has been out for a while now. “The Specter is neither a Phantom nor a Wraith. It’s a different kind of coupe. And as far as we are concerned, one coupé is enough in the range.” If we ask a little more, it is also clear that people consider the current range to be more than adequate, which would mean that in 2030 we will have electric successors to the Phantom, the Ghost and the SUV Cullinan. With or without a convertible version of the Specter.
The Specter itself stands out for details that we have not seen before at Rolls Royce. Think of the small front spoiler, the diffuser and the side skirts. And this is not without reason. “The legal requirements for cars give you certain frameworks that you as a designer have to take into account,” says Jan Rosenthal, Head of Exterior Design at Rolls Royce in conversation with AutoWeek. “Especially in China, there are strict requirements for the aerodynamic values of an electric car these days. And so you see things like the splitter and the diffuser. But also look at the rear lights that protrude. I use them for air conduction, while from a design point of view they also serve as islands in a sea. I am very proud of this detail.” Rosenthal also does not feel that he has had to make sacrifices because of those legal requirements, on the contrary. “No, I have now been able to do things with the car that I might not have been able to get through otherwise. Now it looks cool!” It explains why he even emphasized the side skirts with a chrome strip. “I wanted him to be visible. I want you to see right away that it’s an electric car. It should radiate that, as if you can see the electric platform.” Whether other future Rolls Royces will also get this kind of aerodynamics is not a difficult question for him. “These legal requirements will also apply in the future. So count on it.”
Read an in-depth story about the Specter and Rolls Royce’s future in GTO 1, due out in February.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl