‘Sit deep’, they call it in the skating world: knees bent, torso forward, arms behind the back, everything for the lowest possible air resistance. Earlier today you saw Ireen Wüst do it, during her golden ride on the Olympic skating rink in Beijing. And soon the Spirit of Ecstasy will also cut through the air. Because especially for the electric Rolls-Royce Specter, the ‘Flying Lady’ was sent to the wind tunnel. As a result, she has dropped to her knees and is wearing a cloak that flutters even more aerodynamically behind her.
The Spirit of Ecstasy has been on the monumental grille of every Rolls-Royce for 111 years. She is not an angel with wings, as some people think, but a lady in a flowing cloak. The ‘Flying Lady’ was designed in 1911 by sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes, for the personal Rolls-Royce of the Baron of Montagu. The model for the statue was the actress Eleanor Velasco Thornton, the baron’s mistress.
Spirit of Ecstasy for electric Rolls-Royce sent to the wind tunnel
The Spirit of Ecstasy has undergone an aerodynamic optimization especially for the new all-electric Rolls-Royce Specter. As a result, she has gone deeper into her knees. Previously, the ‘Flying Lady’ was 10 centimeters high, now only 8.2 centimeters. Her flapping cloak has been made more realistic and smooth, according to Rolls-Royce, and the lady now has one leg in front of the other. Previously she stood with both legs together.
Low air resistance is even more important for an electric car
Low air resistance is important for all cars, but even more so for electric cars. To maximize range, they are fitted with low rolling resistance tires and have an extremely slippery body with a closed grille and partially covered alloy wheels. The drag coefficient of the Rolls-Royce Specter is 0.26. In comparison: the most aerodynamic production car in the world is the Mercedes EQS with a Cw value of 0.20.