► The most powerful land-based Roller ever
► Black Badge boosts power and agility
► For a younger, more dynamic crowd
While most people will count themselves lucky to merely sit in a Rolls Royce Spectre Black Badge, us lucky folks at CAR have now had the pleasure of driving Rolls’ fastest ever car twice. Our second encounter on UK roads certainly hammered home what a fine motor vehicle the Spectre is, although it’s our first acquaintance that’ll stick in our memory for the sheer ludicrousness of it.
Barrelling down the straight of the ParcMotor Castellolí, we hit the anchors before whipping the Spectre left. We touch the apex and then we’re out the other side, squeezing on the power, hauling some 2900kg of Coupe up the hill. This isn’t how you’d usually drive a Rolls-Royce – but the Spectre Black Badge is no typical Roller. Goodwood has given its electric Spectre coupe more power and driver focus, and it’s emerged as the most powerful car Rolls-Royce has ever made.
It certainly doesn’t feel like a Roller on track – in a very good way – but what’s it like on road, especially the UK’s crumbling carriageways? We spent a blissful week in one to find out, and if you’d like to know more about how we test cars, have a look at our explainer page.
At a glance
Pros: Sharper handling, no real decrease in comfort, interior like a stately home
Cons: Makes the standard car feel surplus to requirements
What’s new?
Black Badge is a reaction to Rolls-Royce’s increasingly younger and more subversive consumer base. For that reason, Black Badge models are crafted to make even more of a statement than Goodwood’s usual products – but they benefit from performance upgrades too.
The Black Badge range already includes the Ghost, Wraith, Dawn and Cullinan – but Rolls-Royce suits say the Black Badge Spectre represents the biggest jump over the standard car yet. Alongside improved performance which we’ll get into later, there’s a Sport mode – called Black Badge Infinity mode here – and a Spirited mode, which is essentially Goodwood-speak for launch control.
Exterior tweaks make up the rest of the Black Badge package, and they all combine to make this Rolls-Royce look a little more ominous. Standard chrome is swapped with black-tinted brightwork, and there are all-new 23-inch wheels which are available in a two-tone or all black finish.
There are more colour options too, including the Vapour Violet colour which is exclusive to this trim. It certainly suits this shade and the Salamanca Blue (below) of our original European test car, although the fuchsia and orange interior highlights the cars receive respectively are anything but old-fashioned.
What are the specs?
The Spectre Black Badge uses the same beefy 102kWh battery as before, along with a motor on each axle, but power is up from 577bhp to 650bhp and its 0-60mph launch takes 4.1 seconds as opposed to the 4.4 of the standard car. Not bad for something the size and weight of a heavily loaded van.
But the key difference is a stiffer, tweaked suspension that’s designed to reduce body roll and create a more stable platform. Despite that, Rolls-Royce engineers are adamant the ‘Magic Carpet’ feel of the standard car is maintained.
Range is a manageable 308 miles and we averaged 25.6kWh/100km on the road, though Rolls-Royce quotes 22.2 to 23.8kWh/100km. Put simply, you’ll probably get around 200 miles per charge in the real world without trying particularly hard. Not that the average Black Badge owner will care about such things: most Spectres are used for short trips share driving duties with a fleet of other incredibly expensive cars. What’s more, Rolls-Royce also works with customers to install charging domestic solutions.
How does it drive?
We’ve driven the Spectre Black Badge on road and track in Spain, and on more typical roads back in the UK. We even did the nursery run in it.
In city driving it’s hard to differentiate the Black Badge from the standard car – but that’s no bad thing. The Black Badge ha the same nonchalant attitude to bumps and cracks as the base car, filtering out all but the worst Barcelona and King’s Lynn had to throw at the chassis. Anything that does make it into the cabin feels like a touch of the lightest turbulence rather than a bump in the tarmac. Is it a Magic Carpet? Not quite; the Porsche Taycan’s active suspension does an even better job of isolating you from tumultuous Tarmac.
Head towards the twisty bits and the difference is night and day. Direct the sweeping bonnet into a corner, and the first thing you’ll notice is the heavier, more precise steering. The second is the newfound stability – it stays far more upright through corners, its tweaked suspension keeping the car surprisingly level and unruffled.
Braking feel is more predictable, despite the car’s substantial weight. The Black Badge chassis digs in and inspires far more confidence than you’d expect from a car that wears a flying lady, allowing you to cross country at a pace that will shock you, your passengers and everyone around you.
And it’s sportier edge is most obvious in Infinity Mode – engaged by pressing a button on the wheel, which adds some sparkle to the dash and an Infinity logo to the driver’s display. Steering gains weight, throttle response sharpens and you unlock the full 650bhp – though it’s still more torquey V12 than Tesla. Rolls-Royce would have it no other way.
It’s a similar story on track. Where the standard car would be somewhat trifle-like, folding over itself as the weight transfers, the Black Badge’s bewitched chassis digs in, inspiring far more confidence than a 2900kg car should. Heavier braking also reveals remarkably predictable pedal feel, and although you can feel the sheer weight of the Spectre, it doesn’t wilt as you might expect it to.
The rear-wheel steering, which felt disjointed on the standard Spectre, is far more natural here too. It makes slow-speed manoeuvring easier on the road, and it works well on track. We’re having so much fun that we can’t help but slacken the ESC a little to see what the Spectre BB can really do. Oversteer? You’d better believe it.
What about the interior?
Inside this Spectre swaps out standard chrome for black chrome, and the overall effect is a little moodier and aggressive. Our initial car was finished in a Wotsit or Tikka Masala orange and paired with carbonfibre. We say carbonfibre, but this had an ornate geometric instead of the standard weave you’d expect. This is Rolls-Royce doing sporty very much on its own terms. It’s not about weight saving though – look above, and you’ll find the same ‘starry night’ headliner as the standard car.
Fit and finish is nigh on perfect, with a hair’s tolerance throughout the cabin various panels, and the digital screens in the car are responsive and pinsharp. Our route used the native sat-nav though, which felt very primitive for a car this premium. If we’re really nitpicking, the seats also don’t quite have the functionality we’d expect, with a weak massage function and less adjustment that we’d like.
Rear space is certainly impressive for a coupe, with enough space for four adults to genuinely be comfortable. That’s only because the Spectre is almost 5.5m long and towers over some so called SUVs, though.
Before you buy (trims and rivals)
The Rolls-Royce Spectre has no real rivals, as there are few cars that promise this much luxury on an electric skateboard. The i7 and EQS could be mentioned in the same sentence, but their price isn’t in the same postcode. The Continental GT Speed is an obvious ICE-powered choice then, but Bentley currently doesn’t sell EVs.
That brings us onto to the standard Spectre, which will face some uncomfortable questions following the release of its new, angrier sibling. The fit and finish is identical, the refinement and ride similar – but the Black Badge is a significantly more interesting car to drive than the standard car. Even with an estimated 20% increase over the standard car, the Black Badge Spectre is the obvious choice. And is price even a thing for Rolls-Royce owners anyhow?
Verdict
The Black Badge Spectre expands the Spectre’s envelope rather than shifting it. It retains the luxurious, wafting character expected from a Rolls-Royce, but adds a sharper, more engaging dynamic edge. But if you drove the standard Spectre and the Black Badge back-to-back, it’s hard to imagine why you’d choose the former. This is a more complete Spectre – just as comfortable, but significantly more fun to drive.