While we may know what the Spirit of Ecstasy for an electric age looks like, the rest of the car remains concealed under its camouflage wrap. Rolls-Royce gave the world its first glimpse of that last year, insisting the car was not a prototype but the first pre-production model, impressive given first customer deliveries are still 20 months away. The company says the time is being spent on the most demanding test programme in its history.
Rolls-Royce is not confirming any other details of the Spectre at this stage, so we can all go on speculating about what appears to be its relatively compact dimensions, definite sporting character with a sloping, coupe-style roofline and rear-hinged coach doors. It is sure to ditch the BMW-derived platform of the Wraith and use a version of the brand’s own scalable aluminium spaceframe – already the basis of the Phantom, Cullinan and new Ghost – that was developed from the start for battery-electric power.
The redesigned Spirit of Ecstasy, along with the never-before-used Spectre name, emphasise what the company sees as a new beginning for the super-luxury brand under electrification. The new figurine will debut on the Spectre towards the end of 2023 and thenceforth will adorn all the new electric replacements for the current Phantom, Ghost, Dawn and Cullinan, all of which will be battery-powered by 2030, the firm has stated.
“The Spirit of Ecstasy is the most famous and desirable automotive mascot in the world,” Rolls-Royce chief executive officer Torsten Müller-Ötvös tells us. “In her new form she is more streamlined and graceful than ever before – the perfect emblem for the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever created, and for gracing the prow of our bold electric future.”