Rolls-Royce Spectre Is Quick, Quiet and Beat Its EPA Range in Our Testing

• We put Rolls-Royce's new electric coupe through our full instrumented testing regimen.
• The Spectre bested its claimed 0-to-60-mph acceleration time by half a second and beat its EPA estimate in the Edmunds EV Range Test.
• The $558,700 Rolls-Royce Spectre is the quietest vehicle we've ever tested.

Track tested

"The Spectre lacks any drive modes, so just mash the throttle and go," Counts said. "You can disable stability control, but it's not really any quicker. There's enough traction that wheelslip is never an issue."

The initial 0-30 mph blast takes 1.8 seconds, 0-45 takes 2.8 seconds, 0-60 happens in 3.9 seconds, 0-75 is dispatched in 5.4 seconds and the quarter-mile run takes 12.0 seconds, with a trap speed of 116.3 mph.

In our braking test, the Spectre also impressed with a 104-foot stopping distance from 60 mph. To put that in perspective, that's the same result as a BMW i7 xDrive60, but the Spectre is nearly 500 pounds heavier. The Spectre — shod in Pirelli P Zero Elect summer tires — also pulled off a 0.94 g on our 200-foot-diameter skidpad, which isn't as good as the aforementioned i7 (0.97 g) but is still better than what we expected. Remember, the Spectre isn't a sports car. Like, at all.

The quietest car we've ever tested

For all cars, we measure sound levels at idle, full throttle and a 70-mph cruise. (We also do a top-down measurement for convertibles.) Across the board, the Spectre showed excellent results. In fact, the 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre is officially the quietest vehicle Edmunds has ever tested.

At "idle," we recorded a hushed sound level of 35.9 dB. Under full-throttle acceleration, that level went up to 57.1 dB and at a 70-mph steady state, we recorded 56.4 dB. For comparison, the last Rolls-Royce we tested — a Wraith coupe — measured 77.6 dB under full throttle and 60.0 dB at a 70-mph cruise. Granted, that car has a 12-cylinder gas engine, but considering Rolls-Royce goes to great lengths to keep this noise out of the cabin, the difference between the Wraith and the Spectre is pretty neat.

Another interesting fact is how much louder the faux powertrain "sound" makes the whole experience. Under full throttle, the Spectre's noise level goes up to 70.8 dB with the fake noise switched on, which is a huge increase over the 57.1 dB we experienced with this option deactivated. All the more reason to keep that fake noise switched off.

Range tested

We've put more than 75 electric cars through the Edmunds EV Range Test, which is designed to accurately measure real-world range. Here, EVs are tested in their most efficient drive modes (as long as they don't produce maddeningly slow acceleration), and regenerative braking is set to maximum strength. We stay within 5 mph of the speed limit while completing a loop that consists of 60% city and 40% highway driving. Cars start with a 100% state of charge and we arrive back at HQ with 10 miles of indicated range or less.

The EPA estimates a 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre with 23-inch wheels like our test car will go 266 miles on a full charge. However, we observed 281 miles. Other EVs from the BMW Group have performed similarly, though, so this wasn't as big of a surprise. The BMW i7 xDrive60 on 21-inch wheels completed 320 miles in our test, compared to its EPA rating of 308 miles.

Beverly Hills tested

Perhaps it's the Spectre's relative rarity or the Chartreuse color of our test car, but goodness gracious, this thing turns heads. Even on the posh streets of Beverly Hills, the Spectre causes a scene — partly because you don't hear it coming, and as soon as it passes, you can't help but do a double take.

Obviously, saying a car like this is comfortable is an understatement. It's exquisitely crafted, with stunning attention to detail, and novel items like Rolls-Royce's Starlight headliner that now extends to the doors. The Spectre is a huge coupe — much larger than a Wraith — so seating four people is a cinch. Passengers had no problems getting in or out of the generous rear seats.

Speaking of seats, though: Holy moly, who optioned this car? We're all for interesting specs, but the ivory/fuschia/Exorcist green combo is really not working for us

Rear-axle steering really helps a car like this; the maneuverability in tight Beverly Hills valet lines is impressive, and this thing is actually super easy to park, should you have to complete such a chore yourself. The electric power really does the Spectre tons of favors — it's effortless to drive and so very serene.

Edmunds says

Rolls-Royce is committed to a fully electric future. If the Spectre is a sign of what's to come from this ultra-premium automaker, then we have a lot to look forward to, indeed.