Rolls-Royce announced in January that it would be investing just under $400,000,000 into its facility in Goodwood, UK, to create more space for bespoke builds and to prepare itself for the transition to “an all-battery-electric-vehicle (BEV) future.” It’s Rolls-Royce we’re talking about, so it used a lot more words and flowery language, but that’s the bottom line. At the same time, Rolls-Royce announced a second all-electric car would follow the Spectre coupe in 2025. It turns out that the second EV would exist as a technicality, as it’s the Spectre Black Badge.
Rolls-Royce Marketing Cynicism At Its Finest
By announcing a second EV would follow the Spectre, Rolls-Royce knew it was going to create speculation and excitement. Could it be an all-electric SUV to build on the success of the Cullinan? Could it be the ultimate in quiet yet powerful ultra-luxury sedans? Could it be a top-down two-seater grand tourer with over 1,000 horsepower? It was none of the above, as the UK publication AutoExpress found out. After being asked about a second EV following a drive of the Black Badge at the launch event, CEO Chris Brownridge told the publication, “Of course, I’d never give secrets away. But this is one I can tell you about – because you’ve just driven it.”
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The Black Badge version of the Spectre is, in any other automaker’s parlance, a sport trim. Power is cranked up from 577 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque to 659 hp and 792 lb-ft of torque. The weight of the steering is increased, the chassis and dampers are upgraded to keep the chassis flatter during spirited driving, and it even has the most un-Rolls-Royce feature we’ve heard of – launch control. Of course, Rolls-Royce has a new name for it, Spirited Mode, but launch control it is. It also has even flashier 23-inch forged aluminum wheels and all the brightwork becomes black chrome.
Black Badge Is A Sport Trim
It’s about time this was called out properly. Rolls-Royce’s Black Badge models are a sport trim. A beautifully engineered, drop-dead gorgeous, ultra-luxurious sport trim, but that’s what it is. Rolls-Royce loves to market that it makes something beyond regular cars, hence examples like how there’s not a tachometer in modern Rolls-Royce cars, there’s a power reserve gauge. But, they all have four wheels on the ground, a steering wheel, and seats inside like any other horseless carriage.
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Certainly, they’re four beautifully engineered and gorgeous-looking wheels, the most satisfying steering wheel you may ever grip, and incredibly comfortable seats surrounded by luxurious features, but they are cars, and the Spectre Black Badge is still a Spectre. To call the Spectre Black Badge the second all-electric Rolls-Royce model is mendacious, which is a word Rolls-Royce should enjoy. It’s a fancy way of saying misleading. In the grand scheme of things, we don’t consider this example egregious, but the word flagrant does come to mind.
Source: AutoExpress
