{ “title”: “Rolls-Royce Tests the Waters with a Sporty Black Badge Spectre”, “description”: “The Black Badge Spectre takes the traditional Rolls-Royce experience and adds a dose of performance.”, “tags”: “Rolls-Royce, Black Badge Spectre, Luxury EV, Performance, Electric Vehicle” }
“So, left foot hard on the brake, right foot on the accelerator, and sidestep the brake to launch?” “Yup, simple as that.”
I’m in Spain, at the Parcmotor Castellolí circuit, just outside Barcelona. The task? To experience the latest from Rolls-Royce: the Black Badge Spectre. Up front, the Spirit of Ecstasy, finished in darkened chrome, sits atop the long hood—a first for the Spectre. Ahead lies 625 meters of straight track.
Debuting a Rolls-Royce on a racetrack is a statement. The Black Badge treatment, as it’s known, seeks to push things even further with an 82-hp power increase and chassis upgrades. The aim? To make the Black Badge Spectre the sportiest Rolls-Royce ever.
At first glance, a sporty Rolls-Royce seems like a contradiction. However, Rolls-Royce discovered that Black Badge owners tend to drive with more spirited acceleration. This led to a simple conclusion: these owners want to use the available power.
This discovery drove the creation of Rolls-Royce’s Sport mode. While previous Black Badge models offered a Low setting, designed to quicken shifts and throttle response, the Black Badge Spectre’s new Infinity Mode takes things much further. It’s the only way to unleash the full 659 hp and 792 pound-feet of torque and engage “Spirited Mode,” the brand’s take on launch control.
Combined with the electric powertrain’s instant power delivery, this 6,371-lb coupe sprints to 60 mph in a phenomenal 4.1 seconds—about as quick as a base Porsche 911 Carrera (3.9 seconds.)
Back on the track, a small banner appeared on the Spectre’s digital cluster, confirming that Spirited Mode was ready. I sidestepped the brake pedal with my right foot pinned to the floor, taking off as rain sprinkled the track. The nose rose dramatically as the all-wheel drive Black Badge Spectre effortlessly deployed its power in the wet. The back end didn’t squat as much as it would on other Black Badge models.
As one might expect from a two-door car generating 792 lb-ft of torque, my passenger and I were immediately pressed into our seats. Although the speedometer rocketed upwards, serenity remained inside the cabin.
We blasted past the pits just as we exceeded 100 mph, but there was no wind noise to spoil the moment; only Rolls-Royce’s digital acceleration sound provided an auditory accompaniment.
The Black Badge Spectre’s true magic lies in its ability to blend added performance without sacrificing its core tenets of luxury. It lets you go toe-to-toe with a proper sports car off the line, all while enjoying a massage or an audiobook. It’s effortless performance.
This Spectre may have sporty aspirations, but it’s a Rolls-Royce first. That point became clear as I firmly pressed on the left pedal approaching the first sweeping bend. The car’s brakes did their best to scrub off speed, but the coupe’s on-track abilities are clearly limited. Yet, leaving a cloud of mist from a wet corner, while giggling, shows this is what the Black Badge Spectre does best: it makes the Rolls-Royce experience fun.
On the mountainous and winding roads outside Barcelona, the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Spectre truly shines. Its revised dampers, improved anti-roll system, and recalibrated steering make it a more agile and enjoyable car. It turns in slightly quicker, remains more stable, and, with Infinity Mode engaged, the acceleration is considerably enhanced.
None of these performance gains come at the expense of the car’s ultra-luxury experience. The car’s electric powertrain means less noise to isolate, and its 102-kilowatt-hour battery pack doubles as a sound-deadening device. Like the standard Spectre, the Black Badge remains one of the quietest cars I’ve driven.
While the Black Badge Spectre doesn’t introduce significant hardware changes, the dual electric motor setup sends power to all four wheels. Sporting a smaller set of 22-inch wheels, the Black Badge has an EPA estimated range of 266 miles, down from 291 miles in the standard model. Step up to the 23-in-wheel option, and that figure drops to 251.
However, these numbers are conservative, as I found when road-tripping an early pre-production Spectre from Las Vegas to Los Angeles on a single charge. The Black Badge’s best-case-scenario range of 266 miles isn’t revolutionary when compared to the EV space. Nevertheless, Rolls-Royce and its people highlight that maximizing range isn’t a primary concern. The average owner, who drives approximately 3,200 miles annually, typically owns at least seven other vehicles, making the Spectre more of a niche tool.
Inside, you’ll find ample evidence of where the power goes. Like the standard model, the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Spectre’s interior offers the Starlight headliner and illuminated perforated door panels introduced for this EV. However, it adds an illuminated dashboard with the Black Badge Infinity logo and a model-specific Technical Fiber material.
Blending an exposed carbon fiber weave and a metal thread, this unique trim piece adds a luxurious spin to a material known for its high strength and low weight, and it sparkles like the rest of the car’s cabin. The Spectre informs you’ve activated Infinity Mode when the digital speedometer illuminates with vibrant colors.
On the exterior, the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Spectre continues the illuminated theme with a brighter backlit Pantheon Grille in new colors. An optional matte black hood joins the options list, as do trim-specific 23-inch wheels. You’ll notice the secondary Waft line running along the car’s sides, similar to the well-known Rolls-Royce Coachline. The goal is to highlight some of the Spectre’s design elements.
Before traveling to drive it in Barcelona, the Black Badge Spectre was already on the road in the US. In what’s an industry first, the British carmaker delivered cars to its top customers, who were sworn to secrecy in exchange for early access. This allowed the carmaker to gather early feedback.
This close connection to its customers allows Rolls-Royce to create a finely tailored product. Like the Black Badge models before it, the Spectre adopts a darkened aesthetic and a cabin adorned with distinctive materials while taking things much further. Starting at $465,000, the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Spectre is a car that introduces revisions to boost performance and driver engagement without ever compromising the brand’s signature luxury. It’s the sportiest model the British marque makes, but true to the brand’s core values, it’s a Rolls-Royce first.
