As the storied Rolls-Royce marque celebrated its 120th anniversary last year, a sea change was taking shape in its top office. After nearly 14 years as CEO, during which time the opulent automaker saw a 500 percent surge in sales, Torsten Müller-Ötvös announced he was stepping aside in favor of UK-born industry veteran Chris Brownridge—a return to the brand’s roots, you might say.

“To be invited to lead this great British brand, at such a pivotal moment in its long and remarkable story, is an extraordinary privilege,” Brownridge said of his ascension. “Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s most recognized, desirable, and influential brands, and I’m keenly aware of the enormous affection and esteem in which it’s held.” Earlier this year, he demonstrated his commitment to the evolution of the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy, presiding over the debut of Black Badge Spectre, the most powerful car in Rolls-Royce history, based on its $400,000-plus electric ultra-luxury grand tourer.

Just prior to that, he’d announced plans to invest around $375 million to expand the marque’s famed Goodwood, U.K. factory to focus more on the bespoke side of the business, a thriving division that has gained a reputation for ever-more-incredible custom creations. Some of its most notable bespoke commissions in 2024 included solid 18-karat gold sculptural elements, hand embroidery consisting of more than 869,500 stitches, veneers including 500 individually-shaped pieces of wood, and one-of-a-kind holographic paint finishes.

At the same time, the brand opened an impressive new Private Office in New York, catering to stateside clients wishing to order bespoke vehicles and collaborate directly with the marque’s designers. We recently spoke to Brownridge about his appointment, vision, and plans for the future.

What aspects of the brand’s direction are you most eager to develop or refine?

Every day, I gain a deeper appreciation for our ability to connect with clients through Bespoke. I am continually inspired by the talent and vision of our artisans in Goodwood and our teams around the world. Our ambition is to further expand personalization options, ensuring each motor car reflects the unique desires of its owner. This includes investing in the Goodwood facility to accommodate increasingly complex Bespoke projects—reinforcing our unwavering commitment to individualized luxury.

How does the Black Badge Spectre embody the pinnacle of the Black Badge ethos?

Black Badge is the alter ego of the Rolls-Royce brand— darker, bolder, and more visceral. Spectre, our electric super coupé, provides the ideal canvas for this expression. Its emotionally charged design and powerful stance made it the natural choice for our most performance-focused model to date. With 650 brake horsepower and exclusive features like “Infinity Mode” and “Spirited Mode,” Black Badge Spectre pushes the boundaries of bold design while maintaining the serene luxury expected of Rolls-Royce. In many ways, this is the motor car Black Badge was destined for.

How has the Black Badge program evolved over the past decade?

Black Badge was introduced to appeal to a younger, more dynamic clientele. It has since matured into a bold symbol of individuality— perfectly aligned with the expressive capabilities of our Bespoke division. Over time, we’ve introduced enhanced performance features, culminating in the Black Badge Spectre—the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever. Simultaneously, Black Badge has allowed us to innovate with new materials, further expanding the visual and tactile palette available to our clients.

What is the current state of the Black Badge program, and who are its clients?

The Black Badge collection continues to thrive, attracting those who seek a more daring and unconventional Rolls-Royce experience. Our client base for Black Badge is very diverse, but our Black Badge owners value bold design married with dynamic performance. They are seeking a truly personal connection to the image their motor car projects and deliberately move away from expected aesthetic codes.

What was involved in engineering the most powerful Rolls-Royce in history?

The development of Black Badge Spectre required a transformative approach to power and performance—executed the Rolls-Royce way. Teaching Spectre how to behave with increased torque and horsepower while remaining, first and foremost, a Rolls-Royce demanded precise calibration of the transmission, suspension, and steering systems. Our engineers also crafted a sound profile befitting this elevated performance. The result is a motor car that redefines power for the brand with-out any compromise regarding the refined character that defines Rolls-Royce.

How do you balance innovation and electrification with the heritage that defines Rolls-Royce?

At the start of the 20th century, our founder, Charles Rolls, declared that electric drive would be the technology of the future, ideally suited to the type of car he–together with Henry Royce–was destined to create. Traveling in a Rolls-Royce has always been defined by silence, effortless power and the unrivaled “magic carpet ride.” With our meticulously engineered Rolls-Royce electric drivetrain, that renowned feeling of “one endless gear” takes on a new quality: Even more powerful, silent and refined than our legendary V12, it delivers the ultimate Rolls-Royce experience.

What motivated the $375 million expansion of the Goodwood manufacturing facility?

This strategic investment is dedicated to expanding our Bespoke and Coachbuild capabilities, not to increase annual production volumes. As client demand grows for increasingly complex and highly individualized commissions, the enhanced facility will support advanced paint techniques and intricate “one-off” interior treatments, reducing wait times for our clients. Our mission is not more volume, but more magnificent, meaningful commissions.

How has Rolls-Royce come to lead the industry in vehicle customization?

Bespoke is not an option at Rolls-Royce—it is the essence of what we do. From the initial consultation to the final handover, every touchpoint is tailored to transform each motor car into a singular expression of the client’s lifestyle. Our goal is to ensure that no two Rolls-Royces are alike—each is a one-of-one commission that reflects the individuality of its owner.

What is driving the increase in Bespoke and Coachbuild demand?

True luxury lies in individuality and exclusivity. Our clients are highly accomplished individuals who turn to Rolls-Royce to express and celebrate that success. They don’t want a car—they want a statement. A unique Bespoke commission is their way of making that statement.

What inspired the growth of the Private Office program? Doesn’t its invite-only nature create limitations?

Private Office was conceived to serve clients with highly ambitious bespoke visions—clients for whom time is their most precious resource. Not everyone can travel to Goodwood [UK], so we brought the experience closer to them. The Private Office allows direct access to our design team and creative resources, empowering our most visionary clients to bring their ideas to life in collaboration with our brand.

How does one receive an invitation to the Private Office?

Invitations are extended to clients who demonstrate a strong affinity with the brand, often through previous Bespoke commissions or a clear vision for a one-of-a-kind vehicle. At Private Office New York, for instance, access is granted via dealer-client advisors. While every Rolls-Royce dealership houses a Bespoke Lounge, clients whose requests are particularly elaborate are invited to the Private Office where they can work directly with a Rolls-Royce designer and dedicated client experience manager.

How does direct collaboration with Goodwood designers enhance the commissioning experience?

Working directly with our designers—whether at Goodwood [Rolls’ UK headquarters] or in Private Office locations—immerses clients in the creative journey. Their personal stories and preferences are deeply integrated into the final design, resulting in a motor car that is not only one-of-a-kind, but profoundly personal. These collaborations often inspire new techniques and innovations in design, material use, and craftsmanship.

Are there plans to open additional Private Office locations? What determines their placement?

Currently, our Private Offices in Goodwood, Dubai, Shanghai, Seoul, and New York are serving hundreds of clients on highly complex projects. Our focus remains on delivering world-class service at each location. While we have no immediate plans to expand, we will continue to evaluate based solely on one criterion: our ability to meet and exceed client expectations.

Are more ultra-limited Coachbuild commissions planned? What determines eligibility?

Wait and see! We continue to explore ultra-limited Coachbuild projects with clients who have a deep understanding of the brand and a compelling vision. These commissions are profoundly collaborative and ensure alignment with Rolls-Royce’s heritage and standards. While we can’t reveal specifics at this time, we are always seeking opportunities to evolve the Coachbuild concept in response to client demand.

This article originally appeared in Maxim’s September/October 2025 issue.

At one time it might have seemed unthinkable— an all-electric Rolls-Royce? Abandoning the iconic, handcrafted V12 engine—one of the very last in the industry—to rely on a bunch of batteries and a brace of electric motors? Borrowed from the Germans? Sacrilege, sir. Scandalous even.

Indeed, such was the initial reaction in some quarters to the announcement of Spectre, the first-ever all-electric Rolls-Royce, a two door “super-coupé” designed as the spiritual successor to the Phantom Coupé, ushering in a brand new era of electrification at the legendary marque—some years earlier than expected.

How could an electric car possibly have the same presence, puissance, and pedigree of a proper Rolls-Royce? Wouldn’t a compromise on the order of Lamborghini’s Revuelto, a “V12 hybrid plug-in” or some such, have made more sense? Hedge your bets, old boy. Don’t throw the baby out with the Penhaligon’s-scented bathwater.

When these selfsame critics finally got their hands on one, however, these objections melted away like so much Arctic ice. Rolls-Royce, always a trendsetter in the rarified sphere of ultra-luxury, has ushered in a new era, the next chapter in its century-plus of history; and it’s no accident that Spectre makes its debut for the 120th anniversary of the fortuitous meeting of the Hon. Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. A hundred and twenty years from now, we may well look back on it as the beginning of an epoch termed “The Power of Pure Silence.”

Of course, those who are truly au courant with the storied marque’s history know that Mr. Rolls first espoused the virtues of electric cars back in 1900. In a sense, the advent of the 577-horsepower Spectre (courtesy of BMW-sourced twin electric motors) means the marque has come full circle, and all Rolls-Royces will be fully electric by 2031.

Spectre’s 102.0-kWh battery might be a beefed up version from parent company BMW’s new i7, but everything else on the torqued-out car—which can do 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds and tops out at 155 mph, all without raising its voice an octave—is as British and bespoke as any that has ever sported the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy.

“Spectre possesses all the qualities that have secured the Rolls-Royce legend,” is how the marque’s charismatic chief executive, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, puts it. “This incredible motor car, conceived from the very beginning as our first fully-electric model, is silent, powerful and demonstrates how perfectly Rolls-Royce is suited to electrification. Spectre’s all-electric powertrain will assure the marque’s sustained success and relevance while dramatically increasing the definition of each characteristic that makes a Rolls-Royce a Rolls-Royce.”

At Rolls-Royce, Müller-Ötvös notes, “perfection is about more than making the very best products. It is a culture, an attitude and our guiding philosophy. Indeed, it is our founding father Sir Henry Royce who said, ‘strive for perfection in everything you do’. Spectre has been conceived within this culture. It is perfectly in tune with the sensibilities of our time.”

He adds, “It states the direction for the future of our marque and perfectly answers a call from the most discerning individuals in the world to elevate the electric motorcar experience—because Spectre is a Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second…. This is the start of a bold new chapter for our marque, our extraordinary clients and the luxury industry. For this reason, I believe Spectre is the most perfect product that Rolls-Royce has ever produced.” 

Anders Warming, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ Director of Design, points out Spectre’s “strikingly modern yet timeless aesthetic, which brings our marque’s design language and bespoke capabilities into a new, electric era. Working closely with our engineering colleagues and drawing inspiration from many spheres, including haute couture, modernist sculpture and nautical design, we have succeeded in creating a dramatic, highly emotional super coupé. In particular, the design takes cues from the clarity and precision of line and intelligent use of reflection in modern sailing yacht styling.”

Spectre announces its pedigree with the iconic Pantheon grille, the widest ever fitted to a Rolls-Royce. The polished stainless-steel vanes are smooth and flush-fitting, and softly illuminated with 22 LEDs, “lighting up the sandblasted rear surface, creating a subtle three-dimensional signature at night.”

A new Spirit of Ecstasy figurine was specially created for Spectre as well, with a lower stance and more aerodynamic profile, contributing to the motor car’s drag coefficient of just 0.25cd, making Spectre “the most aerodynamic RollsRoyce ever built,” the marque notes.

Within the “luxurious and welcoming cabin,” Warming notes, “Spectre’s cosseting interior wraps itself around those inside the car, whilst enchanting bespoke features surprise and delight, showcasing the very outstanding skill and artistry of our world-renowned designers and craftspeople.”

Most notably, a version of Rolls’ iconic Starlight Headliner LED display on the door panels; while the all-new front seat design has “lapel” sections that can be rendered in contrasting or matching colors to the main base, inspired by British tailoring.

And with SPIRIT, a “completely redesigned digital architecture that connects the Spectre owner with their car more closely than ever before,” clients can now extend their commission from Rolls’ Bespoke division into the digital realm, “for example, by selecting the color of the instrument dials to complement the car’s interior palette or exterior finish.”

One needn’t have the usual qualms about a brand new, designed-from-scratch car when it comes to Rolls-Royce. The marque carried out a punishing pre-launch program with Spectre, which rides on massive 23-inch wheels, extending to more than 1.5 million miles “in every extreme of terrain and temperature”—simulating over 400 years of normal use.

Nor did it fail to pass every test with flying colors. “As the first fully-electric Rolls-Royce ever made, Spectre proves that battery-electric technology has entirely come of age,” Rolls notes, “and can be successfully deployed at the very apex of automotive excellence, luxury and performance.”

With a WLTP range of 320 miles and an estimated EPA range of 260 miles, Rolls can claim to have put paid to any doubts about Spectre’s suitability for grand touring—a feat of which Mr. Rolls would be suitably proud. With, as yet, no all-electric Bentley on the road (slated for 2025), Rolls has also got a serious leg up on the closest competition. A leg clad in Savile Row’s finest, of course.

Rolls-Royce chose to present Spectre to the global press in Napa Valley, California, at the impeccable Four Seasons resort, with a fleet of eye-popping examples including several in the marque’s iconic two-tone paint scheme. What impressed most perhaps was how little Rolls sacrificed in the way of its core values of opulence, bespoke craftsmanship, power and presence, in order to surge to the fore of sustainable luxury. All of a sudden $420,000 is starting to look like a bargain—and not just to us, as the first year’s Spectre production is already sold out.

This article originally appeared in the Nov/Dec 2023 issue of Maxim magazine.

In 1900, Rolls-Royce founder Charles Stewart Rolls remarked, “The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.”

Some 122 years later, Rolls-Royce has revealed the Spectre, what the marque breathlessly calls an “Ultra-Luxury Electric Super Coupe.”

“This is the start of a bold new chapter for our marque, our extraordinary clients and the luxury industry,” said CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös of Rolls’ first EV. “For this reason, I believe Spectre is the most perfect product that Rolls-Royce has ever produced.”

Only test drives will reveal whether Charles Stewart Rolls’ prophecy has been fulfilled, but like every ride baring the Spirit of Ecstasy ornament, the Spectre is aesthetically alluring and decidedly luxurious.

Starting with that iconic, angel-winged woman, she’s been aerodynamically tuned over 830 hours of wind tunnel testing and placed atop Rolls’ widest and flushest Pantheon grille yet.

Eyes are drawn to the Spectre’s fastback, which completes a sleek, almost supercar-like greenhouse that boasts the lowest drag coefficient of any Rolls to date.

The company adds that the lower line, known as the “waft line,” was inspired by watercraft, with coachwork gently tucked into the sill to reflect the road beneath like yacht’s hull reflects water. The body rides on gargantuan 23-inch wheels with a gorgeous pinwheel design.

The battery is integral to the aluminum architecture, which has been crafted specifically for the Spectre to be 30 percent stiffer than any of its kin. Performance specs are preliminary, but tests indicate the 430 KW powertrain will have a range of 320 miles and an output of 663.8 pound-feet of torque, good for a 60-mph sprint of 4.4 seconds.

And as is the case with new car Rolls produces, one would be remiss not to mention the Spectre’s remarkably appointed interior. Designers have doubled down on the starry theme championed by the brand’s many headliners with the first application of Starlight Doors, which incorporate 4,796 softly illuminated “stars.” There are over 5,500 more of these atmospheric lights integrated into the passenger side of the dashboard.

Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke division will of course allow customers to completely customize their interior with trims, features, upholstery, embroidery and more, but for the first time, they can also uniquely define how they interact the car digitally via the new SPIRIT software.

More details on SPIRIT and Spectre features will be revealed when the first examples are delivered at the end of 2023.

The Rolls-Royce Spectre is the British luxury brand’s first electric vehicle. At this point, it isn’t even ready as a concept car. According to the British automaker, it is roughly 25% complete. And even so, a very early testing of the future luxury coupe test mule shows much of what Rolls-Royce’s electrified luxobarge can do.

Starting To Take Shape

Outer styling is left for a later phase in the construction of the prototype. Right now, there are heavy inspiration cues from the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe at work. Based on its height, the Spectre might be a crossover. Its tear-shape makes it the most aerodynamically efficient Rolls-Royce yet, with an estimated 0.26 drag coefficient. 

Windows are surprisingly small in size and door sills are situated at elbow level. Doors open backwards in proper Rolls-Royce style, letting a spacious cabin flood the view of the beholder. There isn´t yet much to talk about in terms of interior finishing or luxury features. This is still a mule and most of the upholstery is covered in masking fabric covers and a ton of sensors and data-logging equipment to deal with the cold winter testing. 

Winter tires were fitted on 22-inch wheels sitting cozy beneath the blended wheel arches. According to Rolls-Royce, standard all-season tires will come together with bigger, 23-inch wheels on the production model. 

An Electric Rolls-Royce, Specs TBA

For the first time in the brand´s history, the bespoke, utterly refined V12 petrol engine will be replaced by an electric drivetrain. Rolls-Royce is keeping lips tight about the specs and whether it’ll be developed in-house or sourced from its parent company BMW.

The Rolls-Royce Spectre will boast 4 electric motors, one for each wheel. Cornering will be aided via rear wheel steering. 

No info was yet provided regarding the range of Spectre. It is however expected to surpass Mercedes EQS’s 470-mile range. For this, Rolls-Royce is likely to employ a battery pack bigger than 100kWh.

Rolls-Royce cars are some of the most comfortable and silent on the planet, and without a noisy combustion engine, that silent DNA should be transferred seamlessly into the Spectre.

As Chief of Projects Horg Wunder mentions, Rolls-Royce gives clients the option of some noise, or no noise. It is possible to make the car completely silent. 

The problem is that nobody can live in complete sound deprivation for extended periods of time. This was also an issue with older Rolls-Royce models that were so silent people suffered from acoustic deprivation syndromes. 

Meanwhile, northern Swedish highway roads allowed Rolls-Royce to create a baseline for improvement and refinement. The Spectre’s suspension is fully adaptive and boasts an updated version of the Wraith’s active anti-rollbar setup.

What’s To Come

Rolls-Royce is planning to electrify its entire lineup by 2030, and the 2023 Spectre is the first step into this direction. RR calls the move ¨Rolls-Royce 3.0¨ and it defines a massive move from the iconic V12 petrol units. 

Even with all the challenges ahead, it slips out that the path towards electrification may not be that bumpy for the British luxury automaker. Nevertheless, Rolls-Royce is not a brand to leave any details untouched, and until next year when Spectre will become available to the public, each and every nook and cranny will be checked, tested and improved.

By the decade’s end, Rolls-Royce will have cycled out sales of internal combustion engines in favor of all-electric powertrains.

“With this new product, we set out our credentials for the full electrification of our entire product portfolio by 2030,” Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said in an announcement.

“By then, Rolls-Royce will no longer be in the business of producing or selling any internal combustion engine products.”

The first Spirit of Ecstasy-topped BEV will come long before 2030 in the Spectre—seen here camouflaged by bold, shimmering slogans. 

Due out in the fourth quarter of 2023, the mysterious two-door coupe is based on the aluminum architecture that debuted in the Phantom in 2017.

More details about the Spectre are scant, but Müller-Ötvös has confirmed with Car and Driver that the performance of any Rolls EV would need to match what’s offered by the luxobarge brand’s current V12. 

Rolls’ 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged 12-pot produces 563 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. Those figures swell to 600 horsepower and 664 pound-feet in top-shelf Black Badge rides. 

Given that the marque’s parent company BMW just launched the likely smaller iX xDrive50 electric SUV with 516 horsepower, there’s no reason to think that a Rolls EV won’t be able to surpass its current Black Badge models in output. 

Rolls-Royce isn’t the only luxury automaker that recently announced electrification plans. 

Mercedes-Benz has also pledged to produce EVs only by 2030, following a massive $47 billion R&D investment into battery tech from 2022 onward.