Latest news with #SpectreEV
News18
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- News18
How Kolkata's Shrivardhan Kanoria Became India's Rolls-Royce King
Last Updated: The brand new Rolls-Royce Spectre crashed on an expressway in Dhaka, Bangladesh, after the driver lost control of the high-speed luxury car. Less than a year after its debut in the Indian subcontinent, the Rolls-Royce Spectre has found itself in an unexpected spotlight — and not for the reasons the luxury carmaker would prefer. A video circulating online from Dhaka, Bangladesh, shows the high-end electric vehicle (EV) involved in a serious crash, sparking fresh conversations about its safety and performance. The footage, now viral, captures the Spectre EV crashing into the median of the Purbachal Expressway at high speed. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. Inside the car were four passengers, including Abdur Sabur, chairman of the Masko Group, and his son. Reports suggest the driver lost control before the vehicle collided with the road divider. According to several reports, the car veered off its course and jammed into the concrete island on the road. The videos and images circulating online clearly show that the Rolls-Royce in place was the brand new Spectre, not carrying a proper registration plate yet. It only carried a sticker at the back with 'AFR – Applied For Registration" printed on a piece of paper. It is not yet known what speed the driver was operating at, but the damage caused raises speculations that the car may have been racing at triple-digit speeds, easily crossing the speed limits of the road set by the authorities. Notably, Spectre is Rolls-Royce's first-ever EV, which is powered by a 102 kWh battery pack that generates 593 PS and 900 Nm of peak torque. Offering a range of 520 kilometres, the car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds and must be driven with care. Those watching the clip could notice damages spanning across the door, windshield, rear fender and the bumper after the Rolls-Royce lost control and hit the concrete section in the centre of the highway. Locals and security officials gathered around the vehicle upon learning of the accident and helped Sabur and other members sitting inside escape. Sabur's son sustained serious injuries, while others received minor damage. They were all taken to the nearby hospital for medical treatment. view comments First Published: July 21, 2025, 14:06 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Forbes
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Waftability Meets Flingability In Rolls-Royce's Most Powerful Car
Rolls-Royce's Chris Hardy explains to Iain Macauley the difference Black Badge enhancements make. Regardless of the grunt under one's right foot, and the dashboard power meter advising, for the most part, 90% or more of the available horses were unused, I never really felt the urge to floor the throttle of any Rolls-Royce and "see what it'll do". Sure, an occasional exploratory squeeze, but never a prolonged gallop. It felt rude and uncouth. It is, after all, a Rolls-Royce. And it must be, and be seen to be, effortless everywhere. "Effortless" is all about discreet potential, the fullness of that latent potential rarely seen in public. Several years ago, former Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös introduced me to the word "waftability", and described, pre-launch, the marriage between Rolls and EV power, an idea many years in the making before Spectre harnessed the two. And if I hadn't already settled on the way I'd be driving its cars, then that took me a big step closer. After being given a shortened version of Rolls-Royce's "White Gloves Academy" course, aimed at finessing clients' chauffeurs' already considerable skills, that sealed it. If I was in a Rolls, I'd waft. Until Black Badge Spectre, itself described as Rolls-Royce's "dark alter ego", got under my skin and played with my mind. The Black Badge Spectre seemed to shrinl on North Wales ribbony roads Transitioning From Wafting to Yeehah In short: a sportier and more engaging Spectre EV, Rolls-Royce's most powerful-ever car at 659bhp, up from the standard car's 577bhp. It has been described and reviewed in Forbes and elsewhere. I drove the Black Badge Spectre from the city of Birmingham, England, via suburbs, then highways, then country roads to a destination in North Wales which Rolls-Royce described as complementing the Spectre and its 'dark alter ego'. Intrigue climbed into the car with me. But this car sold me a dummy. The first few miles were certainly waft; 60 miles later, inner 'yeehahs', hot brakes and pursed-lip nodding and smiling of acknowledgment confirmed I'd been hoodwinked. The gates of Ynyshir, a restaurant with rooms, more of which later, planted the confirmatory full stop, or the period, of the story of the Black Badge Spectre. The tale had unfolded in convoy with my minders who were in a standard Spectre. I'd been enjoying my car's EV-perfected waftability, then driving the Black Badge progressively more briskly along near-deserted ribbony Welsh roads for around 60 miles. Then the minders' car, piloted by one of their test drivers, overtook. Ah, reining me in, I thought. But no, it became apparent, within the bounds with which those Welsh roads somehow allow you to have fun without breaking the speed limit, they wanted me to further explore the Spectre's dynamics. They say big cars shrink if they have a good chassis, and this Spectre was definitely shrinking. Nearly three tonnes and a considerable footprint provide a natural limit, but within those limits this car exuded confidence. Even parent company BMW's renowned chassis engineers have remarked how well it handles. It's no go-kart, but for its size and weight it is an incredibly good for an enthusiastic ... More cross-country gallop. This Car Is A Big Deal, But It Shrinks I simply forgot how big it was until Rolls-Royce staff stood by ready to guide me through the narrow gateway to Ynyshir, the Michelin 2* restaurant-with-rooms overnight stop. Chef and owner Gareth Ward, himself a car nut, is a disruptor. The menu was 29 courses, no compromises, culinary creative self-indulgence, sublime theater, minimum around £500 a head, four hours duration. It was an inspired Black Badge Spectre-esque stopover. "When a Black Badge pulls up and the occupants exit," explained Black Badge Product Manager Chris Hardy over dinner, "it might not be who you'd think it is. That's the point of Black Badge: you can be whoever you want to be - wearing a suit, scrubs, shorts, cowboy boots... "We're obviously marketing Black Badge Spectre as the most powerful-ever Rolls-Royce, which is a very different to any other launch campaign we've done. But it's still within the safety net of our brand. I think that's why a lot of our clients like it because it's had the Rolls-Royce approval. "It has a playfulness about it, it's very open, it's aggressive, its unapologetic." Unapologetic Performance Provides The Encore The next day outright and unapologetic performance takes centre stage. Black Badge Spectre, at the touch of one of either of two buttons, becomes a 2.8 tonne supercar-chaser. You won't find references to sport mode or launch control, they're labelled "Spirited" and "Infinity". The raffishly-named Spirited is a reference to a WW2 Spitfire dogfight performance-boost feature; what the Infinity button does is more Star Trek, the bit where USS Enterprise starship Captain Christopher Pike says "hit it". To demonstrate Infinity, Rolls hired an airport, Sleap in Shropshire. Product specialist and racing driver James, in the passenger seat, took me onto its runway, and told me to stop between a pair of cones. Press the Infinity button, he said, floor the brake pedal with my left foot, floor the accelerator pedal with my right until the car vibrates, then get off the brake pedal pronto. Seemingly Defying Physics, Hurled At The Horizon What happened next seemed to defy physics. "Hurled" about covers it, the silence at odds with an immense gathering of velocity. Ten seconds later, well into three figures mph, reaching a second set of cones was the cue to stand on the brakes. Some cars, in such circumstances, would display an element of distress. Not the Spectre. And to go some way towards explaining its Welsh lanes agility James then took me onto another section of runway where cones had been laid out to enable a demonstration of the Spectre's "flingability" (my word, not Rolls'...). Four wheel steering is a standard setting in the Black Badge Spectre, and it deftly helped belie the car's bulk through the slalom. A second run, with the four wheel steering switched off, revealed night-and-day handling characteristics. Rolls-Royce describe Black Badge Spectre's performance as "unforgettable". It's a perfectly-weighted word: both understatement, and accurate.
Miami Herald
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Rolls-Royce Wants to Focus on Exclusivity and Brand Heritage Over Production Numbers
Growing sales numbers and volume are the name of the game for some of the most popular automakers like Toyota, Volkswagen, and Ford, but lately, even some of the most venerable names making premium cars have been ramping up their output. In recent years, luxury powerhouses like BMW and Mercedes, and even exotic brands like Lamborghini, have grown their lineups to ramp up their annual sales with a broad stream of eager, new customers seeking a ride on the wave of prestige of their badge. However, one of the most illustrious luxury car brands, Rolls-Royce, is bucking the trend. In a recent interview with American broadcaster ABC, the newly appointed president of Rolls-Royce North America, Jon Colbeth, said that the phenomenon of luxury automakers chasing volumes is a "race to the bottom," that puts their brand's image in jeopardy. "There are plenty of manufacturers with very expensive cars out there with full showrooms right now," Colbeth said. "We want to invest in the brand, we want to continue investing in the brand, but we want to grow it with bespoke." In lieu of chasing volume, Rolls sees its Bespoke service as a new driver of its business. By ordering a bespoke car from Rolls-Royce, deep-pocketed clients forgo the showroom in favor of "Private Offices," where they can commission unique vehicles with personalized paint colors, special materials, and other "wishes" to be granted for the right price. In his words, Colbeth explained that "If somebody is going to buy a new Rolls-Royce, they want to make sure it's their Rolls-Royce. The only way to do that is to personalize it." Rolls is investing $370 million to expand its plant in Goodwood, England, to aid the program. In a statement released during its announcement in May 2024, CEO Chris Brownridge revealed that the upgrades will help the company with bottlenecks in the current production process. For instance, upgrades to the paint shop will help it apply two-tone color schemes on more cars. Despite this, Rolls and Colbeth have no intention of increasing production numbers or even promoting their cars with celebrity faces. They note that the "brand speaks for itself," and clients don't buy Rolls-Royces "because a celebrity is driving it." "We don't want to be the car for everybody," Colbeth told ABC. "It's not what we're about. We're investing $370 million in our [U.K.] plant extension without making more vehicles. What brand does that? Our focus is adding bespoke capacity and allowing each commission to be more special for clients." Although the brand managed to move 5,712 vehicles last year amid the introduction of new models like the Spectre EV and an updated Cullinan SUV, Colbeth maintains that no matter which vehicles they choose, new clients join the Rolls-Royce "family and everything that comes along with it." "We need to grow the future of Rolls-Royce. We've been around for 120 years ... and we're going to be around for a long time. We're stewards of the brands. Our responsibility is to cherish it." Personalization and luxury goods go hand-in-hand. Parisian fashion ateliers Louis Vuitton and Goyard offer hand-painted monograms on their items, and shirtmakers from Brooks Brothers to Eton offer their customers the opportunity to add their initials to their white shirts in various fonts and colored threads. Going back to cars, Rolls-Royce is not alone in making boatloads of money from programs similar to its bespoke program. Ferrari has the Tailor Made and Atelier programs, Porsche has Sunderwunsch ('special wishes'), and even Maserati has an in-house customization program called the "Officine Fuoriserie Maserati," or "Office Out of Series Maserati." In 2024, Ferrari sold just 13,752 vehicles but grossed around €1.3 billion ($1.35 billion) from personalization last year, accounting for about a fifth of overall revenues at the prancing horse. Taste may be subjective, but the freedom that ultra-luxury automakers let clients customize their vehicles proves there is money to be made. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
