Announced at the tail end of 2022, the Rolls-Royce Spectre arrived as the brand’s first fully electric model, indicating where the marque is headed. Goodwood’s EV makes more sense than most, marrying a vehicle that exists primarily to provide an ultra-isolated experience with a silent powertrain. The resulting machine is thus one of the quietest and most comfortable luxury cars ever built.
If you’re familiar with the brand’s lineup, the introduction of the 2025 Rolls-Royce Black Badge Spectre should come as no surprise. The Ghost and Cullinan Series II set a precedent, making it only a matter of time before this EV received a darkened aesthetic and sporty alter ego.
Uncharacteristically, for Rolls, we’ll start with its powertrain. Beneath the skin, it carries over the same dual-motor setup as the standard Spectre. However, it boosts its output to 659 horsepower and up to 792 pound-feet of torque. That’s an increase of 82 hp and 128 lb-ft, respectively. The “up to” is crucial because the Black Badge Spectre will only develop that torque figure in its new Spirited Mode.
In supercar terms, it’s Rolls-Royce’s equivalent of a launch control system, introduced to extract the quickest off-the-line acceleration. The result is a time to 60 mph of just 4.1 seconds, an impressive figure for a car that weighs over 6,500 pounds.
Simultaneously, extracting all 659 horses requires using Infinity Mode. This max-output setting replaces the “Low” mode seen in the aforementioned Ghost and Cullinan. Rather than engage it via the column mounted shifter, however, the Black Badge Spectre now sports a dedicated button with the infinity symbol on its steering wheel.
Aside from sharpening its throttle response, the dials on its digital instrument cluster pick up vibrant hues to further differentiate it from its “normal” state of tune. Rolls-Royce also revised its steering to ensure it picks up more weight, re-tuned its active anti-roll bars to reduce unwanted body motions, and reworked its dampers to reduce rear-end squat during acceleration and front-end dip during braking.
Despite its added performance, its EPA-estimated range of 266 miles while riding on 22-inch wheels remains unchanged. That figure drops to 251 miles if you opt for the larger 23s. However, its 102-kilowatt-hour battery pack will jump from 10 to 80 percent in 34 minutes while charging at 195 kilowatts.
Like previous Black Badge models, however, this sportier persona cannot compromise its ride. This is still a Rolls-Royce first, after all. It still counts on the same Planar air suspension introduced in the second-generation Ghost, simply blending it with greater straight-line performance and a more responsive powertrain.
Still, this car’s aesthetic remains central to its appeal, achieved by incorporating darkened chrome across its exterior. RR’s launch color is a striking shade of Vapor Violet inspired by 80s and 90s nightclub neon lighting. Should you opt for an equally vibrant shade, a new painted Iced Black hood provides strong contrast.
A new set of 23-inch wheels is available in a semi-polished or an all-black finish. Alongside the coachline the marque is famous for, the Black Badge Spectre introduces a new Waft line that runs in parallel on this car’s lower sections, accentuating the crisp line that dissects its doors and arches.
Its Pantheon grille receives an optional backlight offered in Tailored Purple, Charles Blue, Chartreuse, Forge Yellow, and Turchese. Similarly, its digital dials provide a range of vivid hues to complement or contrast the rest of the car’s configuration.
Its new Technical Fiber trim debuts almost as a spiritual successor to Bespoke’s Technical Weave, incorporating Black Bolivar wood as its base and layering it with carbon and metal thread to create a diamond pattern. Rolls-Royce then sandblasts the surface, applies six layers of lacquer, and hand polishes it. Look throughout the rest of the cabin, and you’ll find plenty of references to the infinity logo representing all Black Badge models.
Pricing for the Black Badge Spectre in the US starts at $490,000, with deliveries expected to begin later this year.
