I test drove £250,000 James Bond-style EV… it’s movie-star features are clunky & it’s ‘stupidly expensive’
A CAR fanatic test-drove the “stupidly expensive” James Bond-style electric vehicle which included clunky movie-star features.
Neil Briscoe took to The Irish Times to review the Rolls Royce Spectre that costs a staggering £250,000.
The car fan was in Bristol for the test drive of Rolls Royce’s first-ever fully electric car.
Briscoe said the vehicle fulfilled a legacy that was started over 120 years ago by the luxury car brand founder, Charles Rolls, who said that “electric power will be perfect for a Rolls Royce”.
The electric vehicle means that the motor runs smoother, with less noise, and pollution, according to the car expert.
Briscoe revealed the spectacular car had a 102kw battery, giving it an impressive range of about 530km.
The spacious four-seater features large leather seats, with enough space in the back to comfortably fit a 6ft 1in man.
“As you can see, it’s pretty enormous,” Briscoe said.
With 23in wheels, the giant motor even makes grown men appear smaller standing in its presence.
“This is going to be a staggeringly expensive car,” he said, as soon as he sat on the luxurious white seats with the Rolls Royce emblem stitched into the headrest.
Incredible add-ons such as Starlight headlining which uses hundreds of LEDs to create the effect of a starry sky.
To viewers’ surprise, Briscoe suggested that with him on board, the entire vehicle would likely weigh a whopping three tonnes – even though it felt light to drive.
“It is every bit as smooth and absorbent as you’d want a Rolls Royce to be but what’s astonishing is that the steering is so light, almost delicate,” he said.
“It represents an astonishing level of engineering and dynamic tuning, it is deeply, deeply, lovely to drive,” he added.
Briscoe pointed out the noise system in The Spectre was incredibly created by legendary music composer Hans Zimmer.
“It sounds like a really big orchestra is warming up just behind you, so it’s kind of cool”.
Briscoe goes on to describe the luxury car’s interior as he opens the doors to give viewers a full look inside.
The inner door features wood panelling and the “sumptuous” leather seats glistened in the sunshine.
The modern touchscreen features are tucked away behind the glamorous features, keeping the essence of a classic Rolls Royce alive in the supercar.
Briscoe revealed he was a fan of the “big and clunky” controls as they make “lovely sounds as you move them around”.
“Okay, it’s stupidly expensive, it’s big and heavy, it’s got an enormous battery,” he said.
“It may not be the best use of the Earth’s resources, but it’s kind of hard to begrudge a car like this,” he added.
Briscoe complimented the level of engineering and quality that went into making the stunning Bond-esque vehicle and described the Royce as “truly, truly remarkable”.
And for anyone hoping to get their hands on one, he warned that the company would likely only be making a limited amount of Spectres that would go out to a lucky few.