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September 16, 2026

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Rolls-Royce Spectre Series II: What’s new in the electric luxury coupe

More range, more power and an expanded palette of Bespoke finishes headline the first major update to Rolls-Royce’s electric grand tourer.

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It may not come as a surprise that Rolls-Royce does not do things by halves. The brand, whose calling card has long been the relentless pursuit of perfection, approaches even the smallest details with the same savoir-faire and opulent flair that define its cars.

From our personal airport transfer at London Heathrow to Rolls-Royce’s home on the Goodwood estate in West Sussex, we were chauffeured in style in the latest Phantom for the launch of Spectre Series II.

But the good folk at Rolls-Royce always find a way to top themselves. On this particular itinerary, we stepped out of our respective Rolls at Brighton City Airport for a private flight to Cornwall, on England’s southwestern tip.

From the airport transfer to the flight into Cornwall, Rolls-Royce made the journey to the Spectre Series II launch as seamless as possible. (Photo: Rolls-Royce)

There were just six of us aboard the Hans Jet-operated Pilatus PC-12 and, of course, we popped a bottle of bubbly at 15,000 ft. Before we even landed, we spotted two more Phantoms waiting on the tarmac, then stepped straight into the sumptuous confines of Rolls-Royce’s flagship.

THE BUSINESS OF LUXURY

Not all luxury brands approach the customer experience in the same way. For Rolls-Royce, every touchpoint is expected to reflect the exclusivity of the product. The VIP treatment we received was only the beginning.

Rolls-Royce understands its customers intimately – even how and when their Spectres are likely to leave the garage.

It knows that Spectre, the first all-electric Rolls-Royce, is typically the second Rolls-Royce in a client’s seven-car garage. It also knows that the marque’s second best-selling model covers an average of around 6,500 km a year, is charged almost exclusively at home and is increasingly driven by owners themselves.

Spectre customers also skew younger than the typical Rolls-Royce buyer. According to the company, what appeals to them is the car’s silence, effortless driving character and abundant power.

These qualities, CEO Chris Brownridge believes, are behind the EV’s “extraordinary reception” around the world. The resulting insights also shaped the subtle refinements introduced on Spectre Series II.

A RELATIONSHIP WITH RESTRAINT

The cabin of Spectre Series II can be tailored with new textiles, veneers and decorative leather treatments. (Photo: Rolls-Royce)

Our Rolls pulled up at Carbis Bay Hotel & Estate in Cornwall, a 19th-century landmark overlooking a privately owned 25-acre Blue Flag beach.

Virginia Woolf stayed at the hotel for three weeks in 1914, while Godrevy Lighthouse, visible across St Ives Bay, later inspired her 1927 novel, To the Lighthouse.

More recently, the hotel hosted the 2021 G7 Summit, attended by then-US President Joe Biden and other world leaders.

The hotel has since added another chapter to its story with MOR, the latest restaurant from Tom Sellers, chef-patron of London’s two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Story and a Rolls-Royce chef ambassador.

This was where Rolls-Royce launched Spectre Series II to a small group of media, who were also among the first to dine at MOR ahead of its opening. Named after the Cornish word for ‘sea’, Sellers’ restaurant draws heavily on local produce and seafood, with sweeping views across the coast.

Over dinner, we spoke with Juliane Blasi, Rolls-Royce’s Head of Exterior Design, about how the brand had refined its first electric model for Series II.

For the mid-life update of the marque’s first EV, Rolls-Royce has retained the two-door coupe’s distinctive yacht-inspired fastback profile, widely-acclaimed as one of the most elegant electric vehicles on the market since it was introduced in 2022. The split headlamp signature has also been retained.

Spectre Series II’s cabin updates include a redesigned clock and a new illuminated fascia inspired by the mist around Rolls-Royce’s home at Goodwood. (Photo: Rolls-Royce)

“The boat-like design is very monolithic, with all the lines and volumes tapering nicely,” Blasi told CNA Luxury. “Another beautiful thing is the wafting line on the side. The inspiration is taken from a yacht lifting out of the water as it accelerates, so it’s a visual representation of our ‘magic carpet ride’; that nice, floating feeling over the road when you’re sitting in a Rolls-Royce.”

There was also the question of balance. “The verticality you see reflected in the taillight design and front grille is an ingredient of our new form philosophy where restraint meets embellishment, in the way the taillight emerges as a focal point, out of a very clean, pure and simple surface,” she explained.

These clean surfaces create the perfect canvas for more ornate detailing to shine, such as those found on the intricate 23-inch forged alloy wheels, with its seven-spoke structure hand-finished for up to six hours.

“Our intention was to move away from the classical spokes design,” Blasi said. “These elements are highly faceted; it’s very precisely cut, almost like a diamond cut, and they appear to be floating in space. So when the car moves, the sun’s rays reflect on every surface a little differently, which gives a sparkle effect.”

MORE POWER, MORE RANGE, MORE BESPOKE POSSIBILITIES

The seats in Spectre Series II can be finished with Placed Perforation leather, a new treatment using precision-cut perforations across the shoulder and headrest areas. (Photo: Rolls-Royce)

As the wise uncle of a comic book superhero once said, “With great power comes great responsibility”. With the refreshed Spectre, that responsibility falls on a 102 kWh battery sitting between the car’s vast sills.

The new battery technology unlocks more power and torque to the tune of 442 kW (598 hp) and 1,015 Nm respectively in the ‘standard’ Spectre, while the Goodwood engineers have also recalibrated the drivetrain to sharpen up throttle response.

In Black Badge Spectre Series II, Infinity Mode unlocks 500 kW (671 hp), making it the most powerful production Rolls-Royce yet.

The changes also increase Spectre’s range by up to 18 per cent to 628 km, from 530 km previously – enough, in theory, to circle Singapore several times before recharging. Charging times have also been reduced by up to 14 per cent.

Spectre Series II takes a restrained approach, preserving the coupe’s flowing fastback shape while refining the details around it. (Photo: Rolls-Royce)

Beyond the technical changes, Spectre Series II gains a new Ethereal Blue exterior finish and a redesigned clock inspired by precision aviation instruments, housed alongside an up-lit Spirit of Ecstasy figurine.

There is also a new Brindled Walnut veneer made by combining walnut from non-fruiting trees that would otherwise be burned with residual eucalyptus fibres from fine-paper production. The material is compressed and cut into veneer sheets, then sealed with lacquer infused with fine glass flakes to create a shimmering finish.

Clearly, Rolls-Royce customers like sparkly things. They also like customising their Rolls to suit their personalities. As such, a Rolls-Royce purchase is almost always a commission.

According to Rolls-Royce, some Spectre clients request more than 20 Bespoke elements in a single commission – a level surpassed only by Phantom.

Rolls-Royce has therefore, quite sensibly, now given clients the option to clothe their Spectre interiors in Duality Twill fabric, a proprietary bamboo-based rayon upholstery that debuted in the Cullinan two years ago – available on the inner door panels for the first time here.

Like every artisanal detail found on a Rolls, this too carries a story; the material is inspired by the bamboo grove next to Sir Henry Royce’s former winter home on the Cote d’Azur, and features an abstract interpretation of the two interlinked ‘R’ initials of the marque’s founders (the other being Charles Rolls, of course).

Rolls-Royce has sharpened the Spectre’s throttle response while retaining its effortless driving character. (Photo: Rolls-Royce)

The twill textile is available in lilac, chocolate, black, and sage, a newly-introduced cool shade of verdant green. Clients can choose from more than 50 thread colours, while a full interior can require up to 25 hours of work, 2.6 million stitches and 10 miles of thread.

Also newly available on Spectre is the ‘Placed Perforation’ decorative leather feature, where precision-cut patterns and tiny perforations numbering in the tens of thousands are created to reveal unique artworks on the shoulder and headrest areas of the seats.

When merged onto the Starlight Doors illuminated with 4,796 backlit perforations each positioned by hand, it creates a soft, atmospheric diffusion effect reminiscent of starlight emerging through shifting night skies.

This is complemented by a new illuminated fascia featuring 8,108 pixel-like lights arranged in a flowing wave pattern, inspired by mist settling over the woodlands of the South Downs beyond Rolls-Royce’s home at Goodwood.

It is details like these – backed by complex processes and hours of craftsmanship – that give a Rolls-Royce much of its sense of occasion.

As Sir Henry Royce said: “Small things make perfection, but perfection is no small thing.”