Tag Archives: Rolls-Royce

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Rolls-Royce’s Next Ultra-Luxury SUV Will Be Electric

Rolls-Royce has never been in a hurry. But when it finally moves, it tends to glide rather than sprint—and its next glide will be fully electric.

Spotted cold-weather testing in Arjeplog, Sweden, Rolls-Royce’s second EV is shaping up to be a battery-powered counterpart to the Cullinan. It’s big, square, and unmistakably aristocratic, and it marks the next step in the company’s carefully choreographed transition away from internal combustion. Think of it as the Spectre’s taller, more imposing sibling—one built not to corner Nürburgring apexes but to dominate ski-resort parking lots in total, whisper-quiet authority.

This new SUV rides on Rolls-Royce’s Architecture of Luxury platform, the same aluminum spaceframe that underpins everything from the Phantom to the Ghost and, now, the Spectre. That’s important, because it means this isn’t some rushed EV conversion—it’s a ground-up Rolls, designed to preserve the brand’s signature ride isolation, vault-like solidity, and cathedral-level cabin quiet. The Spectre already showed that this platform works brilliantly in an electric context, delivering up to 650 horsepower from a dual-motor setup and a 102-kWh battery good for 329 miles of range. The SUV is expected to follow a similar template, though Rolls-Royce being Rolls-Royce, “similar” doesn’t mean identical.

What makes things especially interesting is the BMW connection. Rolls-Royce sits inside the BMW Group, and BMW’s next-generation Neue Klasse EV tech—new motors, new batteries, higher efficiency—debuting soon in vehicles like the upcoming iX3 could, in theory, filter into this Rolls-Royce SUV. That would give the brand a leap forward in charging speeds, range, and energy density. The catch? BMW’s Neue Klasse hardware was never designed with Rolls-Royce’s Architecture of Luxury in mind, so making the two talk to each other might require more engineering gymnastics than even a billion-dollar automaker likes to admit.

Still, timing suggests Rolls-Royce isn’t far from pulling the silk sheet off this thing. The Spectre was spotted testing in late 2021, unveiled in October 2022, and delivered to customers a year later. The new SUV appears to be following the same playbook, meaning a reveal sometime in the coming months and sales roughly a year after that. In other words, if you’ve been quietly waiting for a Cullinan that runs on electrons instead of premium unleaded, your patience is about to be rewarded.

The competitive stakes are rising, too. Bentley is preparing its own first EV—an “urban SUV”—set to debut in late 2026. Rolls-Royce beating its longtime rival to market with a fully electric luxury SUV would be a symbolic power move, even in a segment where symbolism matters almost as much as horsepower.

For now, Rolls-Royce is staying tight-lipped, officially “unable to comment on future product plans.” But those camouflaged test mules sliding through the Swedish snow tell us everything we need to know: the age of silent, battery-powered opulence isn’t coming—it’s already here, and Rolls-Royce intends to own it.

Source: Autocar

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Rolls-Royce’s Next EV Looks Less Cullinan, More Shooting Brake

Rolls-Royce is quietly assembling its second all-electric act, a high-sided vehicle (don’t call it an SUV—Goodwood won’t) set to arrive in 2027 alongside the already-on-sale Spectre coupe. And thanks to fresh spy shots from BMW’s winter testing grounds, we’re finally getting a sense of what this ultra-luxury EV is—and just as importantly, what it isn’t.

Forget the Cullinan’s granite-block stance. This new electric Rolls is lower, sleeker, and more streamlined, with a silhouette that leans closer to a luxury wagon than a traditional SUV. The greenhouse is shallower, the roofline smoother, and the whole thing looks as though it was shaped by the wind rather than carved from it. Yet appearances deceive: despite looking lower and leaner, this EV is expected to be even longer than the Cullinan, which already stretches past 5.3 meters. Expect overall length to land somewhere between the Ghost and Phantom sedans—roughly 5.3 to 5.4 meters—because excess is still very much the point.

Rolls-Royce design DNA is unmistakable beneath the camouflage. There’s the long bonnet, the upright nose, and the classic Rolls proportions with short front and long rear overhangs. Rear-hinged coach doors are present and correct, and the tail wears compact, Spectre-inspired taillights. But the real intrigue is up front.

The Pantheon grille remains the visual anchor, as tradition demands, but the lighting treatment around it signals a more experimental Rolls-Royce. Thin LED light strakes sit at the junction of the hood and front bumper, transitioning from angled to vertical as they approach the grille. Below them are vertically stacked headlights—test units for now, but their placement hints strongly at the production design. It’s formal, yes, but also surprisingly modern for a brand that usually treats innovation like a whispered secret.

Inside, expect the most digitally ambitious Rolls-Royce cabin yet. This isn’t a V-12-powered drawing room on wheels, and Rolls knows it. Larger displays and deeper digital customization are likely, though they’ll be carefully wrapped in the brand’s usual excess of leather, wood, and metal craftsmanship. Think cutting-edge tech, but delivered with white gloves.

Under the skin, the new EV should benefit from BMW’s Neue Klasse battery architecture, promising improvements in efficiency and charging capability. Still, physics is undefeated. Given the vehicle’s sheer size and mass, expect real-world range to land somewhere between 300 and 400 miles. Power will come from a twin-motor setup producing north of 500 horsepower, with a Black Badge variant all but guaranteed to push past 600. As with the Spectre, outright speed won’t be the headline—effortless, silent authority will be.

This electric high-rider isn’t expected to immediately replace the Cullinan. The gas-powered SUV continues to sell well in markets that still embrace V-12 excess, particularly the U.S. and the Middle East. That said, another generation of V-12 Cullinan seems unlikely. More plausible is a third EV—an electric Phantom successor—arriving around 2028 to fully usher Rolls-Royce into its battery-powered era.

Competition? There will be plenty of expensive electrons flying around. Bentley’s upcoming “Urban SUV” is due next year, but it’ll be smaller, sportier, and more closely related to the Porsche Cayenne EV than to anything from Goodwood. Jaguar’s forthcoming electric SUV, following its dramatic GT reboot, may end up being the sharper rival. Still, Rolls-Royce isn’t chasing market share—it’s defining its own lane.

As for price, Rolls-Royce etiquette says it’s impolite to ask. But if you insist, expect no change from the usual neighborhood of £350,000. Because if you have to ask, you’re probably not the customer anyway.

Source: AutoExpress

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Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Gamer: The 8-Bit Ultra-Luxury Fever Dream Nobody Saw Coming

Rolls-Royce doesn’t usually dabble in nostalgia—at least not the kind measured in pixels. Yet here we are: the Black Badge Ghost Gamer, a one-off commission that drags Goodwood’s most meticulous craftspeople straight into a late-’70s arcade. Imagine Pac-Man dressed in Salamanca Blue and Diamond Black, fed nothing but truffles and Champagne, and you’re halfway there.

Joshua McCandless, a Bespoke Designer at Rolls-Royce, describes the project as an immersive month-long descent into the 8-bit cosmos. “We wanted the client to feel that the motor car itself was an immersive experience,” he says, “the same thrill they felt when they pressed ‘start’ on an arcade machine for the very first time.” You might raise an eyebrow—until you see the result.

This Ghost doesn’t just lean into retro gaming; it commits. Hard.

Insert Coin: A New Kind of Collectable

In the increasingly bizarre world of luxury collectibles—vintage game cartridges now bring Ferrari-money at auction—Rolls-Royce clients are among the most dedicated. To them, first-generation consoles and arcade cabinets aren’t toys; they’re cultural artifacts worth preserving.

The Ghost Gamer channels that mindset with a feverish dedication. The entire car plays like a deluxe Easter-egg hunt: discoverable details range from obvious to deeply hidden, all tucked into the Ghost’s massive, silent, ultra-cushioned interior. Rolls-Royce didn’t just put gaming references in the car. They turned the car into the game.

Press Start: The Exterior That Glows Like an Arcade Cabinet

From twenty feet away, the two-tone Salamanca Blue over Diamond Black finish already telegraphs the neon glint of a 1980s arcade hall. But get closer, and the real weirdness starts.

A tiny hand-painted creation called the “Cheeky Alien” marches along the coachline—Rolls-Royce’s most traditional design element turned into an 8-bit invader. Each motif is made of 89 individual 3mm pixels, arranged in different explosion colors on either side of the car. If Rolls-Royce ever produced a Space Invaders cabinet, this is the mascot it would use.

Up front, the Illuminated Pantheon Grille glows like the start screen of a coin-op machine. Add black brake calipers and 22-inch forged Black Badge wheels and you get a Ghost that looks ready for a boss fight.

Ready Player One: An Interior That Gamifies Luxury

Inside, the Black and Casden Tan cabin becomes a retro-futurist lounge lit by nostalgia.

The front seats are embroidered with “Player 1” and “Player 2”, while rear passengers get Players 3 and 4. All lettering is rendered in 8-bit font—because of course it is. The Cheeky Alien returns on every headrest, again meticulously assembled from 89 stitched pixels.

But the pièce de résistance sits in the rear: the Waterfall, reimagined as a miniature arcade battle scene. Two stainless-steel flying saucers hover over a hand-painted lunar landscape straight out of 1979 cabinet art. It took two weeks, multiple paint iterations, and a technique grab-bag (traditional brushwork, sponge texturing, airbrush blending) to get the colors and textures period-correct. Rolls-Royce essentially recreated a museum piece… in the back of a $400,000 supersedan.

Hidden surprises lurk everywhere. A metal Cheeky Alien hides inside the picnic table. Another 8-bit engraving lives on the underside of a black chrome air vent. Even the Technical Fibre trim sparkles with silver lacquer like a starfield.

High Score: Lights That Play Their Own Game

Rolls-Royce illumination has always been theatrical, but the Gamer ups the production budget.

The Illuminated Fascia simulates a “Laser Base” backdrop from early arcade shooters, complete with an 85-star gunship that looks like it’s hyperspacing across the dashboard.

Above you, the ‘Pixel Blaster’ Starlight Headliner features 80 hand-placed battlecruisers made from fiber-optic lights. The Shooting Star animation has been reprogrammed to mimic laser blasts that zip across the ceiling. It’s not subtle—but it is spectacular.

Even the door sills get in on the act, displaying PRESS START, LOADING…, LEVEL UP, and INSERT COIN in glowing 8-bit lettering.

Game Over? Not Even Close.

Commissioned by a tech entrepreneur, the Black Badge Ghost Gamer pushes Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke division into territory even they probably didn’t expect to visit. It’s equal parts luxury object and pop-culture time capsule: a multi-million-dollar toy for someone whose childhood joystick has now been replaced by supercomputers and stock options.

It also signals something bigger. If this is what the next generation of collectors wants—cars that speak fluent nostalgia, culture, and personal mythology—then Rolls-Royce is more than prepared to play.

Source: Rolls-Royce