Rolls-Royce May Have Built Its First Sports Car With the Black Badge Spectre
During Beverly Hills' prestigious Rodeo Drive Concours d'Elegance event on June 15, we were given a very rare and exclusive invite byRolls-Royceto test drive its brand new Black Badge Spectre model and experience something we thought we'd never see exist: a Rolls-Royce with 'Sport Mode' and even wilder, Launch Control.
Before getting into the new modes, we wanted to address our favorite element of any Rolls-Royce vehicle: the presence of its design. TheSpectrehas been around since 2022, and in these last three years has gained an audience not only for its long dominating body, extended hood, and swooping rear hatch, but also for its sleeker approach to an ultra-luxury vehicle. We gathered that the Spectre would appeal more so to the younger, sportier crowd of car enthusiasts, less so the posh, luxury seekers who prefer a chauffeur who opens the doors for them. And that has not largely changed with the Black Badge edition.
For Black Badge models, a high level of customization and expression is expected, as was our loaner which arrived in a vivid Salamanca Blue with a Mandarin Orange interior. The color combination may not seem so far fetched for a sportier car you'd expect from high end brands, but for a Rolls-Royce it's not as common – hence the Black Badge designation. The interior had key characteristics that were bespoke and custom-ordered, like the contrast piping and stitching around the upholstery, Navy Blue 'RR' monograms in the headrests, a thicker blue steering wheel, polished stainless steel touch points and more. The most stunning (and, at nearly $33,000 USD total, pricey) additions were the 'Shooting Star' illuminated headliner and matching Starlight Doors, the latter of which is a first time option for RR vehicles. Leave it to a company like Rolls-Royce to give you a better night time experience inside a car than the actual night.
So getting back to the new driving modes and features, how does a Black Badge Spectre fare with its sports car credentials? The car's Infinity Mode is essentially what you'd consider 'Sport mode' or 'Dynamic' mode – a driving selection that unlocks the engine's full potential. In this case, Infinity Mode gives the driver the full 659 horsepower, which is 82 more than the standard Spectre. Because of its all-electric platform, the Black Badge simply runs at standard Spectre power levels when outside of Infinity Mode. Pressing the new Infinity button on the steering wheel doesn't necessarily 'shift' the car's feel, but there are key indications that the car is tightened up, both through the throttle sensitivity as well as visually in the gauge cluster which is thus painted in a more aggressive color scheme around the dials.
Launch Control – which is known as Spirited Mode for the Black Badge Spectre – is even more of an oddity for Rolls-Royce, but we were surprised at how much we loved it not only for what it did but what it represents. Much like how you would expect, Spirited Mode is initiated by holding the brake pedal down and fully stomping on the accelerator. Doing so literally shimmies the steering wheel and car in whole, giving the occupants a visceral sensation preparing you for the launch to happen. Once you let go of the brake, the Black Badge Spectre's full 792 lb-ft of torque is transferred onto the pavement for a near-bang-on 0-60 in 4.1 seconds each and every time. We were able to execute this move twice during our drive and both times, it was exhilarating. Naturally the sensation of having a three-ton luxury vehicle the price of a house shoot off like a rocket is one thing, but we adore the idea that it's a speed and spectacle no one would or even could expect from a Rolls-Royce – the ultimate sleeper, in every sense of the word.
The Rolls-Royce Black Badge Spectre is a special order vehicle, available for the client who is looking for the above and beyond and, according to this example's $566,100 USD build spec, really deep enough pockets to fund one.
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