There is a sense of disbelief as I climb behind the wheel of a Rolls-Royce with the intention of driving it onto a private racetrack carved into the hills of Chiba. This isn’t just any EV. It’s the Black Badge Spectre, Rolls-Royce’s boldest interpretation of power and personality, and we are here at the exclusive Magarigawa Club to witness just how much the world’s most traditional luxury marque is willing to evolve.
Rolls-Royce has never been one to chase lap times or make noise about performance figures. That space was left to others. Its focus has always been on delivering the finest riding experience, prioritising calm over chaos. But in recent years, things have shifted. The Black Badge series, first seen on the Wraith and Ghost, emerged from a growing demand for something edgier. Younger clients wanted something that didn’t just look different, but felt it too.
The Black Badge Spectre is that idea brought into the electric age. It shares its basic structure with the standard Spectre, including the dual-motor layout, but that’s where the similarities end. In its default running mode, it offers 585 hp and 900 Nm of torque. It remains smooth and refined, with the same 4.5 second sprint to 100 km/h as the standard Spectre. From behind the wheel, there’s very little to separate it from its calmer sibling in day-to-day driving. The refinement is still there. It glides in silence and erases the road beneath you without breaking a sweat.
But the real transformation comes with Infinity mode, only featured on the Black Badge. This is activated by a discreet button on the steering wheel, marked with the Black Badge’s lemniscate symbol. Press it and the car reveals its darker side. Power jumps to 659 hp, torque to a massive 1,075 Nm, and the character becomes noticeably more assertive. The delivery is still smooth, but it gains palpable urgency, pulling with a kind of silent intensity that suits the dark Rolls-Royce persona.
Even launch control is handled in a particularly Rolls-Royce way, calling it “Spirited Mode”. With Infinity mode on and the car at a standstill, all it takes is a firm brake pedal and the full application of the throttle. A gentle vibration tells you it is ready. Release the brake and the Spectre takes off with a composed but relentless surge. Despite its near three-tonne heft, 100 km/h arrives in 4.2 seconds, three-tenths of a second faster than the standard Spectre.
Handling in Infinity mode has been sharpened to match the added performance. The air suspension is untouched, but damper rates have been reworked. Squat under acceleration and dive under braking are reduced, and active anti-roll control keeps the car remarkably flat through corners. The steering now feels heavier, and although it’s still filtered, there’s a clearer sense of connection. It doesn’t pretend to be a sports car, but it responds with more intent than any Rolls-Royce I’ve driven before.
Design-wise, the Black Badge Spectre avoids being flashy. Chrome elements are darkened, the Spirit of Ecstasy is finished in gloss black, and the wheels are unique to this model. The changes are effective without being loud.
Step inside and the difference deepens. Materials are elevated beyond the already lavish standard Spectre. You’ll find a swathe of new, unique finishes, dramatic ambient lighting, and subtle Black Badge cues like the embroidered infinity logo between the rear seats. The Starlight Doors and Illuminated Fascia have been styled to suit the Spectre’s darker mood.
As always, what you see is just the beginning. For those who demand something truly individual, Rolls-Royce offers its clients access to the Private Office. This is a decentralised network of bespoke design studios where owners can specify every detail of their car. The idea is to make the personalisation process more accessible, bringing it closer to where the clientele actually live. For Asia, the Private Office is based in Seoul, South Korea. Clients can sit down with designers and craftspeople to create a Rolls-Royce that exists nowhere else in the world. From custom paint pigments to hand-embroidered details, this is the level of exclusivity that makes each Black Badge Spectre more than just another variant — it becomes an expression of its owner.
What’s impressive is how none of this disrupts the essence of a Rolls-Royce. The Black Badge Spectre still glides, isolates, and cocoons its occupants in comfort. But it also engages. It rewards more deliberate driving. It responds with a newfound alertness that sets it apart. This is not a car that simply looks different; it behaves differently too.
And yet, it’s not trying to be something it’s not. Rolls-Royce still avoids using the word “sporty,” and rightly so. That’s not what this is about. The Black Badge Spectre is a response to changing times, to a new generation of owners who want it all — performance, design, individuality, and the kind of gravitas that only a Rolls-Royce can offer.
In a world full of electric cars trying to shout louder or go faster, the Black Badge Spectre feels like a different proposition altogether. Confident. Composed. Unmistakable. It’s not chasing trends. It’s setting its own tone.
