The Rolls-Royce Specter is a spectacular magic carpet ride

(TESTING DEVICE)

WONJU, Gangwon — It took a while to arrive, but the Rolls-Royce Specter has finally hit Korean roads.

Korea is witnessing the latest unexpected boom in supercars, prompting a British carmaker to bring its first electric car in 117 years to Korea before any other country in the Asia-Pacific region.

I doubt the Specter is a car that needs an inspection. Rolls-Royce buyers don’t always care about the opinions of inexperienced journalists. If they did, this full-size luxury model wouldn’t be regularly sold in mid-2025.

However, Korea’s JoongAng Daily recently tested the beautiful, purple Specter on a 100-kilometer (62-mile) drive from Seoul to Gangwon, both on a busy road and an open highway where the car could accelerate to go around 200 kilometers per hour.

Specter EV coach doors (ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS SEOUL)

I’m not going to lie: I was completely underwhelmed by the respectable stance of the two-door coupe from the start. The coach doors and about 10,000 soft light stars printed on the door and roof confused me — I almost felt drawn to the deep milky way.

As I lightly pressed the brake pedal, the doors locked automatically and the seat position adjusted to my body.

Illuminated stars printed on roof and door (ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS SEOUL)

Illuminated stars printed on the roof (ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS SEOUL)

I was a little scared when I drove because the dashboard was so high that it blocked my view of the road — even though my seat was set all the way up. The car was probably designed for Western men, typically Rolls-Royce customers, rather than Asian women like this writer, who is 5 feet 4 inches tall.

That was a little confusing. Rolls-Royce says that its female customers are a growing demographic, and I am the average height of a woman.

The driving experience itself, however, gives the impression of a so-called Magic Carpet ride — and I understand what Rolls-Royce means by its famous phrase “magic carpet†. Thick cotton floor mats and a smooth, quiet ride, even at speeds of more than 180 km/h on the highway, left a bit to be desired.

Trust me: The interior was quiet, with no wind or engine noise to disturb those inside. And despite the model’s 3-ton weight, driving was smooth, and handling was easy and smooth.

The back of the Specter EV (ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS SEOUL)

“An electrified magic carpet ride. This is the phrase I would like to describe the Spectre,†said Irene Nikkein, Rolls-Royce regional director for the Asia-Pacific region.

“The Specter offers a distinguishable sound experience as it has 18 speakers inside.â€

But the real joy of driving began when I got behind the wheel of a car. No car intervened or passed me, in the Spectre, on the road.

Even taxis — Korean taxis are notorious for reckless driving — have volunteered. I’m done talking here.

The driving assistant system seemed to work quite well. The car detected the right lanes on its own and automatically moved its steering wheel — which was very sensitive— for safety.

My phone, however, kept failing to recognize the car’s location. I tried using the navigation app, but it kept saying the car was in the middle of the ocean.

“A thick film can cause sensor problems from time to time,†explained Jeffery Choi, senior manager of customer experience at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Asia-Pacific.

That means some drivers will have to use the in-car navigation system, which is too complicated and unsuitable for Korean roads.

Priced and positioned between the Cullinan and the Phantom in the Rolls-Royce range, the Specter can run 383 kilometers on a single charge. It produces up to 585 horsepower and 91.8 kgm (663.9 lb-ft) of torque.

It needs only 4.5 seconds to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h. Its maximum speed is 250 kilometers per hour.

But a magic carpet ride costs just as much as a house. The Korean sticker price starts at 622 million won ($461,395) but can reach unimaginable heights with various customization features.

But even if you have cash, you can’t get it unless you have already ordered. Specter models are already on sale until mid-2025. Korea had the largest number of pre-orders, although specifics have not been announced.

Korea was Rolls-Royce’s No. 1 market in the Asia-Pacific region last year, with total sales of 234 units in 2023, an annual increase of 18 percent.

BY SARAH CHEA (chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr)