• The new Rolls-Royce Spectre Black Badge is quicker and more engaging to drive than the standard model, the company claims.
• It has more power and torque as well as different steering and suspension tuning, which should make it a bit more aggressive.
• Range takes a slight hit but it still gets 266 miles on the EPA cycle with 22-inch wheels.

Rolls-Royce has never been about performance or straight-line punch, unlike its rival Bentley, whose cars have always had a bit of an eye on performance. The power in a Rolls-Royce was always “adequate,” perfect for effortless cruising. But that surely doesn’t apply to the new Spectre Black Badge, which is the most powerful model in the brand’s history. And there’s no V-12 under its long hood.

The all-electric Rolls-Royce Spectre Black Badge has more power and torque than the standard model, with 659 horsepower and 792 pound-feet of torque. That’s up 82 horsepower and 128 pound-feet, and this cuts the acceleration time from 0 to 60 mph from 4.4 to 4.1 seconds. The Spectre was already very quick for a Rolls, so this juiced-up version should feel really muscular, definitely more than just adequate.

Rolls-Royce doesn’t usually offer a Sport driving mode in its vehicles, except for the transmission “Low” mode in some more recent models, but you get one in the Spectre Black Badge. It’s called “Infinity mode,” and it grants access to all of the available power.

It’s in this mode that you can achieve the new lower benchmark sprint time with the help of another new feature called “Spirited Mode.” This is akin to the launch control system in other vehicles and it should be quite a spectacle to watch this mammoth 6,300-pound (2.9-ton) coupe fire itself toward the horizon with its hood pointing toward the sky.

To reduce some of the pronounced squat this car has under hard acceleration, as well as dive under braking, Rolls has changed the dampers on the Black Badge, and it’s meant to also reduce cornering roll. The steering weight has also been increased to “perfectly balance an enhanced sense of engagement.” This may very well be the most fun-to-drive Rolls-Royce ever, although we’ll have to drive one first to confirm.

With more power comes less range, and the EPA rating drops slightly to 266 miles in the Black Badge equipped with 22-inch wheels. If you get the larger 23-inch wheels, the range takes an additional hit and falls to 251 miles.

Rolls is also pushing “a darkened aesthetic” with the Spectre Black Badge, which features “mirror-polished brightwork is presented in a signature dark finish, signaling its subversive, noire character.” This darker finish is most evident on the large (now illuminated) grille, the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, the door handles and the side window trim.

The color of the car in the gallery is called Vapour Violet, which is just one of the 44,000 unique colors that Rolls-Royce buyers can specify. You can customize this car extensively right down to the finest details, and the only limits are your imagination and bank account. With a starting price of $490,000, the Black Badge is nearly $70,000 more expensive than the standard model, and that’s before you even think about any kind of customization.