For anyone who fancies a Rolls-Royce, but is a dog lover, there is now a better, more elegant way of doing things than buying an elephantine Cullinan SUV. There's this - the Silver Spectre shooting brake.
A tribute to 1930s shooting brakes
Designed by Niels van Roij Design, the same Netherlands-based coachbuilder who recently gave us the two-door 'Adventum Coupe' Range Rover that Land Rover couldn't, the Silver Spectre is based on the Wraith coupe, and only seven will be built.
Designer Niels van Roij said: "With this dramatically styled vehicle we subtly link back to the hay days of shooting brakes in the 1930s, whilst embedding the iconic, soft and creamy visual cues from classic British automotive icons - all without being constrained by these motorcars in the execution of the modern styling. The outcome is not only a highly original design, but also a historically relevant car. The new bodywork springs from the base of the A-pillar and stretches all the way towards the tailgate. Silver Spectre Shooting Brake boasts breath-taking, athletic proportions, a delicate, silky smooth skin and sophisticated, purposeful details. The coachbuilt motor vehicle is a startling and authentic design statement, engineered methodically and constructed entirely by hand."
700hp V12 engine
While the Silver Spectre uses the Wraith's 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 engine, van Roji has decided to boost its power output a touch, nudging it up from 632hp to a nice, round, 700hp, with 900Nm of torque.
With all-new bodywork from the windscreen back, there is bespoke side glass, and the tailgate opens to reveal a luggage area with padded leather upholstery. Sadly, van Roji hasn't given us a luggage volume measurement, but it sure looks reasonably practical.
Up top, and thanks to the shooting brake's extended roofline, there's the largest version yet of Rolls-Royce's 'starlight' headlining, which uses hundreds of little fibre-optic pin lights to mimic a night sky. Better yet, van Roji has made the lights appear fainter towards the rear of the car, so that the sky looks to be stretching on to true infinity.
"We envisioned a daring, three-box rather than two-box shooting brake aesthetic and with that a convention-challenging design. The car features very English proportions inside and out, and uncompromised levels of luxury" says Niels van Roij. "Starting at the front the richly sculpted lines lusciously sweep backwards. The roof has been hand-made out of one the largest singular pieces of ultra-strong and light carbon fibre composite. One of the first benefits of the carbon fibre roof to the design of Silver Spectre Shooting Brake was the ability to conceive the unique roofline silhouette, giving Silver Spectre Shooting Brake an immediate sense of occasion and pedigree. The elongated lines signal master craftsmanship and exquisite style. A manifestation of grand touring in its purest form."
Special, bespoke items
Each of the seven Silver Spectres to be built will be entirely bespoke, with customers choosing specific finishes for the paint (two-tone paint is optional) and the cabin. Highly polished woods on dashboard and doors, headrest embroidery, personalized tread plates and colour-matched leather or silk upholstery are a selection of the curated choices made by Niels van Roij Design for the interior. On top of this each of the seven Silver Spectre Shooting Brake iterations comes with an exclusive tailor-made option, feature or item. Every piece will only be available on one of the seven vehicles. The articles range from a picnic hamper featuring the veneers as applied to the dashboard, to a luggage set matching with the upholstery and an exclusive timepiece in car-paint coordinated materials.