Rolls’s updated electric car can go further, faster, but the most important upgrade may be going on inside.
劳斯莱斯新款电动车续航更远、速度更快，但最重要的升级或许藏在车内。
You might think that Rolls-Royce customers are old-fashioned, stuffy traditionalists who are not too keen on doing away with the internal combustion engine, but think again. The company’s first electric car, the Spectre, which arrived in 2022, is its second bestselling model globally, and the most popular of all in Europe.
你可能觉得劳斯莱斯的客户都是老派、古板的传统主义者，对放弃内燃机这件事不太乐意——但事实恰恰相反。该公司于2022年推出的首款电动车“闪灵”，如今已是全球第二畅销的劳斯莱斯车型，在欧洲市场更是位列第一。
If you think about it, electric power is ideal for a Rolls. The extra weight of a battery pack isn’t a problem because these are cars that have always been similar in mass to a small planet, while the effortlessness and smoothness of electric motors are exactly what the company has been seeking from its V12 engines. And for quietness, eliminating explosions under the bonnet is a very good start.
细想一下，电力驱动对劳斯莱斯而言简直是天作之合。电池组带来的额外重量根本不是问题——这个品牌的车向来重得像颗小行星；而电动机那种毫不费力的平顺感，正是劳斯莱斯多年来从V12发动机上孜孜以求的特质。至于静谧性嘛，彻底拿掉发动机盖下的爆炸声（也就是内燃过程），那绝对是个绝佳的开端。
Rolls’s customers are apparently far more concerned about the process of refuelling than the type of fuel that powers their car — or rather they don’t want to have to refuel their cars themselves at filling stations. Being able to plug in at home (or even better, have their driver do it) without ever mixing with riffraff like you and me is ideal.
据说，劳斯莱斯的客户真正在意的并非燃料种类，而是补能方式——更直白地说，他们才不愿亲自去加油站跟普通人混在一起。能在家插上电源（或者更好，让司机代劳），永远不用踏足公共充电站，那才叫理想生活。
The ultimate fear, of course, would be having to top up the Spectre’s battery while away from home, potentially at a motorway service station — oh, the horror. Which is why, after just three and a half years, Rolls-Royce has a new version that can go 18 per cent further before it runs out of juice; the Spectre Series II you see here has an official range of 390 miles on the WLTP cycle (up from 329 miles before), though the company is refreshingly honest that the real-world range is more like 330 miles, depending on conditions.
当然，车主们最怕的莫过于出门在外时不得不给闪灵补电——万一得去高速公路服务区充电，那简直是场噩梦。正因为如此，仅仅过了三年半，劳斯莱斯就推出了新版本，让续航里程提升了18%。您眼前这款闪灵系列 II，在WLTP测试标准下的官方续航为628公里，比之前530公里提升不少；不过劳斯莱斯倒是很坦率地告诉客户：实际跑下来大概也就约531公里，还得看路况和天气。
top up 补充，加满：把已用掉一部分或不足的数量、容量或金额补足到完整水平；充值：为手机话费、储值卡或预付费账户等增加可用金额.
WLTP 全球轻型车测试规程（Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure）的缩写，是目前欧洲通用的新车续航及排放测试标准，比旧标准更贴近实际驾驶工况。
refreshing adj.令人耳目一新的；使人精神振作的
The improved range is down to upgraded battery-cell tech, which has boosted the energy capacity from 102kWh to 112.4kWh. The upgrades also mean the Spectre Series II can be recharged 14 per cent faster, so if you were to connect to a 195kWh DC rapid charger, the 10-80 per cent time would be 28 minutes instead of 34 minutes. Though, as we’ve established, no owner would be doing that unless their executive assistant had made some kind of catastrophic error with the route planning.
续航提升得益于电芯技术的升级，电池总能量从102千瓦时增至112.4千瓦时。同时，充电速度也提高了14%——若使用195千瓦直流快速充电器，电量从10%充至80%只需28分钟，比之前的34分钟更短。不过，正如我们前面所说，除非行政助理在路线规划上犯了灾难性的错误，否则不会有任何车主亲自去做这件事。
be down to 归因于，由……造成，是……的责任
be to do 将要做（常表示按计划、安排或约定将发生的动作）；按规则、命令或客观要求应当做某事
establish v.建立；证实（某种观点）
Needless to say the Series II is faster than the original Spectre, with power from the dual-motor system increasing from 577bhp to 593bhp and torque jumping from 664 lb ft to 749lb ft. Those are epic levels of brute force and enough to propel this near-three-tonne lump of aluminium, steel, wood, leather and glass from 0-62mph in just 4.5 seconds. Get the Black Badge version, which has the power and torque turned up even further (671bhp/811 lb ft), and the figure comes down to 4.3 seconds.
不言而喻，系列 II 比初代闪灵更快：双电机系统的最大功率从577马力提升到593马力，扭矩则从900牛·米跃升至1015牛·米。这些数字意味着近乎暴力的牵引力，足以将这辆由铝、钢、木材、皮革和玻璃构成的、重近三吨的庞然大物，零百加速仅4.5秒。如果选择黑徽章版，功率和扭矩进一步飙升至671马力和1100牛·米，零百加速时间缩短至4.3秒。
brute n.粗野的人；强壮的男子；大野兽，牲畜
adj.野兽似的；蛮干不动脑筋的；赤裸裸的
propel v.推进
Black Badge 劳斯莱斯旗下的性能定制子系列，主打更运动、更暗黑的外观风格，动力输出也更为激进，是品牌面向年轻化客户的重要产品线。
I got to try the new car out on the track at the Goodwood Motor Circuit and found that flooring the accelerator is a surreal experience. The Black Badge models have a Spirited Mode that gives the full beans, and by stepping on both pedals at the same time and then letting go of the brake, you get a “Spirited Launch” (“launch control” is too vulgar a term for Rolls). Five seconds later you’ve hit 70mph and beyond, but you only realise this once you look down at the speedometer. There’s a sense of speed, yes, but not like in a sports car; the cabin is so ridiculously hushed and the performance so smoothly delivered to the wheels that on a wide open racing circuit, without lampposts or trees lining the road, 70mph feels like 30mph. It’s weirdly deceptive.
我在古德伍德赛车场的赛道上试驾了新车，将油门踩到底的那一刻堪称超现实。黑徽章车型拥有“活力模式”，可以释放全部动力；同时踩下刹车和油门、再松开刹车，就能触发“活力弹射”——劳斯莱斯刻意避开了“弹射起步”这种过于粗俗的字眼。大约五秒后，车速便突破110公里/小时，但只有当你低头瞥一眼速度表时才会真正意识到。确实有速度感，但它和跑车完全不一样——座舱安静得不可思议，动力传递极其顺滑，在开阔的赛道上没有路灯或树木作为参照，110公里/小时的感觉就像50公里/小时。这种错觉怪诞而迷人。
floor v.踩足（汽车的）油门，使全速行驶
surreal adj.离奇的
Spirited Launch 劳斯莱斯刻意避免使用“弹射起步（launch control）”这一常见性能车术语，因为该词不符合品牌优雅调性，故自创此称呼。
hush v.使安静下来
n.安静；鸦雀无声
deceptive adj.骗人的
The problem then is slowing the car, but that is something Rolls-Royce has covered and was keen for us to try. In a brake test from 60mph, this Spectre stopped in three car lengths, which felt like catching an oil tanker in a net. The advantage of electric is that you can use the motors to recuperate energy while slowing down, which has an engine braking effect (regenerative braking), but because the car is so heavy, Rolls’s engineers have also fitted big old brake pads and discs behind the monstrous 23in aerodynamic wheels, controlled electronically “by wire” rather than via a physical connection to the pedal.
那么问题来了：怎么让它停下来？劳斯莱斯对此早有准备，并且热切地安排我们体验。在百公里制动测试中，这辆闪灵在三个车身长度内稳稳刹停，那感觉就像用一张网兜住了一艘油轮。电动车的优势在于，减速时可以利用电动机反向回收能量，产生类似发动机制动的效果——也就是再生制动。但由于车身实在太重，劳斯莱斯的工程师还在那巨大的23英寸空气动力学轮毂后方装了硕大的刹车盘和刹车片，并通过电子信号“线控”控制，而非传统的机械连杆。
Even in “B” mode, which activates the “regen”, the braking force when you lift off the accelerator isn’t extreme. The Spectre will eventually come to a complete stop if you’re not touching the pedals at all, but Rolls is careful not to call it a “one pedal” mode — such a thing is not considered suitable for a car of this breeding. Importantly, both braking systems work together seamlessly for a silky stop every time.
即便在“B模式”（即强化再生制动）下，松开加速踏板时的制动力也并不猛烈。如果你完全不碰踏板，闪灵最终会自己停稳，但劳斯莱斯谨慎地不将其称为“单踏板模式”——这种概念对于如此高贵血统的座驾而言，实在不够体面。重要的是，两套制动系统无缝协作，每一次都能带来丝滑平顺的停车体验。
"B" mode 强化再生制动模式。在该模式下，松开加速踏板时电动机会反向拖拽减速，将动能回收为电能，但劳斯莱斯的调校并不像普通电动车的“单踏板”模式那样生硬，仍保持丝滑的滑行感。
breeding n.教养
seamlessly adv.无缝地；不停顿地
silky adj.丝绸的；柔和的；平顺的
The regen from B mode works nicely round a track, where the subtle braking force helps settle the car before the hard work is done by the discs and pads, and the unchanged air suspension is adjusted automatically via the array of sensors monitoring speed, roll, steering input and even GPS — yes, if a tight corner is coming up, the Spectre braces itself and can turn amazingly accurately thanks to strong front-end grip and four-wheel steering. It’s so deftly tuned that the steering feels light and the chassis beautifully pliant without being wallowy or liable to pitch and dive.
在赛道上，B模式的再生制动效果恰到好处：轻柔的拖拽力在刹车片和刹车盘全力介入之前，先帮助稳定车身。而保持不变的空气悬架，则通过一组传感器（监测车速、侧倾角度、转向输入，甚至GPS数据）自动调节软硬——没错，如果前方即将出现急弯，闪灵会自动“绷紧身体”，并凭借强大的前轮抓地力和四轮转向，实现令人惊讶的精准过弯。整套调校如此精妙，转向手感轻盈，底盘柔韧而有韧性，既不晃悠也不容易前仰后合。
array n.大量；陈列
deftly adv.灵巧地
pliant adj.柔韧的；顺从的
liable adj.很有可能的；易于......的
Rolls doesn’t give drivers loads of drive modes to play with, it just makes the car do it all for you behind the scenes, like a trusted butler, and it works in every scenario. This isn’t a track-focused car by any means — it’s supremely comfortably sprung — but it still possesses a dignified poise when pushed and can cover ground disarmingly quickly.
劳斯莱斯并没有给驾驶者一堆驾驶模式去把玩，它只是在幕后默默替你完成一切，就像一位值得信赖的管家，在任何场景下都游刃有余。这绝不是一辆赛道取向的车——它的悬挂调校极度舒适——但在被推向极限时，它依然保持着优雅从容的姿态，而且能在不知不觉中跑得飞快。
scenario n.设想；可能的情况
not by any means 绝不；一点也不
poise n.镇定
disarmingly adv.消气地; 消除敌意地
Another thing Rolls hasn’t tweaked is the exterior. Rolls told us this is because clients are still more than happy with the look of the car, though I imagine it means the powertrain upgrades can be rolled out sooner rather than later. But for my money the Spectre is the prettiest model in the Rolls-Royce line-up, so there are no complaints.
外观方面，劳斯莱斯这次并未改动。官方说法是客户对现款造型依然非常满意；不过在我看来，这更多是为了让动力系统的升级能够尽早落地。坦白说，闪灵已经是劳斯莱斯家族中最漂亮的车型，外观不改我也毫无怨言。
tweak v.稍稍改进(如系统或设计)
roll out 推出 (新产品或服务)
for my money 在我看来；依我之见
It’s inside that a lot of work has gone on. Rolls-Royce is in the process of doubling the size of its Goodwood factory, but not so that it can produce more cars; instead it plans to use the new facilities to greatly increase the customisation options available to clients. No two cars are ever alike, Rolls claims, and the bespoke division will always look into specific requests (you can easily double the price of your car, or send it into the millions if you want), but the off-the-shelf options available are increasing exponentially.
真正的重头戏在车内。劳斯莱斯正在将古德伍德工厂的面积扩大一倍，但目的并非增产，而是利用新设施大幅增加客户的个性化定制选项。该公司声称，没有两辆劳斯莱斯是完全相同的，专属定制部门随时准备满足客户的特殊要求（你大可以把车价翻倍，甚至花上数百万英镑）。与此同时，可供直接选配的常规选项也在成倍增长。
bespoke adj.定制的
exponentially adv.以指数方式；引申为成倍地，急剧地
The Spectre Series II already has a lot more potential for personalisation, with new materials, colours and finishes, such as a two-tone paint job with a fade down the side of the car. Some combos are more successful than others, it has to be said, so do look out for some garish results around Knightsbridge in the months to come.
闪灵系列 II 提供了远超以往的个性化潜力，包括新材料、新颜色和新饰面，比如车身侧面带渐变色的双色漆。当然，有些组合好看，有些嘛……就不太好说了。未来几个月，伦敦骑士桥附近大概会出现一些相当扎眼的作品。
Knightsbridge 伦敦市中心的高档住宅与购物区，云集奢侈品商店，是劳斯莱斯等顶级豪车最常见的出没地段之一。
look out for 留意、注意、提防
Inside there’s a fabric Rolls has named Duality Twill, featuring an abstract link-like Rolls-Royce “RR” motif. The design doesn’t do it for me, but the craftsmanship is quite incredible, taking up to 25 hours to create using about 2.6 million stitches and ten miles of thread — enough to go around the Goodwood track four times, we were told.
车内有一款名为“双色斜纹”的织物面料，上面印有抽象的链环式“RR”劳斯莱斯徽标。虽然这个设计不太对我胃口，但工艺实在令人叹服：需要耗费约25个小时、260万针和长达16公里的缝线——据说这些线足够绕古德伍德赛道整整四圈。
仪表盘视图，左侧屏幕显示“SPECTRE”字样，右侧分布各类控制与显示信息。车内氛围兼顾实体按键与数字界面，仪表台上新增了一款航空风格的时钟，并带有“欢庆女神”的发光标识。
There’s also a new decorative pattern of perforations for the leather, inspired by moonlight through clouds, using 78,138 precision-cut holes — with optional illuminated door panels extending the effect — and a new Brindled Walnut veneer that combines walnut from non-fruiting trees with recycled eucalyptus fibres. And there’s a new aviation-inspired clock with simplified graphics, cast metal hands and an illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy display in the dashboard.
此外，座椅皮革上新增了一种穿孔装饰图案，同样以月光穿过云层为灵感，共由78,138个精密冲孔组成——可选装发光门板来延伸视觉效果。还有一款名为“斑纹胡桃木”的新型饰板，将非果树胡桃木与再生桉树纤维结合在一起。仪表台上还有一个航空风格的全新时钟，采用简化图形、铸造金属指针，并配有发光的欢庆女神标识。
ecstasy n.狂喜；摇头丸
Spirit of Ecstasy 劳斯莱斯车头立标，象征品牌极致奢华与优雅，自1911年起沿用至今，已成为品牌最具辨识度的标志。
All of which means that the Spectre Series II is subtly better than ever. Of course, with prices starting at about £325,000 (but most far exceeding that after personalisation), this is a car that is completely irrelevant to most of us. But for those who can afford one, this is now a much more compelling package; and for those who bought the outgoing model, the Series II might be tempting enough for an upgrade — this time with an even wilder paint and interior combo.
所有这些改进，意味着闪灵系列 II 在细节上变得更为精进。当然，起售价约为32.5万英镑（但绝大多数经过个性化定制后远超此数），这辆车对大多数人来说遥不可及。但对于买得起的人来说，它现在无疑是一个更具吸引力的整体方案；而对于那些已拥有旧款的车主，系列 II 也许足以打动他们升级换代——这一次，他们可以选更狂野的配色和内饰组合。
compelling adj.有说服力的；引人入胜的，扣人心弦的；非常强烈的，不可抗拒的
outgoing adj.行将离职的；往外去的；外向的
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