Rolls-Royce is trying to shift from being a brand for people who enjoy being driven, to a brand for people that enjoy driving, and it looks like the company is getting that point across.
These days, a maker of performance cars hasn’t really arrived until an aftermarket company begins tuning its products, and now Rolls
Famous for tuning Ferraris, Novitec recently established a new division focused on modifying the the British luxury cars.
Novitec does this with each make it decides work with. In addition to the original Ferrari division, Novitec Rosso, there’s also Novitec Torado for Lamborghini, and Novitec Tridente for Maserati.
So what name did Novitec pick for its Rolls-Royce division?
Spofec. It’s not the coolest-sounding name, but at least it’s applied to a pretty cool-looking Rolls-Royce Ghost.
Two tuning packages will be offered for the Ghost’s twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V12, which already puts out 563 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque in stock form.
Related: Mansory debuts 740-horsepower Rolls-Royce Wraith
The stage one package boosts output to 685 hp and 706 lb-ft of torque, while stage two turns up the wick even further with 708 hp and 721 lb-ft.
That will allow the nearly 5,500-pound Ghost to hurl itself from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.4 seconds, while top speed remains limited to 155 mph.
With so much power on tap, it would be interesting to see what terminal velocity this stately sedan could reach with the limiter removed.
In addition to mind-boggling power, Spofec also offers upgraded suspension and carbon-ceramic brakes. On the aesthetic front, the tuned Ghost features unique 22-inch alloy wheels and a subtle body kit.
These upgrades are only available on the Ghost right now, but Spofec will soon make them available on the mechanically-similar Wraith coupe.
The transformation of a Rolls-Royce into a fast-and-furious tuner special is, to say the least, unexpected.
It may seem blasphemous to traditional Rolls enthusiasts, but this focus on performance is likely to become more normal as the carmaker continues to reinvent itself.
