Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

Join us for a luxury EV with its head in the stars, the Rolls-Royce Spectre!

Then, we'll stitch together the facts on custom upholstery... We'll visit an iconic track for a one-of-a-kind Porsche reunion... And then, it's America's mini big rig, the new Ram 1500...

So, come drive with us, next!

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JOHN: You know things are getting serious in the move from internal combustion to battery electric when one of the most traditional brands on the face of the earth rolls out an electric vehicle; and, of course, we're talking about Rolls-Royce.

So, it's time for us to find out if this ultra-luxury super coupe really is the Rolls-Royce of EVs.

♪ ♪ While, some might have said there was a ghost of a chance we'd ever see a Rolls-Royce EV, in the spirit of transparency, Charles Rolls did proclaim way back in 1900 that, "The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean" and should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged."

Well, that time has apparently arrived, as the 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre is slowly revealing itself.

As you can see, there's nothing very EV about it.

It looks all Rolls-Royce; whether you're talking about the Spirit of Ecstasy who is crouching down for a more aerodynamic stance, to the big chrome radiator-style grille which is now purely ornamental.

Then, there's the extremely long hood proportions, the 23 inch wheels with self-leveling center caps, and the wild chartreuse paint job of our test car.

This is not an all-new platform, but a modification of the all-aluminum spaceframe chassis that also underpins Ghost and Cullinan.

Rolls considers it the world's first "ultra-luxury electric super coupe," so there are just two doors; and they do open to the rear, so you can call them coach doors, upper crust British accent encouraged but not required.

Those doors are the longest ever on a Rolls, so the latches are heavily reinforced with invisible butlers to electrically close them for you.

Basically, the same treatment inside, where they've kept things very familiar.

No emphasis on vegan materials here, rather an authentic glitterama of real cow skin, genuine wood, and solid metals, nothing much says EV here either.

This is what old-world craftsmanship looks like, everything feels substantial and oozes quality.

No gaudy labels on the radio speakers, just earth moving amounts of crystal-clear sound if you want it; eerie amounts of silence if you don't.

Solitude was already a strong point in Rolls-Royce vehicles, but the Spectre's bank vault levels of quietness at anything below highway speed takes it to a new level.

It doesn't so much drive on the road as float above it, with the highly sophisticated suspension electronics messing with the laws of physics while you're on your way to that faraway castle or villa.

Front seats are supportive and comfortable with a massaging function of course, and there's even plenty of room in the back seat to bring friends along.

All while being plenty tech-heavy at the same time, with all the comfort, safety, and connectedness you expect in a modern luxury car; including a touchscreen integrated into the dash for infotainment.

Physical controls for climate are located on a separate panel.

There's even a dreamscape of twinkling stars on the ceiling and doors, which is fitting since this car is a real dream to drive.

The Spectre's soft and refined ride is truly a sublime experience that makes you want to hover down the road forever.

But just 266 miles of range from the BMW i7's 102 kilowatt hour battery won't quite enable that.

Doesn't sound like a lot of miles, but it's probably more than the average Rolls owners put on their car in a month, as many as 291 miles are available if you stick with the standard 22 inch wheels.

It's not all plush perfection, though.

We did get some odd brake pedal sensations, and its long travel took some getting used to.

Max charging rate is just 195 kilowatt, putting it about 34 minutes for an 80 percent charge, but it's likely you have minions to take care of that for you.

With 1,000 horsepower EVs almost commonplace these days, the front and rear motors here in the Spectre combine for just 577 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque; though it's more than enough to move this beautiful beast down the road easily and quickly, hitting 60 in the low 4.0 second range.

One could argue that this modern mission of using electricity to power a 6,000 pounds, half-million-dollar luxury showpiece of a car is more an exercise in eco virtue signaling than helping our planet in any significant way, but if we're going to force people to go all EV, some are still going to want their land yachts.

By the way, using 45 kilowatt hour of electricity per 100 miles, the Spectre earns a fair efficiency rating.

However, pricing for this extravagant electric starts at a whopping $422,750.

As beautiful as the 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre is to look at, it's even more lovely to drive; making every trip feel like a royal engagement.

It's easy to dismiss it as just an overpriced showpiece for a select few, but out of all the current Rolls-Royce models, the Spectre is probably the one that makes the most sense; delivering the most luxurious and rewarding driving experience, while fulfilling Charles Rolls' vision from 124 years ago.

With a full battery and an open road, the Spectre truly is spectacular.

♪ ♪ When it comes to car shows-- you have your weekly cars and coffee events, monthly club meets, annual gatherings and everything in between.

But one show has gotten so big, it's really more of a pilgrimage, and it happens only once every five years.

And this week, our "Over the Edge" guy, Greg Carloss...takes us there.

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: Reunions just aren't what they used to be.

School reunions are pointless because we already know what everyone's been up to.

And family reunions, well, they turned contentious ever since that one aunt learned how to share political memes.

But there is one reunion still worth going to.

♪ ♪ Rennsport Reunion is a world-renowned, must-attend celebration of all things Porsche.

For those unfamiliar with Porsche vernacular and don't speak German, Rennsport translates to race sport, which is something Porsche has been very successful at.

Better recognized in its abbreviated form, the RS designation has been used on Porsche's high-performance street cars from the 1956 550 RS Spyder, to the 1972 Carrera RS 2.7 and continuing today with models like the 911 GT3RS.

2023's Rennsport Reunion VII took place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, but it all began at Lime Rock in 2001.

AYESHA COKER: This was conceived by a gentleman named Bob Carlson and another famous racecar driver named Brian Redman.

It all started because of the love that they had for Porsche and Porsche racing, and they just wanted to create a small environment where their friends who had that same interest and love could come together and be able to actually showcase these wonderful vehicles on the track.

GREG: But that small environment they envisioned quickly grew.

AYESHA: In 2011...we probably had about 50,000 and then in 2018 it jumped to 81,000; and we are looking to break records this year as well.

GREG: Rennsport Reunion VII kicks off in the most German way possible with a ceremonial tapping of a beer keg.

Before the suds can even settle the place is packed.

As tens of thousands of fans freely roam the paddock it's important to keep your head on a swivel.

Not only could you have to dodge a 917 making its way to the track, but you may bump into a legendary racing driver.

My name is Hurley Haywood, I've been racing for Porsche for 50 years.

I've won five Daytona's, three Le Mans, two Sebrings.

So many of these cars I've had experience with and raced, so when you look over a 50-year time span, you're dealing with, you know, early 911s all the way to the earliest prototypes.

And it's really cool to be able to see all those cars together at the same time.

Not only the cars, but also the drivers that drove them.

GREG: But Hurley and the other drivers aren't just here to sign autographs and reminisce.

HURLEY: They got me driving the cars.

I've got my 917-10 here.

We just went around with Wolfgang leading and me right on his bumper.

That was pretty cool.

That's what makes Rennsport so special, is that the fans can really interact and get very close to the drivers and cars.

They can get there, they can touch you, they can talk to you...and it makes it very special.

GREG: In typical Porsche fashion, Rennsport Reunion celebrates the past without getting stuck in it.

So, while fans flock to watch the brand's earliest, ahem, performance vehicles, they stay to see the latest electrified prototypes.

HURLEY: Electrification is something that's really unique.

I pers...personally drive a Taycan on the st-on the road and when you can adapt those, that technology, to a racecar, like in Penske's car...I mean that's really cool.

AYESHA: We try to have something for everyone.

If you don't have an intimate knowledge of motorsports in general, we try to have a lot of different environments here.

Even if you are someone who knows Porsche intimately, you will still always find small Easter eggs throughout Rennsport that'll keep you on your toes and keep you surprised.

GREG: So, if you like cars and happen to be free in September of 2028, think about making the trip to Rennsport Reunion VIII.

JOHN: Whether, you've worn out your car's seats or just looking for a custom fit, Dan Maffett is going to stitch together all you need to know about custom upholstery on MotorWeek's "Your Drive."

♪ ♪ DAN MAFFETT: Hey guys.

If you've been following our Maxton project, you can tell it's coming along pretty well.

One thing we haven't done yet is the seats.

The interior is the last piece of this puzzle.

This is what's left of our driver's seat, and you can see we've got some problems.

But, we got a guy that can fix it.

Josh from Classic Canvas.

Thanks for having us, man.

Have you seen this kind of seat before?

JOSH LITTLETON: Yep, common all the time with the race car guys.

Seats always last, so take this, get rid of this, make a new one out of black vinyl, make it look a lot better.

DAN: Oh, that's awesome man.

Well, let's get into it and see how it works.

JOSH: Let's get going.

♪ ♪ DAN: So, you do this, uh, this outer skin first and then you lay the seat cushion in and... JOSH: Yep!

DAN: ...just make sure everything fits?

JOSH: So, then that's this piece, just drops in to finish the, uh, finish everything else.

DAN: Right... JOSH: And you want it, kind of snug because it just drops in there.

DAN: Right... JOSH: And then, it'll attach in the back and then it'll attach in the front.

DAN: So, you just clip out the hog rings, so you can stretch it a little further, and then reinstall them.

JOSH: Yep.

You have to remove those first ones are almost temporary to kind of locate the cover, and then as you get things finalized, you can go back and make those little micro adjustments.

JOSH: So basically, just the match marks here, making your alignment marks so you know where your pieces fit together, basically.

So, we're going to draw out where the, where we want it, because the old stuff wasn't useable.

And then by laying this out, we tack glue this in like it would be and we'll go around and transfer all those marks to your top piece, and then the same thing on the sides.

Everything gets transferred over.

DAN: So that is literally a map, so when you're stitching it back together... JOSH: Yep!

DAN: ...even though they're two convex and concave surfaces.

JOSH: Yep!

DAN: ...the registration stays true.

JOSH: Give you those marks and that way you know where you need to be.

DAN: Now, you're laminating these two materials together.

That's just gluing them with adhesive and mating the two surfaces.

JOSH: Yep, so that way, they'll stay...they'll stay together, they won't shift and create a wrinkle between the material and the foam, which is almost impossible to get out, and then we're actually, um...we just do...we use a-- like a really low temp, cheap glue, so that it doesn't, we actually don't want it to hold once the cover is installed, so the steam will break this bond and then they'll actually, if there is a wrinkle, you can work it out later, where if you use the same glue that we would use normally, you wouldn't be able to get it back apart.

JOSH: So, we typically do the-- do across the inserts first, and then...and work...kind of work center out basically, as best as you can.

(sewing machine noise) DAN: Is there a name for the style of stitch that you're running across that?

JOSH: Just a standard-- it would be like a standard pleat just sewn through, where instead of having the, um, versus maybe like the tuck and roll which would have a blind stitch.

You'd just see the fold in the material, but you wouldn't see the stitch on top.

JOSH: Then basically, we're just going to glue, glue these folds down and cut up into about here.

We're going to split it- split it right about there, and then this will be the lip that goes over the front of the... front of the seat.

DAN: So, I don't know about you, I kind of like the old one better!

JOSH: Right?

DAN: I like to see my seat foam, make sure it's still good.

JOSH: Make sure it's still good, you can inspect your seat there, absolutely!

DAN: I mean, I'm not going to fit in these, but man, they look incredible.

JOSH: No, but they'll be ready to go for whoever can, so... absolutely.

DAN: Well, Josh, I appreciate it very much man.

JOSH: Yup, thank you, thank you, I appreciate it.

DAN: Let you wrap up this other one.

Guys if you have any questions or comments, hit us up, right here, at MotorWeek .

♪ ♪ JESSICA RAY: Did you know, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, un-helmeted motorcyclists are three times more likely than helmeted riders to suffer from traumatic brain injuries?

But that probably doesn't surprise you.

What should surprise you is that only 18 U.S. states require motorcycle riders and passengers to wear a helmet.

The rest only require them under a certain age like 18 or 21.

And three states-Illinois, Iowa, and New Hampshire, have no helmet regulations at all.

So, no matter where you live, make sure you and your passengers ride safe by wearing an up-to-date helmet.

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: Six-months with our 2024 Mazda CX-50 long-term absolutely ZOOMED by, as did the total 11,350 miles we added to the odometer.

It just goes to show time flies when you're having fun, and there was plenty to go around with this adventurous compact crossover.

This CX-50 got the full dose of the MotorWeek lifestyle as it was basically, in constant motion ever since it rolled onto our lot.

It performs well as a utility vehicle, but it excels at driving.

For most Mazda's, we'd attribute that to the suspension engineering, but here the turbocharged engine steals the show.

It adds some excitement to driving in a straight line rather than just cornering.

Living off a Premium-fuel diet, our Turbo finished its tenure with an overall efficiency of 25.3 miles per gallon, on par with EPA projections and plenty satisfactory for us.

As much as we enjoy the turbocharged variant of the CX-50's 2.5 liter I4, anyone thinking of saving a few bucks on the lot and at the pump by opting for the naturally-aspirated unit will still get a kick out of the 50's robust suspension and direct steering.

The interior has held up with no major faults, including the Terracotta seats, still a staff favorite.

This cabin blends simplicity with premium, leaving little room for complaints.

And that's a great way to summarize our half-year with the 2024 Mazda CX-50; there really isn't much we'd do different.

Mazda built this two-row for the active and adventurous; and if that's you, you'll enjoy every mile.

So long, CX-50.

You will be missed.

We're straying away from the utility craze with the 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid, receiving its first rundown in the next MotorWeek Long-Term Road Test Update!

JOHN: For many years, the Dodge Ram was the also-ran in the full-size pickup truck race.

And because of that, what is now known as just Ram has never been afraid to try new things, whether it's big-rig style, unique suspension designs, innovative Ram Box storage, or delivering luxury car-like interiors, so what's next?

Well, let's find out.

♪ ♪ Well, as you've no doubt heard by now, the big news for this updated 2025 Ram 1500 is that there's no more Hemi V8 engine under the hood.

What?

A Ram with no Hemi?

What's the world coming to?

Are the Dodge boys rolling over in their collective grave?

And am I stuck with a V6 now?

Not so fast!

Where you use to see Hemi, get ready to say Hurricane!

That's right, Ram's got a Hurricane.

First seen in Jeep's Wagoneer, the Stellantis Corporation's all-new twin-turbo inline-6 will now be the top option for Ram truck buyers.

Based on our early drive time in the Texas Hill Country, we're not upset at all, and you shouldn't be either.

Why an inline-6?

Well, in general terms, I6s are better balanced, run smoother, and can deliver more torque at lower RPM.

Just ask any of the truckers you see going down the road hauling more than 20 tons of cargo with their inline-6s.

Ford has already proven that truck buyers will embrace turbo-6s with their EcoBoost V6, and now Ram has one-upped them with a big-rig style inline-6.

There are actually two versions of this 3.0 liter available.

Standard output is the same as in the Wagoneer at 420 horsepower, but the high-output version sees an increase from 510 to 540 horsepower here in the Ram, with 521 pound-feet of torque.

That's more than 100 pound-feet over the previous Hemi V8, which is significant enough for Ram to also put a beefier rear axle in place.

Max tow rating is now 11,580 pounds.

Both versions work with an 8-speed automatic transmission, as does the standard 3.6 liter mild-hybrid V6 which carries over unchanged at 305 horsepower.

It's all wrapped in updated styling, of course.

New sheet metal is smoother and more aerodynamic and, believe it or not, they've gone even bigger and bolder with the grille, and its more prominent RAM letters; every trim level now gets its own specific grillwork.

We spent most of our time in the new top-level Tungsten, which throws off some serious city-slicker vibes with bright trim, unique LED lighting, 22 inch wheels, and power tailgate.

It's available exclusively with Crew Cab and a 5.0 foot 7.0 inch bed; Quad cabs and long beds are available in most other trims.

But the Tungsten really sets itself apart inside, going more upscale and more comfortable than any Ram before it, which is definitely saying something.

There's quilted leather seating, suede upholstery, diamond-knurled metal trim, a central 14.5 inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen, and an available 10 inch one for the passenger, plus a 12.3 inch digital gauge cluster.

There's even a bangin' 23-speaker 1,228 watt sound system, and it sounds really good.

Thankfully, bed-side RamBox storage is still here too, and Rams can now get an onboard power inverter with 2.0 kilowatts of juice for tailgating or tools.

A power-sliding rear window is standard on Laramie and above.

The Tungsten's four-corner air suspension setup delivers an exceptionally smooth ride, even with the 22s; leaving us feeling more like a soccer mom on the run than a contractor headed to the jobsite.

The inline-6 is definitely a willing companion; the twin-turbo setup means each turbo is feeding boost to three cylinders, helping to deliver plenty of turbo lag-free acceleration off the line, and immediate passing power when called upon.

Four-wheel-drive is standard with Tungsten along with Rebel, and Limited, it's a $3,850 option in Tradesman, Big Horn, and Laramie models.

While, truck prices have continued to be on the rise, you can still get in a base Ram Tradesman for as little as $42,270.

Most new Ram 1500s will probably transact in the $60,000 range, with the budget busting Tungsten reserved for high-rollers at $89,070.

Equal parts rugged and refined, with a new force to be reckoned with under the hood, the 2025 Ram 1500 is sure to be a bigger player than ever in the full-size truck game.

And, this is just their leadoff hitter, as later in the year, we'll see two plug-ins in the lineup; including the full battery-electric REV and the switch-hitting Ramcharger with a range-extending onboard generator.

This may just be the year of the Ram.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time... ...for our Road Test of the first all-electric BMW 5 Series, followed by a deep dive into the new Lincoln Nautilus.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

ANNOUNCER: To learn more about MotorWeek , Television's Original Automotive Magazine, visit... MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper, a nationwide network of stores and shops providing major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast, and in your local community.

Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek !

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

♪ ♪ This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.