The iconic bonnet ornament has been on Rolls-Royce cars for 111 years and has undergone multiple redesigns, but the latest one will be the first one aimed at extending EV range.
The Goddess of Speed, as some people prefer to call the Spirit of Ecstasy, depicts a woman clad in an airy dress fluttering in the wind (some mistake the dress for wings). The pose will be revised for the marque’s upcoming first electric vehicle to be more dynamic: one leg put forward, knees bent, the dress flowing more smoothly.
The new version is 82.73 mm tall, down from 100.01 mm. The manufacturer believes that even the minute changes made will be enough to improve the aerodynamic performance of the luxury EV. An early prototype had a drag ratio of 0.26Cx and was therefore considered the British marque’s most aerodynamic car to date. However, the engineering department undertakes to improve this parameter further during tests scheduled for later this year.
The new bonnet ornament will adorn all new or updated Rolls-Royce models, but the ones currently in production will stay unchanged. The company also points out that it drew inspiration from Charles Sykes’ original rendition of the figurine for its latest design iteration.