A new era: Tempus’s Winter Edition stars exclusive photoshoot with the Rolls-Royce Spectre

There’s something romantic about Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Even the luxury marque’s most technologically advanced automotives have a whisper of history about them. Perhaps it’s the brand’s longevity (the first Rolls-Royce was launched in 1904) or the way in which its innovations and inventions are embedded in our history — where would we be now without the Rolls-Royce Merlin aircraft engine?

For younger car enthusiasts, too, there’s something special about the way in which Rolls-Royce keeps its quintessentially British appeal while being a positive leader within the luxury industry, proactively embracing ethical luxury through process and in practice. The company is a leader in inclusive hiring and training, protects heritage crafts and technological advancement alike, and its Goodwood factory is eco-friendly and on track in its plan for Net Zero by 2050.

The new all-electric Spectre epitomises that inspirational blend of invention and heritage, and it was exactly that character that I most wanted to capture when I first proposed our exclusive editorial photoshoot — Spectre’s only editorial photoshoot to date. Yes, it’s an EV — but first and foremost, it’s a Rolls-Royce.

After all, is there anything better than the impressive bulk of a Rolls-Royce Motor Car gliding effortlessly around lush and winding country roads? What should seem out of place just makes sense, as our team captured so perfectly with our shoot. We emerge from Rolls-Royce Goodwood, waft through the natural splendour of the South Downs National Park, and head on to explore the historic landmarks of Cowdray — an estate that embodies many of those same attributes of sustainability, heritage and leadership. Shot expertly by automotive photographer GF Williams, this is the Spectre as we see it: a feat of contemporary engineering steered by history and bursting with storytelling.

And, as you will read in our Winter Edition, it’s also really fun to drive.

In addition to this landmark edition, our Winter edition rings in 2024 with a series of forward-facing features, from new hotel openings  and global design trends to wild wellness experiences that will make you scream! We also speak to some of the biggest names in luxury: Grand Slam tennis star Maria Sharapova shares her new role with Aman, Moët & Chandon chef de cave Benoît Gouez looks to the brand’s 300th anniversary, and I visit the CERN research centre with Carla Fendi Foundation president Maria Teresa Venturini Fendi to discover why science is truly a work of art.

Happy New Year and enjoy the issue.

Michelle Johnson
Editor-in-chief