Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit

Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit: which version to buy

The Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit is a four-generation Sedan (1980–1997) whose catalogue versions are all named 6.8 AT. The buying decision is not “which engine family,” it is which 6.8 AT you are looking at: 200 hp or 249 hp in 1 generation (1980–1989), 218 hp in 2 generation and 3 generation (1989–1995), or 305 hp compressor 6.8 AT in 4 generation (1995–1997). Displacement is 6750 cm³ on every row.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit is a four-generation Sedan (1980–1997) whose catalogue versions are all named 6.8 AT. The buying decision is not “which engine family,” it is which 6.8 AT you are looking at: 200 hp or 249 hp in 1 generation (1980–1989), 218 hp in 2 generation and 3 generation (1989–1995), or 305 hp compressor 6.8 AT in 4 generation (1995–1997). Displacement is 6750 cm³ on every row. Peak power spans 200–305 hp (+105 hp, +52.5% from the weakest to the strongest). Peak torque does the opposite: 540 Nm on both 1 generation cars, 440 Nm on 2 generation and 3 generation (−100 Nm), 400 Nm on 4 generation (−140 Nm vs 1 generation). Kerb weight rises from 2245 kg to 2380 kg (+135 kg). If you are comparing a Silver Spirit II / 3 listing to an early car, match the generation years below — the badge on the ad is not in this dataset.

Generations: what actually changed between Silver Spirit years

1 generation (1980–1989), Sedan, 2 versions, both 6.8 AT. This is the only generation with two power figures under one name. 6.8 AT 200 hp (148 kW at 4500 rpm) and 6.8 AT 249 hp (183 kW at 4500 rpm) share 540 Nm at 2500 rpm, Carburetor feed, boost No, Automatic 3 gears, RWD, tank 113 L, kerb 2245 kg. The 249 hp car is +49 hp (+24.5%) over the 200 hp car at the same kerb weight, so mass per horsepower falls from 11.23 kg/hp to 9.02 kg/hp. Top speed is 193 km/h on both. 0–100 km/h is 11.2 s on 6.8 AT 249 hp and not measured on 6.8 AT 200 hp.

2 generation (1989–1993), Sedan, 1 version: 6.8 AT 218 hp (160 kW at 4200 rpm), 440 Nm at 1450 rpm. Versus 1 generation 6.8 AT 249 hp you lose 31 hp and 100 Nm of peak torque, but torque arrives 1050 rpm earlier (1450 vs 2500). Gearbox becomes Automatic 4 (one extra ratio). Fuel system becomes Central injection (single-point or single- point). Kerb weight 2350 kg (+105 kg vs 2245 kg). Tank 108 L (−5 L). Top speed 208 km/h (+15 km/h vs 193). 0–100 km/h 11.1 s — 0.1 s quicker than the 249 hp 1 generation car despite less peak power, on a heavier sedan.

3 generation (1993–1995), Sedan, 1 version: the same 6.8 AT 218 hp / 160 kW / 440 Nm sheet as 2 generation — same 11.1 s, 208 km/h, 25.4 / 13.9 / 16.4 L/100 km, 108 L, 2350 kg, Automatic 4, RWD, Central injection (single-point or single- point), boost No. On these numbers, 2 generation vs 3 generation is not a spec upgrade. A “Silver Spirit 3” search is a year-band choice (1993–1995 vs 1989–1993), not a different 6.8 AT.

4 generation (1995–1997), Sedan, 1 version: 6.8 AT 305 hp (224 kW at 3900 rpm), 400 Nm at 2000 rpm, boost Compressor, Distributed injection (multi-point), Automatic 4, RWD. Versus 3 generation 6.8 AT 218 hp: +87 hp (+39.9%), −40 Nm peak torque, 0–100 km/h 8.4 s (−2.7 s vs 11.1), top speed 225 km/h (+17 km/h), kerb 2380 kg (+30 kg). Versus 1 generation 6.8 AT 249 hp: +56 hp, −140 Nm, −2.8 s to 100 km/h, +32 km/h top speed, +135 kg. Specific output is 45.2 hp/L vs 36.9 hp/L (249 hp) vs 32.3 hp/L (218 hp) vs 29.6 hp/L (200 hp). Mass per horsepower is 7.80 kg/hp — the lightest load per horsepower in the table.

Silver Spirit specs: engine, gearbox, drive (every 6.8 AT)

All five rows: Front, longitudinal; compression 9; bore × stroke 104.14 × 99.06. Front brakes Ventilated disc; rear Disc. Front and rear suspension Independent, spring. CO₂ not measured. Eco class not measured.

Performance and mpg: 0–100, top speed, fuel consumption

0–100 km/h. 6.8 AT 200 hp (1 generation): not measured. 6.8 AT 249 hp: 11.2 s. 6.8 AT 218 hp (2 and 3 generation): 11.1 s. 6.8 AT 305 hp: 8.4 s. The compressor car is 2.8 s faster to 100 km/h than the strongest 1 generation 6.8 AT and 2.7 s faster than the 218 hp cars. The 218 hp four-speed cars are only 0.1 s quicker than 6.8 AT 249 hp — not a sprint gap, a rounding of the same 11-second class.

Top speed. 193 km/h (both 1 generation 6.8 AT) → 208 km/h (6.8 AT 218 hp) → 225 km/h (6.8 AT 305 hp). That is +15 km/h at the 1989 change and +17 km/h at the 1995 compressor, +32 km/h end-to-end.

Fuel (L/100 km), city / highway / mixed. 1 generation both 6.8 AT: 23.6 / 15.6 / 18.9. 2, 3 and 4 generation 6.8 AT: 25.4 / 13.9 / 16.4. City is +1.8 on later cars; highway is −1.7; mixed is −2.5. The compressor 6.8 AT 305 hp does not show a different consumption row from 6.8 AT 218 hp in this dataset. Tank 113 L (1 generation) vs 108 L later: mixed-range arithmetic is 113 ÷ 18.9 × 100 ≈ 598 km vs 108 ÷ 16.4 × 100 ≈ 659 km (+61 km on mixed figures). Highway-range arithmetic: 113 ÷ 15.6 × 100 ≈ 724 km vs 108 ÷ 13.9 × 100 ≈ 777 km.

Dimensions and weight

Wheel sizes not measured. Ground clearance not measured. Gross weight not measured.

Kerb weight is the measured size proxy: 2245 kg (1 generation, both 6.8 AT), 2350 kg (2 and 3 generation 6.8 AT 218 hp), 2380 kg (4 generation 6.8 AT 305 hp). +105 kg at 1989, +30 kg at 1995. Tank 113 L then 108 L. Per-horsepower mass: 11.23 kg/hp (200 hp), 9.02 kg/hp (249 hp), 10.78 kg/hp (218 hp), 7.80 kg/hp (305 hp).

Which Silver Spirit version to buy — and why the numbers split

There is no price field in this catalogue, so “extra money” here means extra hp, extra gears, extra kerb kilograms, and the compressor — not a sticker.

Buy 1 generation 6.8 AT 249 hp if peak torque and the lighter kerb matter more than 0–100. You get 540 Nm (the catalogue maximum), 2245 kg (the catalogue minimum), 249 hp, 11.2 s, 193 km/h, Carburetor, Automatic 3. Versus the same-generation 6.8 AT 200 hp you pay nothing in weight or tank or mpg rows and you gain 49 hp; 0–100 is measured only on the 249 hp car. Versus later 218 hp cars you keep 100 Nm more peak torque and 105 kg less kerb, and you accept 15 km/h less top speed, one fewer gear, and mixed 18.9 vs 16.4 L/100 km.

Do not treat 1 generation 6.8 AT 200 hp as a quiet equivalent of the 249 hp car. Same 540 Nm, same 193 km/h, same 23.6 / 15.6 / 18.9, same 2245 kg, same Carburetor 3-speed Automatic RWD — but 200 hp vs 249 hp and 0–100 not measured. Specific output 29.6 hp/L is the lowest of the five rows. Choose it only when the listing is explicitly the 200 hp 6.8 AT, not when an ad says “6.8 AT” and you assume the 249 hp sheet.

Buy 2 generation or 3 generation 6.8 AT 218 hp if you want the four-speed Automatic and earlier torque, not more horsepower. 440 Nm at 1450 rpm is 100 Nm below 1 generation peak but 1050 rpm lower than 2500. 11.1 s and 208 km/h sit between the 1 generation cars and 4 generation. You add 105 kg vs 1 generation and lose 5 L of tank. 2 generation (1989–1993) and 3 generation (1993–1995) are the same 6.8 AT 218 hp numbers; picking “Silver Spirit II” vs “Silver Spirit 3” on specs alone is a year window, not a different engine table.

Buy 4 generation 6.8 AT 305 hp if the measured sprint and top speed are the point of the car. 305 hp, Compressor, Distributed injection (multi-point), 8.4 s, 225 km/h, 7.80 kg/hp. You give up 140 Nm vs 1 generation peak (400 vs 540) and 40 Nm vs the 218 hp cars, and you carry the heaviest kerb (2380 kg). Consumption is the same 25.4 / 13.9 / 16.4 as the 218 hp cars — the extra 87 hp does not show up as extra mixed litres in this dataset. Fuel remains Gasoline 92.

Reliability / workshop-manual angle without invented faults. What the sheet actually changes: Carburetor (1 generation) → Central injection (single-point or single- point) (2 and 3 generation) → Distributed injection (multi-point) plus Compressor (4 generation); Automatic 3 → 4; boost No → Compressor only in 1995–1997. A workshop-manual search should follow that split — carburetted 6.8 AT 200 hp / 249 hp, injected naturally aspirated 6.8 AT 218 hp, compressor 6.8 AT 305 hp — not a single generic Silver Spirit procedure.

Short ranking on the measured columns. Fastest 0–100 and highest speed: 6.8 AT 305 hp. Highest torque and lowest kerb: either 1 generation 6.8 AT (540 Nm, 2245 kg), with 249 hp preferred over 200 hp by 49 hp. Best mixed L/100 km: the 218 hp and 305 hp rows (16.4 vs 18.9). Identical twins on paper: 2 generation and 3 generation 6.8 AT 218 hp.