By Justin Pope
The Associated Press

Peter K. Hofman of Gillette shows off the souped-up version of the Mach3Turbo razor with a battery-powered handle. (Associated Press photo)

BOSTON - There's a new Rolls-Royce for the serious shaver.

Gillette rolled out a high-tech, premium razor Thursday, a souped-up version of the Mach3Turbo featuring 62 patents and a tiny, battery-powered motor that emits pulses that work on the skin to prop up hair so it can be lopped off more easily.

The Boston-based company said the gentle, electric hum of the "M3Power" not only reduces the need to shave over the same skin surface repeatedly, but even produces an agreeable massaging sensation.

The device, expected to hit North American shelves in May, will come with a Rolls-Royce price tag: $14.99 for the shaving system (including a battery), compared with $8.99 for the Mach3Turbo. A 4-pack of blades will go for $10.99, a 15 percent premium.

"I'm not concerned about the product or the quality or the ads or the message, it's just whether or not the consumer will readily accept the trade-up," said William Steele, an analyst at Banc of America Securities.

Gillette says they have before, and they will again.

"Men have demonstrated over and over a willingness to pay if we perform, and we do," said Mary Ann Pesce, Gillette's vice president of new shaving products.

The M3Power, rolled out in New York on Thursday, is a counterpunch to rival Schick-Wilkinson Sword's four-bladed "Quattro," which hit shelves in September.

The M3Power comes with a Duracell battery - also manufactured by Gillette - that fits in the handle and powers a small motor that generates what Pesce described as a "gentle hum." That energy increases the tension in facial skin, and essentially props up hairs, which can otherwise lie flat.