Rolls Royce Wraith

…..”The most potent and technologically advanced Rolls Royce in history….the Wraith is a car for the curious, the confident, and the bold.” That dramatic statement is from Rolls Royce. This is quite an omniscient preface for the all new Rolls Royce Wraith coupe. There’s never been a Rolls Royce quite like this. Giles Taylor, Director of design at Rolls Royce says: “There’s a sense of effortless grace and elegance, but at the same time something more contemporary and daring.”

The Rolls Royce Wraith, a new hyper-luxury class, has raised the bar for success. Its slippery aero dynamic shape combined with the legendary performance and charisma of a Rolls Royce brings new excitement to the ultra luxury motoring world. Its dramatic, stunning appearance shows that Rolls Royce is the true purveyor of the ultra luxury automobile. But then, superlatives are the norm for “The Spirit of Ecstasy.” One word to describe the new Rolls Royce Wraith: effortless.

The exclusive fastback silhouette and totally understated elegance makes the Wraith a contemporary classic. It was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2013. The Wraith is a four seat coupe design based on the Rolls Royce Ghost platform. It is designed to be the fastest and most luxurious Rolls Royce. Its chassis was designed by Serbian designer Pavle Trpinac. The Wraith is shorter and sits 2” lower than the Ghost. It is made of steel unlike its aluminium stable mates.

Those romantic rear-hinged frameless coach doors designed without “B” pillars makes the lines of the bodywork flow seamlessly from front to rear. The coach doors close at the touch of a button like its sister model the quintessential Phantom. The Wraith pampers one only as Rolls Royce can with decadently opulent elegance which is the forte of this iconic brand. This is the epitome of German engineering and meticulous British hand crafting.

We have entered the Twenty-first Century, where man and automobile are in sync through electronic cues. The Wraith takes the human-machine interface to a new level of sophistication. Rolls Royce made advancements with both mechanical and electrical technologies such as voice activated commands to the GPS.

With a touch of a button on the steering wheel to the navigation system, destination no longer requires manual intervention from a menu; route assistance begins immediately on screen and through audio guidance following a voice command such as “navigate to Piccadilly in London” per Rolls Royce. Heads up display, adaptive headlamps, a keyless boot release, and night vision technology with hazard alerts are more of the amenities for the added comfort and convenience to the Wraith owner.

The Wraith has a cabin of glamour and elegance with a GT sporting flair. The wood trim, called Canadel Panelling surrounds the cabin along with luxurious Phantom-grade leather sumptuously covering the upholstery.

The interior ambience is augmented by the Starlight Headliner, a bespoke feature utilizing 1,340 fibre optic lamps hand woven into the roof lining to simulate a starry night sky. As with all Rolls Royce Motor Cars, each will have its own bespoke character.

Rolls Royce designed a Satellite Aided Transmission (SAT) that reads GPS data to locate the car and predict changes in real time. For example, you approach a hairpin turn; the computer knows to hold a low gear instead of an upshift as opposed to the car reacting to data after the turn has been initiated. (You go BMW!) The car reads topography gearing it by predicting grades to boost fuel economy.

The Wraith borrowed the Ghost’s double wishbone front suspension and multi link rear suspension. It is a complete electronic network with an electronically variable air suspension anchored at each wheel. With its intuitive dampers, it is more of a “thinking suspension” calibrating itself anonymously as you drive.

The Wraith has performance as impressive as its contemporary architecture…….and as unique as its character. 624 bhp is generated from an alloy 6.7 litre twin turbocharged V12 engine. (You go BMW!) The excellent power-to-weight ratio makes this gazelle spring from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds….now remember we’re talking about a 5,203 pound vehicle.

The Wraith has an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. One doesn’t need to go faster than that in a Rolls Royce; after all, we do want to show the car off don’t we? Besides, if you want a pocket rocket drive a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse…ok?

Safety, Speed, and reliability, with that poised dignity which is the hallmark of every Rolls Royce.  Imminent success is evident in this Twenty-first Century creation fusing art with technology for a rare motoring experience.

The new Rolls Royce Wraith has to be seen to be believed,  driven to experience the spirited performance and owned for complete satisfaction. A Rolls Royce precludes the restless quest for something better to replace it with…….