Automotive

The Rolls-Royce Wraith – the most powerful Rolls ever

The Rolls-Royce Wraith – the most powerful Rolls ever
Producing a refined 624 hp (465 kW), the Wraith is the most powerful Rolls Royce ever
Producing a refined 624 hp (465 kW), the Wraith is the most powerful Rolls Royce ever
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The Rolls Royce Wraith side view
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The Rolls Royce Wraith side view
The Rolls Royce Wraith high angle view
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The Rolls Royce Wraith high angle view
The Rolls Royce Wraith interior
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The Rolls Royce Wraith interior
The Rolls Royce Wraith interior
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The Rolls Royce Wraith interior
The Rolls Royce Wraith dash clock
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The Rolls Royce Wraith dash clock
The Rolls Royce Wraith door
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The Rolls Royce Wraith door
The Rolls Royce Wraith's “Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller”
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The Rolls Royce Wraith's “Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller”
The Rolls Royce Wraith interior
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The Rolls Royce Wraith interior
The Rolls Royce Wraith interior
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The Rolls Royce Wraith interior
The Rolls Royce Wraith interior
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The Rolls Royce Wraith interior
The Rolls Royce Wraith's Startlight Headliner
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The Rolls Royce Wraith's Startlight Headliner
The Rolls Royce Wraith front angle view
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The Rolls Royce Wraith front angle view
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The Rolls Royce Wraith bonnet
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The Rolls Royce Wraith bonnet
The Rolls Royce Wraith features a two-tone finish
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The Rolls Royce Wraith features a two-tone finish
The Rolls Royce Wraith rear view
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The Rolls Royce Wraith rear view
The Rolls Royce Wraith profile
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The Rolls Royce Wraith profile
The Rolls Royce Wraith raked rear screen
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The Rolls Royce Wraith raked rear screen
Producing a refined 624 hp (465 kW), the Wraith is the most powerful Rolls Royce ever
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Producing a refined 624 hp (465 kW), the Wraith is the most powerful Rolls Royce ever
View gallery - 19 images

After a couple of months of drip feeding silhouette images of its new model Wraith, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has finally turned the lighting up on the new fastback at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Powered by a V12 engine married to an 8-speed automatic transmission, the Wraith produces a refined 624 hp (465 kW) and 800 Nm of torque from 1,500 rpm, which outdoes the Ghost's 563 hp (420 kW) and 780 Nm of torque, making the new coupe the most powerful Rolls ever.

Based on the Ghost, the new Wraith accelerates from 0-60 mph (96.5 km/h) in 4.4 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds quicker than its saloon stablemate and would leave the original Wraith, which was built from 1938 to 1939 and managed a 0-50 mph (80.4 km/h) time of 16.4 seconds, eating dust.

Described by Rolls Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös as “the ultimate gentleman’s gran turismo, the Wraith debuts Satellite Aided Transmission (SAT) technology that uses GPS mapping data to get the lay of the road ahead – including corners, junctions and roundabouts – and selects the appropriate gear based on the current location and driving style and the upcoming terrain.

The Rolls Royce Wraith interior
The Rolls Royce Wraith interior

The Wraith also features a one-touch call button on the steering wheel to activate the voice control system so Jeeves can inform the navigation system of the desired destination. The on-screen functions can also be navigated using the “Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller” or touch pad with pinch and pull functionality and handwriting character recognition.

With Rolls Royce Motor Cars a subsidiary of BMW, don’t be surprised if similar technology starts appearing in Bimmers before too long.

With a two-tone finish, the Wraith also sports a raked rear screen, recessed front grille, wide rear track, shorter wheelbase and lower roof height and benefits from suspension that has been tuned to minimize body roll. To enhance the feel of the car, the steering weight is heavier at high speeds and lighter at low speeds.

Stepping inside through the suicide doors (which Rolls Royce prefers to call “coach doors” as they were originally used on horse-drawn carriages – and it sounds a bit classier), reveals copious amounts of “Phantom-grade” leather and open pore wood called “Canadel Panelling.”

The Rolls Royce Wraith's Startlight Headliner
The Rolls Royce Wraith's Startlight Headliner

Making it out of the Phantom family for the first time is a Starlight Headliner, which sees 1,340 fiber optic lamps hand-woven into the roof lining that are meant to give the impression of a starry sky – think of more expensive, hi-tech version of those glow in the dark stickers you might have had as a kid.

Due to be available in Q4 2013, the Wraith will be priced at €245,000 (US$319,260) in Europe, with pricing details for other markets to be announced later this year.

Source: Rolls Royce Motor Cars

View gallery - 19 images
2 comments
2 comments
Stephen N Russell
Any chance of a 4 door model??
(Ed. The Ghost, on which this is based, is a four door saloon)
Robert Stone
Stretch that fastback a little further, add two more rear doors and you have the "shooting brake" model- I'm sure a convertible will follow