Despite its appearance. Yet this initial introduction of your fastest and many powerful vehicle to ever emerge from the company’s Goodwood facility in England contradicts the official Rolls-Royce message. The latest Rolls-Royce Wraith isn’t a sports coupe because the British luxury automaker doesn’t make sporty cars – they merely hint at it.
The four-passenger Wraith shares the platform of the Ghost. This means both of these are constructed over a heavily modified, mostly steel, unibody platform common with the BMW 7 Series. All itsThe Ghost’s unique rear-hinged coach doors were retained, leaving brightly polished handles to match those on the flagship Phantom Coupe, though the coupe is shorter in both height and length, its wheelbase continues to be reduced more than 7.
However the front fascia of the Ghost and Wraith appear similar in the rearview mirror, closer examination reveals the stainless grille about the new coupe is slightly more recessed, its air intakes larger and the signature Spirit of Ecstasy figurine is angled forward 5? – she’s now leaning into the wind.
Because Rolls-Royce massaged its familiar 6.6-liter V12 twin-turbo to make 624hp at 5600rpm and 590 lb-ft at 1500-5500rpm, she’ll have to hold on though. That’s 61hp greater than before.beneath the guidance of an innovative Satellite Aided Transmission (SAT) program – a niche first.
The balance of the mechanicals, from brakes to suspension architecture, generally mirror the Ghost – the most significant being the air springs with electronic variable damping that provide the signature Rolls-Royce magic carpet ride.
A glance down in the tires confirms the coupe rides on slightly larger wheels (20 as standard, with 21 options).
The Wraith cabin is splendid. What isn’t swathed in buttery natural grain leather is covered in new Canadel panelling – open grain wood which allows the natural texture to come through. Thick wool carpets rest underfoot, and nearly all of the key switchgear is finishedin to the roof. They offer a welcome glow and a novel experience. Everything throughout the carpet and cabin-lined trunk has been treated for the finest materials, with a Teflon-coated umbrella still found within each front quarter panel.
There is zero drama when the massive V12 fires. From the driver’s seat it was hard to realise it was even running, the lack of tachometer (replaced by a cool power reserve gauge) compounding the confusion.
A gentle foot on the throttle will motivate the coupe around town, yet without an audible soundtrack from yourThe downside could it be will send all champagne glasses flying into the footwells, though rolls-Royce quotes -60mph in just 4.4sec, which can be an impressive feat for such a heavy vehicle.
On its carefully modulated air suspension, Rolls-Royce consciously tuned the coupe to offer a sense of adventure for the driver. To accomplish this, the steering is heavier and more direct, as the air spring and damper settings tend to be more dynamic than the Ghost. However, it remains softer than any other sports coupe available.
On the highway, it glides effortlessly over bumps and expansion joints, with all the smooth V12 ensuring forward progress remains unaffected by hills, wind or calamity. However, the heavy two-door isn’t happy in sharp canyons, where sudden directional changes evoke massive understeer and squeals of protest from the overworked tires. It does lose some of its finesse, although it never relinquishes its composure.
The new SAT transmission logic operates almost transparently. Unlike many of today’s adaptive systems, that monitor driver inputs to control shift logic, the SAT system reads GPS map data to predict straights and corners. Employing this information, the automated transmission will hold gears or downshift into a corner to anticipate the need. Rolls-Royce didn’t tune this for performance (don’t expect neck-snapping shifts), but rather for smoothness since being in the rightWithout question, the Wraith is more involving than the Ghost or Phantom, yet all of its primary controls felt calculatingly buffered to driving input. Accuracy isn’t an issue: A high steering ratio translated to slow turn-in, and the brake pedal required a strong push before the calipers bit firmly, even though the vehicle is obedient to directions. Even the throttle tip-in could be labeled leisurely. A gentleman would refer to it as restrained, although a motoring enthusiast would consider the coupe’s feedback soft.
On paper, as well as in photos, the Wraith seems to present itself as a powerful luxury sports coupe to rival the Bentley Continental GT. But even as the Rolls-Royce wins the horsepower battle, its performance plays second fiddle to its primary objective of isolating the occupants externally world. It drives with grace, dignity and a sense of nobility that is peerless in the segment, while nonchalantly hiding its copious potential.
The Wraith is a magnificent luxury coupe, but it can barely be understood without taking a prolonged drive. And in the exclusive world of Rolls-Royce, that’s the best way it should be.