The new Rolls-Royce Wraith is exactly what a Rolls coupe should be - smooth, swift and refined
Search the price lists for £235,000, 5.3-metre long coupes and you’ll find the Rolls-Royce Wraith is a unique proposition. Saloon cars of the Rolls-Royce Ghost’s stature are few and far between in the first instance. Coupes based on them, like the Wraith, fewer still. The Bentley Continental GT, you could argue, is on the same theme, only offering lesser quantities of space and price and luxury. The Ferrari FF is another alternative that could be used for the same job: a car that’s an event in itself, which can seat four over a long journey.Sporty, however, the Wraith is not. Rolls won’t even use the word. This is the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever made, and Rolls alludes to it being the most dynamic car it produces. But look at the figures: length, 5269mm; width, 1947mm; weight, 2435kg. It’s no FF. Yes, the engine makes 624bhp, but it’s ostensibly the same unit as used in the Ghost, which means it’s a stroked version of an already large BMW V12, enlarged to some 6.6-litres and equipped with two turbos. There’s only so much dynamism you can have with those numbers. This being a Rolls-Royce, there’s only so much dynamism you’d want: Rolls says it might be the easiest car in the world to drive quickly, that it offers unstressed pace. The vehicle might be in a hurry, but you won’t be. Let’s see.
The new Rolls-Royce Wraith is exactly what a Rolls coupe should be - smooth, swift and refined
Search the price lists for £235,000, 5.3-metre long coupes and you’ll find the Rolls-Royce Wraith is a unique proposition. Saloon cars of the Rolls-Royce Ghost’s stature are few and far between in the first instance. Coupes based on them, like the Wraith, fewer still. The Bentley Continental GT, you could argue, is on the same theme, only offering lesser quantities of space and price and luxury. The Ferrari FF is another alternative that could be used for the same job: a car that’s an event in itself, which can seat four over a long journey.Sporty, however, the Wraith is not. Rolls won’t even use the word. This is the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever made, and Rolls alludes to it being the most dynamic car it produces. But look at the figures: length, 5269mm; width, 1947mm; weight, 2435kg. It’s no FF. Yes, the engine makes 624bhp, but it’s ostensibly the same unit as used in the Ghost, which means it’s a stroked version of an already large BMW V12, enlarged to some 6.6-litres and equipped with two turbos. There’s only so much dynamism you can have with those numbers. This being a Rolls-Royce, there’s only so much dynamism you’d want: Rolls says it might be the easiest car in the world to drive quickly, that it offers unstressed pace. The vehicle might be in a hurry, but you won’t be. Let’s see.