Grand Tourers (GT) are some of the most rarified and exciting class of cars that one can buy, with not many thronging street sides and parking lots. And while several luxury automakers had at least one offering to cover this niche, Rolls-Royce adamantly stayed out of it for quite a while. However, seeing renewed public interest in the concept, the uber-luxury automaker finally decided to join the (limited) fray. In early 2013, Rolls-Royce announced the arrival of the Wraith. The Wraith nameplate is not new to RR, with the very first ones rolling out of the factory for a brief period between from 1938 to 1939. However, the all-new Wraith was to be the knockout punch that the British company needed to keep other wealthy competition at bay.
The Rolls-Royce Wraith borrows the Ghost’s BMW-derived platform, and is only available as a two-door, hard-top coupe at the moment. Since its launch over six years ago, Rolls-Royce hasn’t yet released any facelifted successor for the Wraith -- though that hasn’t exactly caused any major disruptions in the sales of this stupendously gorgeous coupe. In the Middle East, the Wraith joins other premium GT cars such as the Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari GTC4Lusso, and Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG. As is clear, this really isn’t a very crowded club - with only a select few deemed worthy enough to join.
Exterior
Posh Grand Tourers have always fascinated humans for a long time - their cultured elegance, sophisticated lines, meticulous bodywork and dynamic persona -- are all part of their congruent exterior design philosophy. All of these attractive aspects reflect unabated on the Rolls-Royce Wraith. The regal looking front fascia of the Wraith features the coveted Rolls-Royce grille, long and sleek hood with its retractable ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ ornament, suave headlamps with LED surrounds, LED turning lights, plus a well-contoured bumper with a subtle lip and large air intakes. The dynamic yet graceful side profile of the Wraith houses 21-inch alloy wheels, subtly flared fenders, thick chrome window surrounds, massive rear-hinged coach doors, and a steeply sloped rear pillar and roof that lead to the Wraith’s fastback appearance.
The rear of Rolls-Royce’s only hardtop coupe gets ornamental 3-D design all-LED tail lamps with chrome surrounds, bulky yet tapered tail gate, and a well-molded and classy looking bumper which sports integrated dual-exhaust tips. The Wraith measures in at 5.285 meters in length, 1.947 meters in width and 1.507 meters in height. It spans an impressive 3.112 meters between the front & rear axles, and has an overall boot capacity of 470 liters.
Interior
The highly customizable interior space of the Rolls-Royce Wraith is beyond a shadow of doubt, glorious and cosseting. The cabin is arranged in a 2+2 configuration, with the most amount of room and luxuries being allocated to the front occupants. However, the rear seats (albeit a little tight) are from uncomfortable or unwelcoming -- they’re thoroughly usable for this class of vehicle. Most of the materials feel absolutely second-to-none, while the attention to detail and craftsmanship are truly worth admiring. On top of all this, the cabin is almost whisper quiet, while the Starlight headliner and sumptuous carpets will soon take away most of your worries.
Rolls-Royce can be very generous with equipment and features, with the Wraith getting adaptive suspension, active cruise control, ‘Satellite Aided Transmission’, glazed windows, 18-speaker Bespoke Audio system, heated/cooled & massaging seats, power-operated doors, ambient lighting, head-up display, 10.25-inch high-definition infotainment display, night vision, 360-degree top-view camera system, and multi-zone automatic climate control among several others.
Engine and performance
Under the hood of the Rolls-Royce Wraith awaits a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 that’s capable of producing 624hp and 800Nm of torque. All of this grunt reaches the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic gearbox and when called for, can rocket the 2.4-ton Wraith to 100 km/h in only 4.6 seconds -- reaching terminal velocity at 250 km/h as the electronic-limiter kicks in.
Verdict
For those lucky few who can afford it, the RR Wraith costs between AED 1,410,000 to AED 1,650,000 in the UAE.
