Day tripping with the 1 per cent
Ultra-luxury brand offers most powerful, agile model — just don’t call it sporty
PHOENIX— Beyond my anecdotal driving impressions, I have physical evidence that the Rolls-Royce Wraith is a car you can drive very fast.
My proof comes courtesy of the Arizona police officer who occupied a few moments of my time along a dusty, sun-baked stretch of road about two hours outside of Phoenix.
After wheeling this 624-horsepower, $284,900 bullet past cacti-laden hills, the fortuitous meeting of officer and not one but two journalist-piloted Wraiths was the only blight on an otherwise perfect driving experience.
For an ultra-luxury brand known for exorbitant customization and one that counts kings, queens and superstar rappers amongst its clientele, the Wraith might just be the first Rolls-Royce where the best seat in the house is behind the steering wheel and not in the back.
The Wraith joins the Phantom and the Ghost as the third nameplate in the stable for the U.K. automaker. It hit the market in October and company chief Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes says the global order book is already full until May.
It shares the similar rectangular front-end design and plain-looking lower half of its expensive brethren. The car’s exterior styling really pops, thanks to a fastback roofline — a company first.
Don’t get the impression this is a cramped coupe, though. The car is utterly massive. Curb weight for the North American model tips the scales at 2,440 kilograms — nearly the same as three Smart Fortwos.
Total length stretches over five metres or just a touch longer than a Toyota Sienna.
Propelling the mammoth proportions is what the automaker terms its most powerful engine ever. The 6.6-L, twin-turbo V12 is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. It is also the first powertrain where, when asked about its ratings, the answer from Rolls-Royce is something other than “adequate.”
The hulking engine pumps out the aforementioned 624 hp and 590 lb.ft. of torque, meaning well-heeled owners or lucky chauffeurs can pilot it from zero to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds.
Highway/city combined fuel consumption is 13.8 L/100 km. Before you balk at the potential fuel bill, remember that owners who can drop more than a quarter-million bucks on this car would probably not be distressed by the price at the pump. Some might even own the pump.
The car handles divinely, given its size and shape. Acceleration is buttery smooth but best enjoyed moving from 80 km/h and above than from a standstill.
Build quality means the cabin is whisper quiet. Couple the lack of road noise with effortless acceleration and its overall heft, and it doesn’t take long before you find yourself swinging through corners at 115 km/h.
It is surprisingly nimble, but ramp that speed up further and I imagine the weight would eventually catch up with you.
Is the Wraith a sports car? No. Rolls-Royce executives are adamant that sportiness is not a part of the brand’s DNA. Wraith is more for crossing continents and driving on magnificent, coastal roads that we imagine are only open to the richest of the rich.
The automaker’s image desires, however, do not preclude it from possessing sporty elements. The Wraith is fast and fun and big — a strong mix of design civility and brute strength. The interior is the pure luxury and sumptuous excess for which Rolls is famous. Passengers melt into doughy leather seats, and the lamb’swool floor mats are thick enough that owners could hide their gold bars. Interior panels on the suicide doors are almost sauna-like, with a massive swath of wood veneer curved around the contours. Don’t feel like making the proletariat stretch to close the door, simply hold down a button near the A-pillar and the heavy door will swing to an ever-so-quiet clasp. Vehicle length assures there is plenty of room in the back. It is not as spacious as the four-door Phantom and Ghost, but the Wraith’s purpose is more about driving than being driven. Perhaps the best, off-the-rack option from the slew of Rolls-Royce’s fantasy-world accessory choices is the starlight headliner. For an extra $12,925, Rolls-Royce craftsman will sew 1,340 fibre-optic lights into the headliner, creating your very own star-filled sky. Even that can be customized, should you choose to recreate the constellation pattern in the night sky of a particularly memorable evening. Beyond the retractable Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, in-door umbrellas and grandeur of the interior, Rolls-Royce seems intent on highlighting the strides made in vehicle technology — no doubt a trickle-up byproduct of parent company BMW. The car boasts an industry-first satellite-aided transmission. The system links the vehicle’s gearbox management system to the GPS program, meaning the car can “see” far beyond the driver’s gaze. The result is a transmission that knows exactly what gear to select for the terrain that lies ahead. The system is beyond subtle and means that the car is always composed. Drivers never feel like they have to kick it down or endure that millisecond hesitation while it searches for the right gear as you turn or dart up or down hills. I was lamenting the lack of a GPSaided police-radar-detection system as I sat on the side of the road with the red and blue lights flashing. A steady parade of the locals I had previously sped past rolled by gawking at the 1-per-centre getting his comeuppance. Although merely a visitor to this world of unimaginable wealth, if you have to get pulled over, getting a roadside lecture and a speeding ticket feels downright civilized when doing it in the Wraith.