First Drive Review: Rolls-Royce Wraith by Henny Hemmes

By Henny Hemmes
Senior European Editor
February 18, 2015

Rolls- Royce Wraith

Last month, when I was in Austin, Texas, for the first test drives with the BMW X6 M, I was offered to have an early morning meeting with Elizabeth Williams, Product Communication Manager of Rolls-Royce organization in North America. After breakfast, a handful of colleagues and I had a choice to drive one of the four Roll-Royces that were lined up in front of the Four Seasons Hotel. The luxury division of the BMW Group had gotten wind of the fact that international media was in Austin and had decided to use some of our spare time before departure to the airport. It was a late call, but very welcome indeed.

Rolls- Royce Wraith

It speaks for itself that Elizabeth presented an overview of the business of the British brand that had performed so well last year. In 2014, sales increased by 12 percent to 4,063 units, a record in the history of Rolls-Royce, and a quadrupling of the sales of five years ago.

Rolls- Royce Wraith

The company thinks that there is still room for growth, be it mostly because of the possibility to customize a Rolls in every way - on the condition that safety is not compromised. Rolls-Royce calls this program Bespoke.

For wealthy buyers it is obviously quite natural to “bespoke” a new Rolls, as they may have personal preferences in every respect and will not be dissuaded by the extra cost. That said, it is also possible to “bespoke” a pre-owned model to your own likings.

Rolls- Royce Wraith

When Rolls-Royce unveiled a new model at the Geneva Auto Show in 2013, it was quite a surprise, because the Wraith is a coupe with suicide doors. In the more than a century long history of the brand, coupes have always been rare and it will be very likely that you will not see this elegant vehicle on the public roads, unless you are in Monte Carlo or Beverly Hills.

Rolls- Royce Wraith - classic

Its design was among others inspired by the 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with Erdmann & Rossi coachwork. The modern Wraith is based on the Ghost, which on its turn, has the same architecture as the BMW 7 Series. But the wheelbase of the Wraith is some seven inches shorter than that of the Ghost, while the track is 2 inches wider. Because of the lack of B-pillars, the Wraith has been developed with extra structural stiffening, but nevertheless weighs 5,200 pounds, nearly 250 pounds less than the Ghost

As I did not have an opportunity yet to drive the Wraith, I was relieved to do so. Our test route went from downtown Austin to the Circuit of the Americas with a short detour on a very bad country road. After I settled myself in the driver’s seat, I was relieved to be able to view over the long hood without adjusting the height. The car also felt very natural, when maneuvering through the busy morning traffic, its impressive appearance generating a lot of attention.

Rolls- Royce Wraith

The Wraith behaves surprisingly well on the winding country roads, as long as you apply a “sovereign” attitude that automatically goes with a car like a Rolls. This does not mean you cannot drive it dynamically. You can, the – lowered - suspension is well-tuned for such a driving style and the 21-inch alloy wheels are wrapped with the latest 255/40R21 and 285/35R21 Continental tires that offer lots of grip during cornering.

You could even call the handling agile, especially when you take into account its weight and size (207 in.). When you drive fast and smooth, the Wraith feels confident and you will hardly notice that you easily reach a higher speed, than would have been your intention. Neither does cornering not ask for a lot of effort, thanks to the excellently weighted steering feel.

Rolls- Royce Wraith engine

The heart of the demon is the twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter BMW V-12 engine with 624 hp at 5,250 rpm with 800 Nm/590 pound-feet of torque at just 1,500 rpm. With those numbers the Wraith is hugely powerful; even better, it is the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever. The power plant – a name that suits the V-12 very well, is working together with the well known ZF 8-speed automatic transmission.

When you realize the car is made by hand, and when you touch and feel the seams on the outside and the materials on the inside, you will appreciate even more the craftsmanship that went into building this gorgeous looking car. Its atmosphere breathes pure luxury. And that is one of those things that inextricably linked to the brand, together with an impressive price tag. The base price of the Wraith is just 100 dollars short of $ 285,000.

Specifications Wraith (USA version)

Engine: V12, 48-valves

Displacement: 6592 cc / 402 cu in

Power: 624 bhp / 632 PS (DIN) / 465 kW @ 5600 rpm

Max torque : 800 Nm/590 lb-ft @ 1500-5500 rpm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic / 8HP90

Steering rack & pinion (hydraulic)

Top speed: 250 km/h/155 mph (governed)

Acceleration: 0-62 mph 4.6 sec

Fuel consumption (EPA): 13/21/15 mpg

Fuel cons. (Canada): 16.9/10.0/13.8 ltr/100 km

Tires fr: Goodyear EMT 255/45 R20 101Y

Tires rr: Goodyear EMT 285/40 R20 104Y

Length/width/height: 207.9 in /76.7 in/ 59.3 in

Wheelbase: 122.5 in

Turning circle: 41.7 ft

Track, fr/rr: 63.9 in/65.7 in

Luggage compartment: 16.6 cu-ft

Fuel tank capacity: 21.9 gal

Curb weight: 5380 lbs