An Introduction: The Rolls Royce WRAITH

patrick_y

We had a lot of people really like the BMW 8-series Coupe by Pininfarina that was presented at Villa d'Este. Unfortunately, nobody knows if that car will actually be produced and if so at what time.

But a new car that will be hitting showrooms shortly will be the new Rolls-Royce WRAITH. Which I believe, is likely to be built on a platform that is quite similar to the BMW 8er. Do note, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is built on a chassis that's very similar to the BMW 7-series chassis.

I will say, the WRAITH looks great in the official press photos. Here are some of my personal photos at a private Rolls-Royce event in Northern California (that was ironically held at a very public place in full view of the passing public).

First impressions and Key Points;

1. It's not as grandiose as the Phantom. The Phantom really feels and looks like something that's no longer a car (did you know it has two metal floors separating the car from the chassis, most cars have only one) but more like a boat on wheels. This car is more palatable, a more manageable size. It's a car, a big one, but not a boat. The Phantom is a statement car, the WRAITH is something that is more palatable for all.

2. It has a likable face. The front fascia isn't overwhelming.

3. The two-tone paint scheme does work nicely, but this black/gray is probably not my favorite color.

4. The interior star-light roof is novel. But I really think it's too much. I'm a very serious person, maybe it's for someone more whimsical.

5. This is an early-production car. The car you specify may be different upon delivery.

6. The car in the press-photographs is very impressive, it has wooden door panels. This is very nice and a modern touch. This car had leather. I would specify the wood.

7. This car is incredibly high-tech. There is a Rolls-Royce iDrive system (a la BMW) that has a touch pad that you can pinch to zoom and zoom out like a smartphone.

8. Performance will be exceptional. 624 Horsepower. 800 NM of Torque. This is the fastest Rolls-Royce made yet. Supposedly.

9. The car has a satellite GPS aided transmission. This means; the GPS navigation system recognizes curves ahead of the car and informs the automatic transmission to downshift to prepare the car for the curve. This is very unique. Yes, there are benefits, but I think there are some limitations. A doctor local to Northern California brought up a good point; the GPS positioning sensor is using Navigation Map data. Navigation Map data does not have information regarding the turn's road camber. Something that is very important that would affect how he would set up for the curve. I personally would want to see if this feature would be able to be disabled.

10. One tiny problem with the doors. The doors being hinged to the rear are quite long and quite thick, thus making them difficult to open when you're parked in a small parking lot. Don't hit the car parked next to yours.

To see the official photos, visit the Rolls-Royce website: http://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/wraith/

But here are the live ones...

Black bonnet, roof, and boot... Silver bodied.

Handsome face.

Fairly striking interior. Americans, please don't order black on black on a Rolls-Royce or Bentley. Both factories have told me black/black is not their favorite color combination to build.

Finally, a usable steering wheel that you can hold at 9 and 3, unlike the Phantom's thin giant ring that you hold at 8 and 4.

Instrument cluster doesn't measure engine RPM but measures power in reserve. To keep insurance costs low, this car has a lane keeping sensor, anti-collision sensor, and even a night-time infra-red driving camera. It also has something my car has, a heads-up display.

Organ pull vents. Elegant motorized wood cover above conceals the navigation screen.

Is this too highly polished?

That is one nice sun visor.

The round knob at the bottom is the iDrive system. The knob itself has a touch-pad surface, you can squeeze/pinch to zoom in and zoom out!

Rear Hinged doors.

Power door closing buttons.

Nice wheels.

Thank You Rolls-Royce for finally including fixed calipers! I love fixed calipers!

The back portion of the car. It's a unique silhouette.

Panic setting in. Oh no! Are those sliding calipers?

Pillarless design. Looks great. Looks even better from the inside. Uninterrupted panoramic views, standard in Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz coupes.

Clean lines converge on the rear.

Local artist shows off his nice wheels alongside the Rolls-Royce event. These are wooden bicycles.

Engine Room. How many owners will see this? I only open my hood to clean the leaves out.

Night befalls...

Hidden Umbrella in the front fender.

There's an umbrella for the driver and front passenger. The people in the rear seats will have to ask if those sitting in front will share.

The door handle flows starting from the front fender. It feels very solid, but the Phantom feels even more solid. I'm an expert on Haptics.

Xenon eyes. Should they have debuted this all-new model with LED eyes?

Pantheon Grill. If these were teeth, there'd be a big dentist bill here...

Scope of size. Bigger rear end than that famous singer/actress...

Scope of length.

I really like this photo. The Black upper half of the car camouflages itself to the night.

C'mon seriously? Turn it off!

I guess this is Rolls-Royce Motorcar's version of the Sistine Chapel.

Thank you for viewing my photos. For the PuristSPro members who do get one of these, please let me know your thoughts and impressions.

For those PuristSPro members considering acquiring an expensive luxury grand-touring two-door car to escape the harsh English winters for the milder South of France (or just to drive around in year-round), please stay tuned.

This message has been edited by patrick_y on 2013-07-24 00:41:58

Comments:

amanico July 24th, 2013-01:40

Massive, but still nice! It makes me think about the Bentley GT Coupé. Thanks a lot for having taken the time to write this article, Patrick. Funny, the starry sky of the interior. Best, Nicolas

patrick_y July 24th, 2013-02:42

Thanks for reading! It's a stylish car, perfect for Place Vendome, or for a ghostly evening at the Paris Opera House. But maybe the Paris Opera House would prefer the Phantom.

amanico July 24th, 2013-11:27

LOL! Excellent answer, my dear friend!

mr July 24th, 2013-04:33

Nice but not for me I still much prefer the Ghost in the RR range. Thanks for sharing Marwan

patrick_y July 24th, 2013-10:46

Please tell us why? What about the Ghost makes you like it so much?

mr July 25th, 2013-04:05

Elegance Hi Patrick A friend of mine owns the Drophead, Phantom, and Ghost. So I've been in all three and have had some experience with them. Personally I think the ghost has an understated elegance to it, especially when its in a single colour. It drives well, th...

patrick_y July 25th, 2013-10:15

I can see that... I've driven the Phantom Sedan and Phantom Coupe and did find them to be overly large cars. They're very responsive cars, but overall, due to their size and the thin-ness of the steering wheel, they're steered less like a car and more like a barge. But ove...

mr July 25th, 2013-11:25

Maybe Im a bit biased... As we were driving the cars, not being driven. From a backseat chauffeur driven perspective, definitely the Phantom!! But I prefer driving my self around :-)

patrick_y July 25th, 2013-13:04

We agree... The Ghost is definitely the "driveable" car for normal people. It handles and feels like a car. The Phantom drives a little bit bigger than I'm comfortable with. I can get used to it, but it'd be a waste to drive in alone.

bimbeano July 24th, 2013-14:40

Cool pictures .. This must be the first of the 'modern' RR's i really like .. . Those suicide doors and the lights in the ceiling ... hmmm, i remember lights in the ceiling of a limousine once ... . Well at least i had my portion of utter luxurious 'virtual' transport tod...

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