Rolls-Royce Wraith (2013 – 2023) Review
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Rolls-Royce Wraith (2013 – 2023) At A Glance
Imperious luxury and exclusivity along with immense performance. Actually more economical on paper than a Bentley Continental GT Speed.
As expensive as you'd expect.
It would be very easy to get caught up in the superlatives of the Rolls-Royce Wraith. After all, here’s a car where the average price easily tops £250,000 with a few extras thrown into the mix and has a twin-turbo 6.6-litre V12 engine under its aristocratic prow.
Yet, strip away the initial awe of driving this considerably-sized coupe and what you’re left with is something even more impressive. As well as being the car that has extended the Rolls-Royce range well beyond the Phantom limousine and Ghost saloon, it’s paved the way for the Dawn convertible and helped lower the average buyer age by 10 years.
That’s significant because it means more sales, though the British firm is happy to keep that number in the single digit thousands for the sake of exclusivity.
Beyond its trail-blazing, the Wraith is based on much the same platform as the Ghost, which itself is related to the BMW 7 Series. Some may turn their nose up at this link, but the truth is, it’s a great base for any car that aspires to supreme comfort and dynamics. And here lies the substance to back up all of the hyperbole that can build up around cars such as the Wraith.
Now all of that’s dealt with, it only leaves the vulgar question of cost. Anyone in the market for a Wraith is not going to blanche at the asking price or how much their preferred options and additions will put on the final tally.
As for 20.2mpg and 327g/km CO2, these figures are better than a Bentley Continental GT Speed’s so you could argue the Rolls is more frugal than it’s only real rival.
Even so, the Wraith occupies a niche all its own as a luxury grand tourer that has very rapid performance and fine handling almost as by-products of its design. This is not to undermine the abilities of the car or the team who designed it, but simply to acknowledge this is about as sporting as Rolls-Royce gets or needs to be.
Reviews for Rolls-Royce Wraith (2013 – 2023)'s top 3 rivals
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Rolls-Royce Wraith (2013 – 2023) handling and engines
Of course you’d expect a Rolls to carry you along any road with no perceptible sensation of how bad the road surface is from the cabin. The Wraith does this thanks to its double wishbone front end and multi-link rear with pneumatic cushions in place of steel springs. Even at low speeds where this type of set-up can be wrong-footed by sudden interruptions, there’s no perceptible jiggle or jolt.
Increase the pace and the Wraith continues with its smoochily smooth charms. The ride remains as calm and cosseting as you’d hope for a car with this sort of price tag, yet it’s also blessed with a control and composure that comes as a surprise at first.
A car weighing in at two and quarter tonnes is not usually able to corner with little roll and claw-like grip, yet the Wraith can be hustled in a manner that gives more overtly sporting machines a run for their money. Okay, it’s not going to cut it on a track day and nor will it ever be the first choice for die-hard sports car fans as the steering is geared towards comfort rather than racing, but this is a car that has more than sufficient sporting ability to let you enjoy it when the opportunity arises.
Backing up this ability is performance that can see the Rolls-Royce breach 62mph from rest in 4.6 seconds and head on to an electronically capped 155mph. Perhaps more pertinent is the ‘Low’ button on the gear selector. It doesn’t lock the gearbox into a lower ratio, but instead lets the transmission hold on to revs for longer before changing up. It gives the car a greater urgency and response to the driver’s right foot, which again makes this a far more engaging car to drive than most other luxury coupes.
You won’t hear much of that big V12 engine, though, as the car is swathed in sound deadening material. This is a bit of a disappointment when you plant your foot hard into the lambs wool rug, but changes through the eight-speed auto gearbox as extremely smooth so you soon need to back off to avoid licence-losing speeds.
All of this is combined with that innate Rolls-Royce ability to shut out the hubbub of the world when the rear-hinged ‘coach door’ soft closes at the touch of a button. Double-glazed side windows help, as do the clean lines of the Wraith that generate very little by way of wind noise.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6 | 19–20 mpg | 4.5–4.6 s | 327 g/km |
Rolls-Royce Wraith (2013 – 2023) interior
- Boot space is 470 litres
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 5268–5269 mm |
| Width | 2064 mm |
| Height | 1506–1507 mm |
| Wheelbase | - |
Taking a seat in the Wraith sees you slide into the driver’s chair instead of dropping down. This is a big car, after all, and there’s good forward and side vision. However, the fastback styling means over the shoulder sight isn’t great, so you need to scrutinise the mirrors closely when changing lane. At least for parking, there’s an optional rear-view camera.
As for the rest of the driver’s environment, it’s fuss-free and easy to get familiar with. The speedo is clear and the ‘Power Reserve’ dial in place of a rev counter adds to the occasion. In the centre console, the infotainment screen is worked by a rotary control that will be instantly recognisable to anyone used to BMW’s iDrive system.
In the back, there are two individual seats that are just as sumptuously upholstered as the front pair. Despite the sloping roof line, head room is fine for adults, but the slender side windows create a slightly enclosed feeling.
However, it’s easy to contemplate heading away for a week four-up thanks to the 470-litre boot capacity. The rear suspension dictates the load floor is narrower than some large coupes’, but it’s deep and long, so stacking cases is straightforward.
Rolls-Royce Wraith (2013 – 2023) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 5268–5269 mm |
| Width | 2064 mm |
| Height | 1506–1507 mm |
| Wheelbase | - |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 2360 kg |
| Boot Space | 470 L |
| Warranty | |
| Servicing | - |
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £228,800–£312,200 |
| Insurance Groups | 50 |
| Road Tax Bands | M |
| Official MPG | 19.3–20.2 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | - |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | - |
| Overall | - |
Currently on sale
| Coupe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| Coupe 6.6 Auto 2dr | £228,800 | 19.8 mpg | 4.6 s |
| Coupe 6.6 Black Badge Auto 2dr | £312,200 | 19.3 mpg | 4.5 s |
On sale until April 2017
| Coupe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| Coupe 6.6 Black Badge Auto 2dr | £277,343 | 20.2 mpg | - |
Model History
- April 2013: Rolls-Royce Wraith
- May 2015: Rolls-Royce Wraith 'Inspired by Fashion' introduced
- August 2015: Wraith ‘Inspired by Music’ launched
- September 2015: Wraith 'Inspired by Rugby' goes on sale
- March 2017: Wraith 'Inspired by British Music' range launched
April 2013
Rolls-Royce Wraith
revealed Performance delivers on the promise of Wraith’s styling. Power delivery is effortless, but dramatic, thanks to a V12 engine married to an 8-speed automatic ZF transmission. 624 bhpis available to the driver while the 0-60 mph sprint is achieved in 4.4 seconds, compared with 563bhp and 0-60 in 4.7 seconds for Ghost.
From 1,500 rpm 800 Nm of torque is available (780Nm for Ghost), while a wide rear track, shorter wheelbase and lower roof height further contribute to the most powerful, involving driving experience of any Rolls-Royce in history.
However, Wraith is no GT bruiser. Agility improvements have been achieved with absolutely no compromise to Rolls-Royce’s famous ‘magic carpet ride’. Furthermore, the debut of Satellite Aided Transmission (SAT) technology takes the powertrain to a new level of effortless delivery, one that perfectly suits the Rolls-Royce brand.
Satellite Aided Transmission uses GPS data to see beyond what the driver sees; motorway junctions and roundabouts are all anticipated in advance meaning Wraith’s transmission is constantly poised to deliver on its promise of performance.
Of course, like any Rolls-Royce, Wraith is a car whose starting point is unabashed luxury. On opening the coach-doors, the beholder is invited into a warm, cosseting environment, furnished beautifully in the finest materials.
An expanse of wood called Canadel Panelling, named after the famous cover in the South of France where Sir Henry Royce and his design team spent their winters, sweeps through the entire interior. This tactile, luxurious finish serving as testament to the extraordinary craftsmanship and attention to detail employed at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England.
The glamour is completed with Starlight Headliner, one of the most enduring and popular Bespoke features, available outside of the pinnacle Phantom family for the first time. 1,340 fibre optic lamps are hand-woven into the roof lining to give the impression of a glittering, starry night sky, contributing to an interior ambience, unparalleled in the automotive world.
Improvements in connectivity have taken the human-machine interface to a new level of sophistication, a suite of aids that could be likened to a contemporary on-board valet.
The Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller allows navigation through on-screen functions using a touch pad that features pinch and pull functionality to echo smart phone usage. Letters can also be ‘drawn’ onto the pad by hand rather than by scrolling through a series of available characters on-screen. This feature works for users who write Chinese Simplified, Chinese Taiwan, Chinese Traditional, Chinese Traditional Hong Kong, Korean and Japanese.
Voice activation commands come with a one-touch call button located on the steering wheel. A destination no longer requires manual input from a navigation menu and route assistance begins immediately, on-screen and via audio guidance following a voice command.
May 2015
Rolls-Royce Wraith 'Inspired by Fashion' introduced
The ‘Wraith – Inspired by Fashion’ two-tone exterior colour scheme of Andalucian White and Arctic White offers a neutral setting for a choice of accent colours, namely Jasmine, Tailored Purple or Mugello Red. Wraith’s signature shoulder-line is accentuated deftly with the addition of a hand-applied feature-line in the chosen highlight colour, alluding to the divergent interior of the motor car.
Like the finest Bespoke garments, beauty is found in the subtlest details. On opening Wraith’s coach-doors you will find a contemporary impression of the car’s classic Arctic White and Black interior colour scheme. Beyond the traditional placement of embroidered headrests, seat stitching and piping, the accent colour has found an elegant new application via a striking two-tone composition steering wheel. A seamless stitch, a highly complex craft technique from the world of fine tailoring, was mastered and applied to the wheel by the craftspeople in the Leather Shop at the Home of Rolls-Royce.
The very finest garments are crafted exclusively from the most luxurious materials – with tactility, comfort and quality as important an attribute as the aesthetic of the piece itself. The Bespoke design team took inspiration from this approach in appointing the car’s front and rear door pockets with fine silks, adorned with an abstract representation of the Spirit of Ecstasy with each emblem set precisely at fifty-five degrees to complement the lines of the door.
The remarkable craftsmanship and attention-to-detail employed in the creation of any Rolls-Royce is evident in the exquisite application of wood to the dashboard, with the lacquering process for ‘Wraith – Inspired by Fashion’ alone taking nine days to painstakingly complete. This is completed elegantly with the integration of a Bespoke Clock, set as a piece of jewellery, styled exclusively to emit a pearl effect, reminiscent of silk fabrics.
The contemporary fashion theme is completed with the integration of welting, a specialist technique most commonly associated with Bespoke tailoring. Presented as a colourful silk strip, the welting stylishly frames Wraith’s signature leather door-panel.
August 2015
Wraith ‘Inspired by Music’ launched
A Lyrical Copper exterior paint finish, presented with a blend of brushed and polished textures elegantly hints at the use of copper in only the very best audio systems.
On opening the car’s coach-doors attention is drawn to re-imagined speaker grilles, here presented in copper theme, and engraved with the words ‘Bespoke Audio’. The door panniers and floor mats have been crafted from finely-woven leather to add an additional depth of tactility to the car’s interior cabin. Copper-coloured door inserts, which start at the front of the cabin before tapering at the rear, have been included in the design to emphasise Wraith’s characteristic internal curves.
A book matched copper finish features for the first time on Wraith’s fascia, boldly extending the car’s theme. The same copper tone extends to Wraith’s signature seat bullets.
The fastidious detail that went into the development of the car’s sound-system is employed in every facet of the construction of the car. For example, the chaplets on the clock have been designed and meticulously crafted with a combination of warming copper and silver, whilst the radial lines of the outer bezel playfully emulate the look and feel of vinyl records.
The Bespoke Audio system was created from scratch by a team of the world’s very best automotive audio engineers. The two-year development process saw the team work closely with Rolls-Royce interior designers to ensure the system was perfectly tuned to the interior of the cabin. Indeed, this pursuit of aural perfection was deemed so important the interior designers had to consult with the Chief Audio Engineer before making any changes.
The extraordinary clarity of sound and dynamic range is delivered via a 1300W, 18 channel system comprising two highly powerful bass speakers, seven tweeters and seven mid range speakers. Two ‘exciter’ speakers hand-fitted in the car’s headlining play a vital role in bringing the sound to the listener at ear-level; ensuring the output perfectly imitates the way music is experienced in a live setting. Microphones constantly monitor ambient and exterior noises and will adjust volume and tone settings automatically to ensure no external agent detracts from the user’s listening pleasure.
September 2015
Wraith 'Inspired by Rugby' goes on sale
Many of the design features which run throughout the Rolls-Royce ‘Wraith – History of Rugby’ will be familiar to followers of English rugby, but have their foundation in the traditions of Rugby School. The exterior colour scheme of English White pays homage to the white rugby shirt worn at Rugby School, a tradition continued today by the England rugby team.
Another evocative feature of English rugby since 1871 is the red rose, originally hand-finished on the front of the white shirt. Folklore has it that the rose originates from Rugby School and Queen Elizabeth I, her red rose emblem placed with her permission on the school crest by its founder. Continuing Rolls-Royce’s reputation for hand-crafted personalisation, the Wraith’s signature shoulder-line is accentuated by a hand-applied coachline in deep green, featuring an English rose motif in red. 21” five twin-spoke alloy wheels complete the Wraith’s muscular exterior persona.
The most recognisable symbol of English rugby has been suitably crafted into the interior of the Rolls-Royce ‘Wraith – History of Rugby’. Each headrest features an embroidered red rose, with Hotspur Red continuing the theme onto the dashboard accent panel, seat and door piping. Piano Black veneer has been selected for the dashboard, the centre panel of which is delicately inlaid with the English rose. The main interior colour is Seashell contrasted with Navy Blue.
March 2017
Wraith 'Inspired by British Music' range launched
A series of nine models created in collaboration with, and celebrating the legacy of, some of British music’s most revered rock and vocal artists.
The first four of these Bespoke cars were unveiled by the artists who created them in partnership with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: The Who frontman Roger Daltrey CBE, Sir Ray Davies of The Kinks, and Giles Martin, son of songwriter and producer Sir George Martin and a world-renowned producer and songwriter in his own right.
Each of the hand-built Wraith ‘Inspired by British Music’ motor cars that have been commissioned are crafted with unique design touches that illustrate and celebrate the illustrious career of a British rock and pop legend. The British music legends involved in the project were personally invited to the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England, working in close partnership with Rolls-Royce’s design experts to conceive deeply personal expressions of their music legacies. The resulting highly Bespoke Wraith motor cars represent the ultimate collectors’ items for the most ardent fans of each artist and will be sold later in 2017, with Rolls-Royce donating a proportion of the value of each to charities selected by each artist, including the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Highly creative features including a representation of seminal The Who album ‘Tommy’s’ famous cover-art adorned to a bonnet, Sir George Martin’s number one records embroidered into Wraith’s signature waterfall and door-flights engraved with hand-written lyrics and quotes, all serve to beautifully illustrate the musical legacies of the greatest names in British popular music.
The cars unveiled today have been crafted within the canvas of the Rolls-Royce Wraith ‘Inspired by Music’ Bespoke collection, a series of motor cars created to celebrate Rolls-Royce’s long-held standing in music folklore. Each car – one-of-a-kind creations hand-built by Rolls-Royce’s master craftspeople – celebrates its unique commission, with the name of the artist engraved on the door treadplates and on the base of the Spirit of Ecstasy adorning the Wraith’s bonnet.
Further Bespoke touches, conceived to celebrate the artists musical legacy adorn every motor car. The ‘Lyrical Copper’ exterior paint finish is completed with a subtle motif of the Union Jack Flag on each of the cars’ C-pillars, celebrating the indelible mark made by each artist on British popular culture.
