Autoblog

2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith is everything you need, everything you don't [w/videos]

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Videos, Rolls-Royce, Design/Style, Luxury

It's not often that we get to talk about a new Rolls-Royce, what with the fact that the company's current model line is basically made up of two vehicles. But that all changes here at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, with the introduction of what might be the most emotional Roller of modern times, the Wraith.

The new two-door Rolls is effectively a Ghost coupe, and it stands to reason that this is Royce's answer to the Bentley Continental GT, albeit at a higher price point. Much higher, actually - the 245,000-euro - $320k USD - price of entry for the Wraith is about $100,000 more than a Continental GT Speed coupe. Woof. And to our eyes, all that extra money isn't buying you much in the looks department, as the collective opinion of the Autoblog editors on-site in Geneva is that it's more imposing than elegant.

But the Wraith will no doubt be a special, exclusive, impressive machine for anyone who plunks down that sort of cash. For starters, it's powered by a V12 that puts out an impressive 624 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque mated to an eight-speed ZF "Satellite Aided" transmission. This nifty cog-swapper actually works with GPS to not only pre-select the right gear for the portion of road you're on, but for the next portion of you'll be driving on, as well. That, friends, is cool.

Of course, the Wraith will be laden with every bit of luxury befitting of a proper Rolls-Royce including "Phantom-grade" cow hides, new Canadel wood trim and the same Starlight Headliner fiber optic roof lighting found in the brand's flagship sedan. The company is also touting the Wraith's onboard voice command technology, which will no doubt be paired with the most up-to-date infotainment tech on the market.

Don't miss our live-from-Geneva gallery of the 2014 Wraith above and have a look below for a multitude of official videos and the press release. Eying one for your very own? Rolls has already launched a Wraith configurator on its website - you can check it out here.

Continue reading 2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith is everything you need, everything you don't [w/videos]

2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith is everything you need, everything you don't [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Mar 2013 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Latest Rolls-Royce Wraith teaser reveals fastback form

Jeffrey N. Ross — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Rolls-Royce, Design/Style, Luxury

In its fourth and final teaser before the 2014 Wraith is introduced next week, Rolls-Royce has released another image of the car showing a distinct fastback appearance. We've seen this car teased in its profile before, but that image had a heavy shadow over the rear of the car obscuring what should be the Wraith's defining element.

Rolls-Royce motorcars aren't exactly known for having overtly sporty proportions, but this could all change with the Wraith's styling. Judging by the teased drawing and official words from Rolls-Royce, the coupe's roofline will flow practically in a straight line from the A-pillar back to the rear of the car. With such a design, the Wraith could well become one of the world's most elegant and expensive hatchbacks, though it may also have a conventional hinged trunk opening.

Over the last month, we've also seen a rear shot of the car as well as glimpse of what the interior has in store, but the two images showing the car's profile give us our best idea of what to expect when the car is unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. Until then, you can check out our winter testing spy shots and read a brief quote from Rolls-Royce design director Giles Taylor in the press release posted below.

Continue reading Latest Rolls-Royce Wraith teaser reveals fastback form

Latest Rolls-Royce Wraith teaser reveals fastback form originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Third Rolls-Royce Wraith teaser looks inward

Jeffrey N. Ross — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Rolls-Royce, Luxury

After shadowy images of the 2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith in profile and of the car's rump, the slow striptease of this hyper-luxury coupe finally starts to show us what the inside of the car will look like. We'll get our up-close look at the 2014 Wraith at the Geneva Motor Show on March 5th, but to tide us over until then, Rolls-Royce has provided a pair of images showing just some of the details that will be present inside.

Promising the interior of an "ultra-luxury yacht," the Wraith will get plenty of soft leather and real wood paneling, and as we suspected, this car will share a lot of interior bits with its sedan counterpart, the Rolls-Royce Ghost. We can somewhat see this from the second image provided showing the placement of the clock and the air vents that look almost identical to what can be seen currently on the Ghost. On the Wraith, though, the clock's hands feature "Blood Orange" tips, which not only contrast the high-gloss, piano black finish of this instrument panel but also is designed to pay homage to the aviation side of Rolls-Royce.

Continue reading Third Rolls-Royce Wraith teaser looks inward

Third Rolls-Royce Wraith teaser looks inward originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rolls-Royce releases another shadowy look at new Wraith

Jeffrey N. Ross — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:16:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Rolls-Royce, Luxury

Rolls-Royce has dropped a third teaser for its upcoming coupe that we'll be seeing in a few weeks at the Geneva Motor Show. A couple of weeks ago, we saw the 2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith in a shadowy profile shot, and now we're getting an (admittedly limited) idea of what the rear of the car will look like.

As suggested by a recent set of spy shots, the 2014 Wraith should have a rear-end styling very similar - if not identical - to the Rolls-Royce Ghost, which this car is a coupe version of. In typical Rolls-Royce fashion, the British automaker promises that this new model will deliver plenty of power, style and drama, though it's declining to get more specific about what that power is (other than to say it will be "more than ample"). We have no indication that the engine won't be the 563-horsepower, 6.6-liter V8 that's in the Ghost, but we'll have to wait until next month to find out for sure.

Continue reading Rolls-Royce releases another shadowy look at new Wraith

Rolls-Royce releases another shadowy look at new Wraith originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rolls-Royce Wraith officially revealed in profile

Jeffrey N. Ross — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Rolls-Royce, Luxury

Well here's a nice twofer. On the same day Rolls-Royce releases its first official teaser image showing the 2014 Wraith, we also get a look at the car undergoing some cold-weather testing courtesy of some new spy shots. As the coupe version of the Ghost, the 2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith will make its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and it's expected to go on sale during the fourth quarter of this year.

Rolls-Royce already confirmed plenty of information in a teaser it released last week, but the latest image shows us a clear shot of what the car's midsection will look like. Comparing this image and the spy shots, we can see that the Wraith will have a pretty sleek - (almost Bentley Continental GT-like) roofline, and, like the Phantom Coupe, it will have rear-hinged doors. We can also tell from the spy shots that it seems to be keeping the same face as the Ghost and taillights, too.

Be sure to check out the latest spy photos for the Wraith as well as a brief press release from Rolls-Royce by scrolling below.

Continue reading Rolls-Royce Wraith officially revealed in profile

Rolls-Royce Wraith officially revealed in profile originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rolls-Royce teases Wraith debut in Geneva

Zach Bowman — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Rolls-Royce, UK, Luxury

Rolls-Royce is headed to the 2013 Geneva Motor Show with a new addition to its lineup: the Wraith. The ultra-luxury automaker says it plans to start deliveries by the fourth quarter of this year, though details are scarce at the moment. The automaker has contented itself with saying the Wraith will the "most dynamic, powerful and beautiful Rolls-Royce in the company's history." We hear it will be the most modest, too.

Rolls-Royce first began using the Wraith nameplate in 1938. The original car used a tweaked version of the 4.3-liter inline six-cylinder found in the company's 25/30, but its real claim to fame came from the fact that it boasted speed-variable hydraulic dampers. Capable of reaching speeds of up to 85 miles per hour, Rolls-Royce only built 492 examples of the vehicle's chassis.

You can look for the new Wraith to bow at the Geneva Motor Show in March. In the interim, check out the shockingly bare press release below and get ready for a spate of teasers to follow.

Continue reading Rolls-Royce teases Wraith debut in Geneva

Rolls-Royce teases Wraith debut in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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