Following 5 days with the Rolls Royce Wraith, here are my experiences from my time with the ultimate luxury car.
Day 1 – Rolls-Royce Wraith in the Flesh
Seeing the most powerful and technically advanced Rolls-Royce ever built being delivered to your drive is most certainly one of the best feelings you can get as a motoring journalist. Taking a look at the 5.2m long, first class car for the first time in the flesh was very impressive, I was initially overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the Wraith, and then once I had recovered from that, I was taken in by the beauty of the British designed and built car.
Popping open the famous Rolls-Royce coach doors is a spectacle in itself, from the very first time you swing the electrically operated door open you have a feeling that this car will be like no other, and you would be right. Sitting inside, your mind is blown with the quality of materials used to create a perfectly premium interior. It doesn’t feel like you’re sitting in a road going car, it feels unreal. As bizarre as it sounds, the level of quality and comfort is only comparable to hotels with a 5* rating.
Day 2 – Driving the Wraith
This Rolls-Royce Wraith on test drive, including extras, was priced at £231,480. So I would be lying if I was to say that I wasn’t a little apprehensive about going out for the first time in this 624bhp V12 monster. However the car is surprisingly easy to operate; hit the start button, use the steering column mounted gear selector to put it in drive, and off you go. Now what happens next, for me, is the fundamental part of engineering that makes all Rolls-Royce’s so very impressive. The car goes from being static to moving in one extremely smooth motion. This sensation is so smooth that you can only really tell you are moving by looking out of the windows. It really has to be experienced to be understood, but it’s simply brilliant.
Once you are off and moving the Wraith will use all 12 pistons and 800 NMs of torque to rip up the tarmac on demand. 0-60mph will be met in 4.4 seconds, and you will barely hear a peep from the twin exhausts at the rear. The Wraith is deadly fast, but fully refined at the same time, once again this is only achieved through brilliant engineering.
Day 3 – Rolls-Royce Reactions
I knew that Rolls-Royces were highly acclaimed motor cars, but I was not prepared for the amount of attention the Wraith would get in the City of Birmingham. Attending a social event in the car was a prime opportunity to discuss the car with people and gauge their opinions on the Wraith model, as well as the Rolls-Royce brand.
It turns out that the lust for Rolls-Royce cars actually spans all age ranges and is deemed to be the most prestigious range in the eyes of the general public. The Wraith is still relatively new to most, and not many people could identify the model, which really only helps enable a feeling of exclusivity to the Wraith model during the early release phase.
Other road goers and pedestrians simply can’t help but point, stare and take pictures of the latest and greatest Rolls-Royce. The Wraith even managed to gain the attention of supercar owners, who were excited to get close to the Rolls-Royce Wraith and take a look at that impressive interior.
Day 4 – High-Tech Coupe
After driving the Rolls-Royce around for a few days I started to get used to the features the car had to offer. The top shelf toys include a James Bond style night vision system which is integrated into the centre console, exclusive RR umbrellas that are hidden in the body of the car, 1,340 fibre optic lights in the roof lining, and a 360 degree parking camera.
Rolls Royce Wraith – Night Vision System
My personal favourite piece of technology was the night vision system, now I understand this sounds like a bit of a gimmick, but it actually serves as a very effective safety feature. After dark, the night vision system will detect people and animals way before you can see them in your headlights. The Rolls-Royce will actually track the position of the people it detects and will alert the driver via the head up display if the people are either in the road or are likely to be crossing your path. This is very innovative technology, excellently deployed, and if it hasn’t already I’m sure it will save lives in the future.
Rolls-Royce Umbrellas
Hidden in the doors are the Teflon coated Rolls-Royce umbrellas. The umbrellas are easily accessible after opening up the coach doors, simply press the button and out pops what can only be described as the most exquisite umbrella man has ever seen.
Starlight Headliner
To make you feel even more like a VIP being driven around in the Rolls-Royce, the cabin is beautifully lit by 1,340 fibre optics in the roof liner, which can be dimmed to your preference. The balance of light is very flattering and if you want to be seen in the Wraith, then the Starlight headliner will show you looking your best.
360 Degree Parking Camera
One of the best bits of technology on the car was the bird’s eye view camera. It’s no secret that the Wraith is a big car, and manoeuvring it around a tight car park can be tricky. But with this clever visual aid you are able to control this giant car like a supermini. The calibration on the camera is super accurate and makes driving the Wraith a pleasure in any environment.
Day 5 – How do you say goodbye?
I knew saying goodbye to the Wraith was going to be hard, but the best way to deal with this was to make the most out of the car. Taking the car out to capture some final clips of video and photography was a great excuse to simply enjoy the driving experience of what could be the best coupe ever made.
I took the car out onto some quiet country roads to take in and enjoy my final moments experiencing the unique, refined, and yet super-fast driving experience that only the Wraith provides. Rolls-Royce manage to engineer a surreal almost fantasy like experience into a machine that is made from nuts and bolts, and I often think that achievements such as this are over looked, Rolls-Royce certainly get a congratulations from me!
