The Gentleman’s Gran Turismo.
As Lamborghini was showing off their new Veneno, Ferrari boasting about their LaFerrari, and Porsche was sneaking in with their new 911 GT3; Rolls Royce brought their new Wraith onto the stage with a confidence that rivaled all other automakers. The new Rolls Royce Wraith is the most powerful model from the British automaker ever and offers effortless driving dynamics with the iconic craftsmanship, luxury, and refinement that the brand has been known for.
“Today we launch the ultimate gentlemen’s gran turismo, a car that embodies the spirit of Charles Stewart Rolls,” commented Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “The most powerful Rolls-Royce in history, Wraith promises the sense of adventure and speed that drove our founding forefather. But of course, Wraith’s starting point is luxury, refinement and quality, traits that remain as important to Rolls-Royce customers today as they were more than a century ago.”
What makes the Rolls Royce Wraith the most powerful model to be produced by the brand is a twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V-12 engine sitting beneath the powerful, two-tone hood. The force-fed V-12 produces an incredible 624 bhp at 5,600 RPM and 590 lb-ft. of torque from a low 1,500 to 5,500 RPM. All of this power is sent through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission with Satellite Aided Transmission (SAT) technology. The advanced SAT system uses GPS data to anticipate the driver’s next move by selecting the most appropriate gear for the road ahead after analyzing the road ahead, location, and driving style to ensure the car is constantly composed and ready to perform. The innovative transmission and high-output V-12 enables the new Wraith to accelerate to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 155 mph (electronically limited).
But the Rolls Royce Wraith wasn’t designed just to be fast in a straight line. Engineers took steps to create a chassis that offered dynamic handling while still providing that cloud-like ride quality known to Rolls Royce. Improved dynamics started out with the design with a shortened wheelbase and widened rear track for better agility. The suspension was then tuned to minimize body roll and provide drivers with superb feedback through variable steering.
The power, performance, confidence, and class are visually on display through the design of the Wraith. The powerful GT wears classic Rolls Royce styling but has a much bolder personality than the rest of the lineup. A sleek and swooping fastback design with sculpted lines and low roof create the appearance of speed and are complemented by a dramatic two-tone color scheme lend the Wraith an athletic stance. Staring ahead is a deeply recessed grille flanked by slim headlights.
Inside, the highest level of craftsmanship, luxury, and refinement that we’ve come to love from Rolls Royce is featured throughout. The coach-style doors welcome passengers with soft Phantom-grade leather and special contemporary Canadel Paneling that was named after the famous cove in Southern France where Sir Henry Royce and his team of designers spent their winters. For the first time in a model other than the Phantom, Rolls Royce has fitted the Wraith with the beautiful Starlight Headliner that features 1,340 fiber optic lamps hand-woven into the roof liner to create a starry night sky.
Innovative technology helps to connect the driver to the car with ease. A new voice activation command system utilizes a one-touch button on the steering wheel to alter various functions of the car for effortless control and negates the need for manual input for navigation. A new Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller navigates efficiently through the electronic display and uses a touch pad with pinch-and-pull functionalities, and allows drivers to draw characters rather than selecting them on the screen.
The new Rolls Royce Wraith promises to be the most dynamic and powerful model in the British automaker’s lineup. Deliveries of the Wraith will begin in the fourth quarter of 2013, with European pricing starting at € 245,000. Pricing for the United States and other markets will be announced later in the year.
Rolls Royce Wraith Specifications
Dimensions:
Vehicle length: 5269 mm / 17 ft.3”
Vehicle width: 1947 mm / 6 ft 5”
Vehicle height (unladen): 1507 mm / 4 ft 11”
Wheelbase: 3112 mm / 10 ft 2”
Turning circle: 12.7 m / 41.7 ft
Boot Volume (DIN): 470 ltr / 16.6 ft3
Weight:
Unladen Weight (DIN): 2360 kg / 5203 lb
Engine:
Engine / cylinders / valves: V / 12 / 48
Fuel management: Direct injection
Power output @ engine speed: 624 bhp / 632 PS (DIN) / 465 kW @ 5,600 rpm
Max torque @ engine speed: 800 Nm / lb ft @ 1,500-5,500 rpm
Fuel type: Super unleaded1
Performance:
Top speed: 250 km/h / 155 mph (governed)
Acceleration 0 – 60 mph (UK): 4.4 sec
Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h: 4.6 sec
Fuel Consumption:
Urban: 21.2 ltr/100 km / 13.3 mpg (Imp.)
Extra urban: 9.8 ltr/100 km / 28.8 mpg (Imp.)
Combined consumption / range: 14.0 ltr/100 km / 20.2 mpg (Imp.)
CO2 emissions: 327 g/km
Rolls Royce Wraith Gallery
[Source: Rolls Royce]
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