Used 2015 Rolls-Royce Wraith

Fresh off its introduction, the Rolls-Royce Wraith is the newest model in the British automaker’s stable of ultra- luxury cars. As with any Rolls-Royce, the 2015 Wraith exudes opulence and grace on a grandiose scale. Yet as the most powerful and dynamic automobile to wear the famed RR logo, this exquisite coupe is meant to appeal to a newer generation of plutocrats. For the roughly $300,000 it takes to step into a Wraith, you get a formidable V12 engine and hand-craftsmanship that borders on the fanatical. Sure, a Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe brings more technology to the table and a Bentley Continental GT Speed has better performance, but neither will replicate the royal experience of stepping out from the coach doors of a Rolls-Royce Wraith.

The Wraith isn’t a big car by Rolls-Royce standards, but at over 207 inches in length, it’s longer than your average full-size sedan. Consequently, maneuvering it through parking lots and traffic can be disconcerting, especially considering the implications of a fender-bender. But on the open road the Wraith is an absolute joy, delivering an amazing ride that’s insulated from the outside world. We wouldn’t want that from a sports car, but where the Wraith is concerned, isolation is the entire point. The suspension is unimaginably plush, the cabin supremely quiet, the throttle response relaxed, and the exceedingly light steering shares almost no connection with the road. The Wraith delivers a truly serene driving experience. When asked, the big coupe’s 624 horsepower spring to life, briskly hauling its 5,400-pound frame to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Quiet, calm and capable, the Wraith is like the world’s finest day spa in car form.

Hand-built in Goodwood, England, the 2015 Wraith continues Rolls-Royce’s tradition of crafting the finest automotive interiors money can buy, often personalized to suit its buyer’s taste. That means the softest leathers, the finest of woods and lambs-wool carpeting. All Wraiths feature seating for four passengers. The two rear seats are nearly as plush and comfortable as those in front, and they are divided by a wide, leather-trimmed console. Up front, swaths of wood veneer or a more contemporary-looking metal fascia surrounds the dash and encapsulates the large infotainment screen when not in use. The trunk boasts 16.6 cubic feet of storage capacity.

With its proud vertical-slat grille, high beltline and Spirit of Ecstasy statue that rises from the nose, there’s no confusing the Wraith for anything other than a Rolls-Royce. As the most “youthful” Rolls-Royce, the Wraith also sports some unique details, prime among them its sloping fastback roofline. Thankfully, this ultra-luxury coupe’s striking silhouette does little to hinder rear-seat headroom. As with the larger Phantom Coupe, the Wraith features rear-hinged doors. They look cool and offer easy and entry, but it’s nearly impossible to reach the handle to close them when seated. No worries – Rolls-Royce includes a standard button-operated door-close feature.

STARLIGHT HEADLINER
A headliner glowing with more than 1,300 fiber-optic-light pipes sounds goofy until you sit in the Rolls-Royce Wraith. Then it seems magical and classy. Pro tip: The lights can be customized to match any night sky you prefer.

18-SPEAKER BESPOKE 1,300-WATT AUDIO SYSTEM
Forget about the number of speakers, the wattage and the $8,000-plus price tag. All you need to know about the Wraith’s optional Bespoke Audio system is that it fills the coupe’s otherwise tranquil cabin with the most wonderful sounds you’ll hear in a car.

Unsurprisingly, a roughly $300,000 "base" Rolls-Royce Wraith includes pretty much everything you’d want in a car. Power memory seats, 4-zone climate control, a navigation-equipped infotainment system, and 20-inch wheels with perpetually upright, free-floating logos are all included as standard equipment. A wide variety of interior and exterior color choices is also offered at no extra charge. And of course there’s the intangible but just as important appeal of letting the world know you’re successful enough to arrive in a Rolls-Royce.

Part of the allure of owning a Rolls-Royce is the ability to customize it to a buyer’s taste. Opportunities and options abound in this bespoke program for clients, and it can result in a one-of-a-kind car. Rolls also offers a list of predetermined options. Among them are the starlight headliner that costs over $14,000 alone, front seats with ventilation and massaging capability, a fixed-glass roof and personalized umbrellas that store within the doors. Safety and tech offerings include radar cruise control, night-vision system and lane-departure warning. Curiously, blind-spot monitoring is not offered, a shame in a coupe with such massive side sills.

Under the 2015 Rolls-Royce Wraith’s massive bonnet is an equally prestigious engine: a twin-turbocharged, 6.6-liter V12. The Wraith’s sedan sibling the Ghost also uses this engine, but in the coupe it makes more power than anything else in the brand’s lineup: 624 horsepower. That power is transmitted to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. Rolls-Royce touts that its transmission uses GPS data to know what the road ahead looks like and supposedly makes shift decisions based on that information. It’s a fine concept but when looking to accelerate we found the transmission sometimes downshifted to an intermediary gear before selecting the one most appropriate for us. Strange behavior for such an advanced transmission, but all told a minor quibble about an otherwise stellar powertrain.

6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V12
624 horsepower @ 5,600 rpm
590 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 13/21 mpg