GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Sportiest Roller ever

BMW has continued the rejuvenation of Rolls-Royce marque with the reveal of the hallowed British brand’s most powerful and dynamic model ever: the Wraith.

Underpinned by the same platform as the ‘small’ Ghost sedan, which itself is based on BMW’s latest 7 Series flagship, Rolls-Royce’s first new model in four years joins the mammoth Phantom sedan-based coupe and convertible at the sporty end of its range.

However, the newest Rolls-Royce coupe ups the ante significantly on the Phantom Coupe – and the Ghost – by packing a 465kW version of the latter’s 420kW direct-injection 6.6-litre V12, making it the most powerful production Rolls in history.

Combined with no less than 800Nm of torque from just 1500rpm (up from 790Nm in the Ghost), the Wraith is claimed to hit 100km/h in a rapid 4.6 seconds – three-tenths sooner than its four-door stablemate – on its way to a governed top speed of 250km/h.

There is also a satellite-aided transmission system that is claimed to select the most appropriate gear by reading upcoming undulations in the road.

At 2360kg, the Wraith is 110kg lighter than the Ghost, but it slurps 14.0L/100km of premium unleaded and emits an average of 327g/km of CO2.

The Wraith’s BMW M3-beating pace is wrapped in Caprice-dwarfing exterior dimensions, which make the fastbacked two-door shorter and lower than the Ghost, yet wider at the rear.

Measuring 5269mm long, 1947mm wide and 1507mm long, the Wraith rides on a shorter but still-lengthy 3112mm wheelbase and offers a wide 12.7-metre turning circle. Yet boot space is listed at just 470 litres, making it smaller than a Toyota Yaris sedan’s.

Up front is the same unmistakable Parthenon grille as seen on the Ghost, two-tone paint is used to highlight the coupe’s thick C-pillar and an exaggerated chrome side window surround emphasises the lack of a B-pillar.

Like the Phantom, the Wraith comes with two rear-hinged rear ‘suicide’ doors that afford elegant access to the luxurious rear seats that reside under a roof headlining that features 1340 fibre-optic lamps that are designed to resemble stars in the sky, similar to the Phantom Coupe’s.

An array of multimedia and voice-activation technologies are also fitted in a cabin lined completely with either leather, wood, carpet or ‘Canadel’ panelling that “sweeps through a sumptuous, contemporary and yacht-like interior cabin”.

Rolls-Royce says it will deliver the first customer examples of the Wraith in the final quarter of this year, at a price of €245,000 ($A310,000).

Including local import duty and luxury car tax, therefore, expect it to be priced close to $700,000 here – given the Ghost opens Rolls-Royce’s range at $645,000 drive-away and the long-wheelbase Phantom EWB is priced at $695,000 drive-away.

Rolls-Royce’s ‘baby’ Ghost helped push sales in Australia to no fewer than 22 cars last year, despite Phantom pricing ranging between $855,000 and $1.075 million drive-away.

“Today we launch the ultimate gentlemen’s gran turismo, a car that embodies the spirit of Charles Stewart Rolls,” said Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös.

“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.”