Rolls-Royce Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow debuts

The 2023 Rolls-Royce Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow marks the end of an era at the British uber-luxury brand as the last ever V12 coupe to wear the Spirit of Ecstasy.

Just 12 of these swansong two-doors are being created and all of them have been accounted for as the BMW-owned premium brand whooshes toward its all-electric future, led by the all-new Rolls-Royce Spectre.

Finished in a bespoke gradient paint job, featuring a series of Landspeed Collection-inspired styling cues and outfitted with a bunch of exclusive cabin materials, the Wraith Black Arrow has been designed to commemorate the Thunderbolt land speed racer that was powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce V12s and hit 575.335km/h on the Bonneville salt flats in 1938.

The special-edition Wraith won’t reach those sorts of speeds, but it still features the most powerful series-production Rolls-Royce V12 to date, displacing 6.6L and outputting 465kW/870Nm thanks to the addition of two turbochargers.

All 12 Black Arrows are finished in an exclusive blend of Celebration Silver and Black Diamond paint, the former of which has been covered in a glass-infused ‘Crystal’ paint layer to enhance the transition between the two colours, achieving “a striking motion blur effect from front to rear”, says Rolls.

“This exclusive Bespoke technique also gives the coachwork a subtle texture inspired by the crusted surface of the Bonneville Salt Flats, set beneath a high gloss lacquer, which is polished for more than 12 hours to achieve a glass-like finish,” said Rolls-Royce.

“The realisation of this extraordinary finish required the marque to undertake 18 months of surface testing and development before the marque’s Bespoke Collective of engineers, craftspeople and designers achieved a result befitting to Rolls-Royce standards.”

Other signature touches include a more aggressive front fascia with bright yellow bumper inserts, V struts and Spirt of Ecstasy base, as well as pinstriped wheels in honour of the Thunderbolt’s original hoop design.

The lucky few buyers will also be greeted by open-pore Black Wood trim inside the cabin, along with black and yellow ‘Club Leather’ upholstery, an illuminated and glass-covered polished aluminium Speedform of the final Thunderbolt design as well as a couple of heritage-honouring touches like embroidered arrow motifs and ‘speed line’ stitching.

The Starlight headliner has also been updated and now contains 2117 fibre-optic ‘stars’ – the most of any production Roller to date – arranged exactly as the Milky Way would have been above the Bonneville salt flats in 1938.

Rounding out the exclusive touches are a yellow engine plaque, arrow-branded treadplates and a bespoke analogue clock with ‘Bonneville’ and ‘357.497mph’ engraved into its surround.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös described the Wraith as “one of the most significant and influential cars” the brand had ever made on the basis of how it opened up the marque to a “new group of clients” with its “extraordinary power, performance and presence”.

“It created its own following within contemporary culture and then expanded that further in its alternative Black Badge guise,” he said.

“As the last examples of this landmark motor car get ready to leave Goodwood, we commemorate Wraith’s status as the last series V12 coupe we will ever make.

“This magnificent final V12 coupe Collection captures both the significance and spirit of Wraith through the marque’s hallmark and peerless Bespoke capabilities. A fitting finale for this transformative motor car.”

As usual for a limited-run Rolls-Royce, the Black Arrow’s asking price has been kept under wraps, but it’s safe to assume it will cost a lot more than the Wraith Black Badge’s $755,000 drive-away asking price.

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