Rolls-Royce Wraith launched at Rs 4.6 crore

The uber-rich have a new alternative to be chauffered in style with Rolls-Royce launching its latest international offering for our market, the Wraith, priced at Rs 4.6 crore (ex-showroom Delhi). The Wraith is one of the most expensive cars on sale in our country and India is among the first few right-hand-drive markets around the globe where this luxury grantourer has been launched. Touted as the most powerful Rolls-Royce, the Wraith is powered by a 6.6-litre, twin-turbo V-12 capable of pumping 632.5PS of power and an impressive 800Nm of torque to enable it to glide from 0-100km/h in 4.4sec. The powerplant is mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.

The Wraith is the first car to debut with Rolls-Royce’s Satellite Aided Transmission (SAT) technology. The SAT utilises GPS data to pre-select gears – based on location and driving style, to choose the most appropriate gear for the terrain that’s up ahead. According to Rolls, this technology has been designed to give the driver a more polished and effortless driving experience. The design of the car has been heavily influenced from the Ghost especially at the front with the same brushed aluminium finish bonnet but on the Wraith it has been extended throughout the upper body. Although the car is based on the Ghost, the major difference is rear-hinged, frameless coach doors and the fastback design which results in two of the longest C-pillars ever applied on a production car.  The interior design has been based on the Phantom, so expect tons of Phantom grade veneer and leather options for bespoke customisation. Also, Rolls-Royce’s signature Starlight headliner - embedded with 1340 fibre-optic nodes which, when lit, mimic the night sky - is available.

To provide quintessence comfort to the passengers, suspension has been tuned to minimise body roll whereas for driving dynamics the steering has been set in such a manner that it gets heavier as speed increases and lighter at low speeds. The Wraith is 130mm shorter than the Ghost, and its wheelbase has been tightened by 183mm whereas it’s also 40mm wider and 43mm lower giving it a solid stance and improved handling. Although the Wraith is positioned to take on Rolls arch nemesis Bentley with its Continental GT, it is significantly expensive than the GT and is more of a coupe version of the Ghost.