The Wraith could be termed as the most dynamic Rolls-Royce and a subtle shift from a company known for its steely eyed focus on comfort. While being more performance focussed than its siblings, the Wraith has also subscribed to the values of this British marque and still is a stately Grand Tourer albeit with a spirited demeanour.
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In many ways it has been one of the most important new cars since it changed the direction along with enabling the company to embrace newer dynamic traits. The Wraith certainly has changed perceptions and enabled Rolls-Royce to be appealing to a younger audience but also without alienating the core brand DNA.
Rolls-Royce Wraith: A fond farewell
Now, with the all-electric Spectre taking centre stage, the Wraith gets a farewell with the Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow. The name is inspired by Thunderbolt, a seven-tonne, eight-wheeled monster of a car, equipped with two Rolls-Royce V12 ‘R’ Series aero engines.
The Black Badge Wraith is already the most driver focussed Rolls-Royce and its V12 gets a last chance to sing with only 12 examples worldwide of this bespoke car. The bespoke paint finish gets two tones- Celebration Silver and Black Diamond while a ‘glass-infused Crystal’ paint over layer has been applied to the paint.
This bespoke technique features a subtle texture inspired by the crusted surface of the Bonneville Salt Flats, beneath a high gloss lacquer. In typical Rolls-Royce fashion, it is polished for more than 12 hours to get a glass like surface and it takes 18 months to achieve this finish.
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V12 powertrain
The design also gets yellow bumper inserts and Bespoke wheel pinstripes- a nod towards the Thunderbolt’s black arrow. Another interesting bit is the carbon fibre Spirit of Ecstasy along with including a yellow ring detail and an engraving of the Collection name. For Rolls-Royce to experiment with new materials and adorn its most cherished design element in a material normally seen on supercars is a sign of how it is changing itself to appeal to the younger clientele.
All 12 sold
However, somethings do not change and there are traditional elements still dominating the Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow with bespoke artwork, coach doors replete with open-pore Black Wood and a Bespoke Starlight Headliner having 2,117 fibre-optic ‘stars’.
The star filled headliner is a common design trait on all Rolls-Royce cars but in this bespoke Wraith, it gets the highest number of ‘stars’. All are individually arranged by hand and depict the Milky Way as seen from vast open spaces. The fascia clock bezel also is inspired by the Thunderbolt interior.
With such significance, all 12 cars have been sold and it remains an alluring mix of a V12 powertrain along with the traditional craftsmanship seen with a Rolls-Royce.
Somnath Chatterjee grew up around cars and most of his childhood was spent obsessing over supercars. Years later he decided to start writing about them and hasn’t looked back since. While he has had his fair share of cars, the world of automobiles never ceases to amaze him. Travelling all over the world to drive them along with sharing that experience is what ultimately keeps him going. He hopes to drive a Ferrari 288 GTO someday because, well, do you really need a reason?
