Rolls releases the first in a series of teaser images for the new Wraith coupe due to debut in Geneva.
Rolls-Royce has slipped word it has some big news for the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, hinting that the all-new Wraith set to debut there will be “most dynamic, powerful and beautiful Rolls-Royce in the company’s history.”
The name is somehow fitting for Rolls, all the more so when you realize it was one of the brand’s more legendary badges, dating back to 1938 and a production run that totaled just 492 cars – though the maker later followed with the Silver Wraith. Clearly, Rolls has bigger aspirations this time, at least in relative terms, as it’s not exactly your mainstream brand.
The 2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith is the long-promised coupe version of the maker’s Ghost, the “lowest” priced vehicle in the British maker’s current line-up and the best-selling. Of course, price is relative, and it’s likely to carry a premium over the sedan model, which starts at $256,000.
Expect to see it outfitted with an upgraded version of the 6.6-liter twin-turbo V-12 currently used in the Ghost. There, the engine puts out an already impressive 563 horsepower. It’s expected to boost that to something above 600 hp in the sportier Wraith coupe. Power will be delivered to the rear wheels through an 8-speed ZF gearbox.
The name “Wraith alludes to an almost imperceptible but powerful force, something rare, agile and potent, a spirit that will not be tethered to the earth. It is the perfect name for our new model,” according to the CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Torsten Müller-Ötvös.
While sleeker and more nimble than the big Phantom that tops the Rolls-Royce range, the new Wraith isn’t a lightweight, the 2-door expected to weigh in somewhere in the range of 5,000 pounds or more. Even so, there are indications it will be able to turn 0 to 60 times of as little as 4.7 seconds.
Of course, the maker is expected to still lavish passengers with the classic Rolls-Royce mix of handcrafted woods and leathers.
“We will present a model whose starting point is luxury, refinement and exclusivity, traits that have made Rolls-Royce the world’s pinnacle luxury good for the last 108 years,” added Müller-Ötvös.
The last 12 months have been an important time for Rolls, coming a decade after the legendary marque was taken over by Germany’s BMW AG. After a slow start – and then, the near collapse of demand during the global economic crash – sales have been rebounding rapidly. In fact, Rolls set an all-time record in 2012, delivering 3,575 vehicles to customers around the world.
It is betting that the Wraith coupe and other models now under development will help it set additional records during the next several years.