Rolls Royce Wraith (2013 - 2023) used car model guide

'There's a sense of effortless grace and elegance about this car - but at the same time, something more contemporary and daring'. The words are from Giles Taylor, who back in 2013 was Rolls Royce's Director of Design. Yes, the Wrath was effectively a two-door version of the company's Ghost saloon, itself based upon the humbler underpinnings of a BMW 7 Series - but to dismiss the car in that fashion would be to misunderstand much of the care the company lavished upon it. This certainly doesn't look like a Ghost coupe, but then that's partly because it was fundamentally re-engineered for its more sporting role in life, with a wheelbase 183mm shorter, a rear axle track stretched by 24mm and a roofline brought 50mm closer to the ground. There's also the little matter of the extra 61bhp being developed by the twin turbo 6.6-litre V12 beneath the bonnet.
That engine, like this car's platform, was sourced from BMW. Do those things make it any less of a Rolls Royce? We think not. What makes this Wraith worthy of its Spirit of Ecstasy bonnet mascot (sculptor Charles Sykes' tribute to his mistress, Eleanor Thornton) is the exquisite detail that underpins everything about it. Even that mascot is aerodynamic, canted back a few degrees more than it would be in the saloon model to give the impression of speed. The familiar front pantheon grille was also recessed for the Wraith, giving a less prominent prow to the vast bonnet. Under the skin of the all-steel body, the depth of engineering goes even further, with most of the panels brazed by hand before the joins are sanded to a perfect finish for painting. There are over 6,000 spot welds on the car and laser-welded seams in places such as a sculpted rear section. Rolls-Royce also fitted a double front bulkhead to keep the cabin extra-quiet. In other words, anyone who thinks this is merely a 7 Series in a posh frock really has no idea what they're talking about.
We're not sure though, that the substantial shape works from all angles. The profile's certainly purposeful, with larger 20-inch wheels than you'd find on a Ghost working well with the high waistline. From a rear three-quarter view though, you really sense the stylistic weight of enormous C-pillars that flow into an expensively brazed panel, there to blend beautifully with the optional two-tone paint finish.
Entry, as usual with a modern Rolls Royce, is via a vault-like coach door, unusual in the way it aids access by hinging at the back rather than the front. You expect it to weigh a tonne but pull the polished steel handle and there's a lightness and balance to the opening action that just speaks of brilliant engineering. It's the same with the closing process, accomplished at the touch of a button if you get a car whose original owner paid extra for the Comfort Entry feature.
Once you take your place inside, you'll find yourself assuming a driving position that's a little less dynamic than you might expect from such a supposedly sporty car, the seat a little high and upright. You'd also expect anything purporting to be a 'GT' to offer gearshift paddles, but they're absent behind the typically huge, thin leather-trimmed steering wheel. Through it, you glimpse a set of naval-style dials with orange-tipped needles that, in familiar Rolls Royce fashion, include a 'Power Reserve' dial in preference to the usual rev counter. Not so nice is the dash-mounted analogue clock that's positioned way out of your line of sight and looks like a cheap bedside alarm.
It's certainly very easy to get comfortable, with an all-pervading feel of luxury you touch, feel, smell and enjoy all over again every time you take the wheel. The buttery soft leather is exquisite and you'll also love the Canadel panelling made of Brazilian rosewood that reminded us more of something you'd berth in the marina at Antibes. We were talking earlier about the design of the coach doors, the benefit of which you really start to appreciate when it comes to taking a seat in the rear, for the lack of B-pillar impediment makes access easy. Once you're ensconced, there's a decent amount of legroom, although if you're close to 6ft, headroom might be at a little more of a premium. There's a 470-litre boot.

Obviously, insist on a full service history and make sure that all scheduled work and interim services have been completed. If you can find an example with the balance of Rolls-Royce's own servicing plan on it, then obviously that's even better. There've been plenty of recorded examples of used cars from the brand being 'clocked' (the odometers being tampered with) so make sure you're buying from a reputable source. Make sure that the engine ticks over smoothly; if it doesn't, this could signal a problem with the injectors (known to fail); the fix is costly - around £5,000 including coils and plugs. Poor tickover could also be caused by carbon fouling of the valve seats. Ideally, get an expert to inspect the turbo oil pipes and the cooling pipes for leaks. And for oil leaks for the rear main seal between the engine and transmission. Check that the car sits properly on its air suspension. And that all the electrical software updates have been carried out. Inspect the body for botched repairs and irregular shut-lines. Check the expensive wheel rims for scuffs. And ensure that all the screen functions work properly.

(approx based on a 2015 Wraith - ex VAT - flyingspares.com) Nothing's cheap of course. An oil filter costs around £18, an air filter around £20. A genuine part thermostat is around £71. An auxiliary water pump's around £137. A radiator's around £220. A single front brake disc is around £545. A front brake pad kit is in the £307-£590 bracket. A headlight is around £1,600.

At launch, this was without doubt the fastest, the most powerful and the most dynamic machine Rolls Royce had ever made - but that didn't make it a sportscar. Instead, the company described this fastback coupe as a 'Super GT', 2.3-tonnes and 5.3m of pulse-quickening Grand Touring performance you could never anticipate merely from taking a seat on the sumptuous leather chairs that position you lower than you would be in a Ghost or a Phantom but still offer a commanding view across that famous bonnet. Beneath it beats a mighty 6.6-litre V12 engine with quite enough power and torque - 624bhp and 800Nm - to firmly worry the upstarts down the road at Bentley.
You're aware within fifty yards that this is something very special. There's no unseemly launch control system but even so, 62mph comes and goes almost supercar-style in just over four seconds before the 100mph mark is passed barely six seconds later. Speed of this sort is usually accompanied by a suitable soupcon of drama but here, things are a little different. There may be as much power beneath the bonnet as you'd find in a Mclaren F1 and outside, the horizon may be hurling itself towards you as if on fast-forward but from within, the story is merely one of poise and measured ease. Perhaps it's the smooth throttle mapping. Or maybe the refinement of the suspension, the lack of wind noise, the well-oiled feel to the steering or the feeling that instead of being powered an engine, you're being propelled from behind by the benevolence of some giant hand. Whatever the truth, the experience is majestic.

Back in 1930, Rolls Royce's founding Managing Director Claude Johnson wrote that “the serpent of speed and power has entered this company and is likely to poison its existence.” Perhaps it did in its pre-war years but they were times when a car bearing the Spirit of Ecstasy was required to conform to the measured expectations of the aristocracy.
Today, the appeal of the brand must be wider and more dynamic, reflective of the hopes and aspirations of a new moneyed and more demanding generation. It must deliver more models like this Wraith, a car for the curious, the confident and the bold. But a car that is still, in every way, a Rolls Royce. And an exquisite pleasure.