2013 Rolls Royce Wraith review, test drive

The cabin also lives up to the high expectations. The leathers are Phantom grade, the ‘starlight’ headliner is an optional extra and the veneer panelling uses a new open-grain canadel form that evokes the feel of the decks of luxury yachts. The dash and control layout are pretty similar to the Ghost, but there are some differences too. The steering wheel is a bit thicker and the seats are a bit more, dare I say it, sporty. The Wraith may be a coupé, but the wide doors and sliding front seats offer easy access to the rear seats, which are spacious and comfortable, even for six-footers. Yes, this coupé is a proper four-seater.

What’s more, the Wraith also gets what Rolls-Royce says is the most advanced car audio system in the world (a full technical briefing on just the acoustics can take more than a few hours). Take my word for it – it could make my singing sound Grammy-worthy.

Sound. That takes us back to the beginning and to the heart of the new Wraith. The BMW 7-series-sourced 6.6-litre bi-turbo V12 puts out 624bhp, and a whopping 81.5kgm of torque that’s available from just 1,500rpm. Floor the throttle and the Rolls pauses, hooks up and explodes with a turn of speed that is quite disconcerting, especially from a 5.3m long, almost 2m wide and close to three-tonne car.

Rolls-Royce claims a 0-100kph time of just 4.4 seconds and the Wraith does feel like it could get there on the mark, though it is advisable to find a clear stretch of road before you shed your inhibitions, as the coupé’s imposing proportions command respect. The large steering wheel demands your attention as speeds build, but at a slightly relaxed pace this car is quite effortless to drive.