Goodwood’s new Ghost-based, two-door luxury barge is
something that puts the “grand” back in grand tourer.
Just
about the first thing on anyone’s lips when talking about cars these days is the
sheer cost of buying one. For example, in the halcyon days when COEs were
plentiful (circa 2005), a Toyota Corolla Altis could be had for roughly half
its current asking price of $130,000 or so.
Just about the first thing on anyone’s lips when talking about cars these
days is the sheer cost of buying one.
That’s
a fair bit of change to most people, though that’s nothing compared to some
cars you might find in the upper reaches of the market here – like the Rolls-
Royce Wraith. Just one of these super luxurious GTs could buy you 10 Corollas
(or a one-way ticket to bankruptcy).
Yes,
that’s an obscene amount of money, especially considering it costs more than
most homes do here. But that said, we believe the stately coupe is worth every
one of the $1,354,188 Rolls-Royce is asking for each.
It’s
quite possibly the last word in GTs, not to mention how it has opulence oozing
out of every pore. It sounds a little churlish to say this, but you really are
getting your money’s worth.
There’s
a good chance you’ve never seen paintwork this deep or this lustrous (we almost
felt bad leaving our greasy paw prints all over it), with our test car’s white
paint having the iridescence of a pearl.
It’s quite possibly the last word in GTs, not to mention how it has opulence
oozing out of every pore.
Then
there’s the almost impossible silkiness of the leather seat upholstery, the
deep-pile lamb’s wool carpeting and the excessiveness of the “Starlight
Headliner”. That last interior fitting sees 1,340 LEDs embedded into the ceiling
(that’s clad in gorgeously soft leather) to give the “impression” of a
glittering, starry night sky. It sounds more than a little cheesy and gimmicky,
but the effect, especially in the dark, is quite stunning to behold.
But
don’t let that distract you from the little things, such as how even the seat
rails are immaculately polished and how the centre caps of the wheels are
self-levelling, so the “RR” monogram always points the right way up.
Of
course, if you so choose, you could inflate the Wraith’s already titanic price
tag further by indulging in Rolls-Royce’s customisation programme. Limited only
by your imagination and the size of your bank balance, there’s not a lot the
boys from Goodwood won’t do for you.
This
customisation could take the form of seat upholstery in the exact material and
colour of the missus’ favourite Hermes handbag, or a fridge to keep the bubbly
chilled. What Rolls-Royce won’t do is install rocket launchers to take care of
the peasants who dare cut you off, because that’s, you know, illegal.
You
could also opt to paint your Wraith in any colour you so desire. And, yes, we
do mean any hue you can think of, because while the customer may have appalling
taste, Rolls-Royce believes the customer is also always right.
But
it’s not like you’d have to paint the Wraith in a garish shade to get it
noticed, because measuring 5269mm long and 1947mm wide, it’s about the size of
a small aircraft carrier (pardon our slight exaggeration for dramatic effect).
And
just how does this leviathan handle? Well, exactly how you’d expect a car
weighing 2360kg and packing 632bhp from a 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V12 to.
That is, deceptively rapid in a straight line (zero to 100km/h in 4.6 seconds)
and more than a little unnerving around corners.
Its
century-sprint timing may seem blindingly quick for something so big, but
there’s a grave majesty in the way the Wraith accrues speed, unlike in a
supercar with its neck-snapping acceleration.
Its century-sprint timing may seem blindingly quick for something so big,
but there’s a grave majesty in the way the Wraith accrues speed, unlike in a
supercar with its neck-snapping acceleration.
