This past Sunday evening, I had the pleasure of meeting up with my friend Brandon Smith of DCoopMedia, and a select group of fellow designers and bloggers at the Four Seasons Los Angeles in Beverly Hills for a soirée to toast Brandon’s arrival from his epic road trip of Route 66 and the road less traveled in the soon to be released Rolls Royce Wraith. Brandon was one of a few select journalists to experience driving behind the wheel of the Rolls Royce Wraith over the course of a few days, and like all nice people in the media, he shared the love and had us “along for the ride” on the tail end of his trip.
Completely bespoke with a powerful yet smooth V12 engine, the 20 minute ride around the streets of Beverly Hills had me on cloud nine and wanting more. As I stepped up to the passenger door, the wide coach door gently floated open as though controlled by a ghost. With the coach doors hinged to the rear, I was able to step in with ease. Closing the door was a gentle push of a button. The doors were somewhat wide, so I am not sure how it would fare in the Costco parking lot, but the experience of stepping in was unlike any I’ve ever had. The only thing remotely similar (and don’t take this the wrong way) would be that of stepping in to the back seat of a minivan, as those doors also open to the rear, making for an easy entry and exit. The only difference is that the Rolls Royce Wraith managed to make the action of stepping in and out a more luxurious and memorable “experience”.
Brandon, our “chauffeur” for the evening, steering the beastly 624 horsepower, twin turbocharged V12 engine underneath the signature Rolls Royce Starlight Headliner, a custom option. The fiber optic LED nodes can be turned off and on, and dimmed to mimic the night sky. This custom option adds about $10,000 to the bottom line.
The wood grain veneer is book-matched at a 55 degree angle so that the angles match precisely at the center console, forming a sleek and sexy chevron pattern.
The info on the dash shows a 17.1 MPG – not exactly economical, but anyone in the market for a Wraith and willing to pay the steep sticker price I’m sure would not mind.
The leather interior, completely bespoke with angled wood grain lines on the door panels and butter soft leather.
Driving with the Starlight Headliner illuminated was an experience unlike any other. With everything customizable, I am told that one can have their own constellation, a wedding date, or even the logo of their favorite sports team embedded into the headliner…at a cost, of course.
When parking, the park assist feature shows up on the navigation panel, ensuring that the tire rims are left unscathed while parking and navigating through tight spaces.
The one thing that I cannot show on these photos is the smooth ride of the Rolls Royce Wraith. From the plush custom leather interior, the sparkling chrome dials on the center console, the illuminated Starlight Headliner, the detailed wood veneers, and the smooth but powerful engine, I felt completely enveloped in luxury. While we were driving, we passed an unprecedented number of Rolls Royces. I found it amusing that at every stop, smartphones were being raised to the glass of their windows to snap a rare photo of the Wraith. The sticker price on this particular Wraith with all the customizations – a few cents shy of $375,000.
