Geneva show: Rolls Wraith in shadow

ROLLS-ROYCE has continued its drip-feed teaser campaign on the forthcoming Wraith high-performance coupe ahead of a full reveal at the Geneva motor show in March.

The Wraith, understood to be a coupe version of the Ghost sedan, was first teased late last month via a shadowed side-profile shot, and now the British-based company has revealed a partially obscured image of the muscular tail.

Its Ghost lineage is clear, with both sporting identical twin tail-pipes and similar quadrilateral tail-lights, although the Wraith appears to have a slimmer silver boot insert and fatter rear haunches.

Rolls has confirmed two more instalments in its slow-burn media campaign, with more information to emerge on February 19 and February 26 before the covers are fully removed in Switzerland on March 5.

Precious little information has been given away, with the BMW-owned brand simply calling the Wraith “a hand-built motor car that exudes hallmark Rolls-Royce luxury and comfort whilst possessing a character defined by power, style and drama”.

The iconic Wraith nameplate has lain dormant since 1980, and Rolls is seemingly bent on returning the badge with a bang. The V12 coupe will be the most powerful Rolls-Royce in history.

The Wraith nameplate was first used between 1938 and 1939, and was then resurrected after the World War II for the Silver Wraith between 1946 and 1959. Rolls-Royce briefly revived the Silver Wraith badge for long-wheelbase versions of the Silver Shadow II sold between 1977 and 1980.

In a statement, the brand addressed “the question of power”.

“In times gone by, when asked the question, Rolls-Royce would simply state, ‘adequate, sir’,” says the company. “And though still whispered as quietly as a Rolls-Royce V12 engine, for Wraith we feel it right to be a touch more explicit: More than ample.”

While not official, the twin-turbo V12 engine is expected to have power boosted from 396kW to around 447kW, resulting in a 0-100km/h time that should be well under the Ghost’s already sprightly 5.0 seconds.

The Wraith was recently spotted undergoing cold weather testing and was also spied going through its paces at the Nurburgring in Germany last year.

First customer deliveries are expected in the fourth quarter of this year.