Road test: Rolls-Royce Wraith

New Rolls-Royce models don’t come along every five minutes, so the arrival of Wraith (no “the”, says R-R) is a big deal. It’s an elegant two-door coupé, basically a shrunken Ghost, and is the fastest production car R-R has built.

Quick as it is (0-60 in 4.4 seconds), Wraith is no sports car. As we expect of any Rolls, it can waft in near silence but it’s nice to know there is 624bhp of grunt there should it be needed.

Power comes from a 6.6-litre twin turbo V12, which, rather than providing sledgehammer performance, utters a discreet “ahem” before it makes the scenery go past awfully quickly. One of its best tricks is a sat-nav that “talks” to the eight-speed gearbox, so that if the car knows a corner is approaching, it makes sure it’s in the appropriate gear.

This system works well; even on twisty Austrian mountain roads during Wraith’s launch it was never caught out. This adds to a great sense of effortlessness about the car’s progress and makes it astonishingly relaxing to drive.

Swooping lines, usually two-tone paint and rear-hinged “suicide” doors provide a whiff of nostalgia to the design, although the styling is contemporary, avoiding any hint of stuffiness.

Beautifully made as it is, not all is perfection. The ride can be floaty and the pale rear parcel shelf reflects against the rear window, restricting visibility through the rear-view mirror. Its high waistline makes reversing awkward although a rear-facing camera is fitted.

Prices start at about £235,000; a lot of well-heeled younger Rolls-Royce drivers are going to love it.

Rolls-Royce Wraith
Top speed: 155mph (limited);
Combined MPG: 20.2;
Emissions: 327g/km;
Price: from £235,000