Friday 12 April 2013

Rolls-Royce 2013 Geneva

2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith - front three-quarter view, live at Geneva Motor Show

It's not often that we get to talk about a new Rolls-Royce, what with the fact that the company's current model line is basically made up of two vehicles. But that all changes here at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, with the introduction of what might be the most emotional Roller of modern times, the Wraith.

The new two-door Rolls is effectively a Ghost coupe, and it stands to reason that this is Royce's answer to the Bentley Continental GT, albeit at a higher price point. Much higher, actually – the 245,000-euro – $320k USD – price of entry for the Wraith is about $100,000 more than a Continental GT Speed coupe. Woof. And to our eyes, all that extra money isn't buying you much in the looks department, as the collective opinion of the Autoblog editors on-site in Geneva is that it's more imposing than elegant.

But the Wraith will no doubt be a special, exclusive, impressive machine for anyone who plunks down that sort of cash. For starters, it's powered by a V12 that puts out an impressive 624 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque mated to an eight-speed ZF "Satellite Aided" transmission. This nifty cog-swapper actually works with GPS to not only pre-select the right gear for the portion of road you're on, but for the next portion of you'll be driving on, as well. That, friends, is cool.

Of course, the Wraith will be laden with every bit of luxury befitting of a proper Rolls-Royce including "Phantom-grade" cow hides, new Canadel wood trim and the same Starlight Headliner fiber optic roof lighting found in the brand's flagship sedan. The company is also touting the Wraith's onboard voice command technology, which will no doubt be paired with the most up-to-date infotainment tech on the market.

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