Is the Rolls-Royce Wraith really worth a half-million bucks?

The Wraith leaves no doubt in anyone's mind that this is a Rolls-Royce

Mark Richardson
Published: July 19, 2016, 6:25 PM
Updated: June 20, 2018, 1:51 PM

Rolls-Royce Wraith

The Roll-Royce Wraith has a list price of $346,975 in Canada, but nobody ever pays that. Nobody. Ever. There are just too many tempting additions that bump up the cost. Words and pictures by Mark Richardson ▲

Half-a-million bucks?

There are just too many tempting additions that bump up the cost. Our tester had a list price of $499,133.31. What’s so special about it that it’s worth half-a-million dollars? Take a look inside and we’ll show you. ▲

Forward-opening doors

First of all, it has forward-opening doors. They used to be known unkindly as ‘suicide doors’. But, in addition to being distinctive, they do allow easier access to the cabin, especially for women wearing long dresses. ▲

Push-button closing

The doors are very heavy and it would look ungainly to reach out and pull them in by the handle, so buttons up in the corner on each side will close the doors for you. A button there will also open the car’s ‘boot’ – Rolls-Royce (that’s the plural form; trust me) don’t have trunks. ▲

Umbrella? Of course!

While the door’s open, if it’s raining, you can remove the umbrella from its special storage area. The storage has a fan to circulate the air and dry the wet umbrella. ▲

Need another?

There are two umbrellas in the Wraith – one inside each door. If you lose an umbrella, Rolls-Royce will sell you another for $850. If you don’t actually own a Rolls-Royce but would just like an umbrella, the price is $1,200. They don’t sell many to non-owners. ▲

Sterling silver trim. Really!

While the door’s open, pause to admire the treadplate at the base. It can be engraved with any inscription you like. This one is sterling silver and the pair of them, one for each door, cost an extra $2,975. ▲

Luxurious leather

The thick leather of the seats and panels comes from European cattle that have never known barbed wire, so the hides are unscratched. The piping on the seats of this car cost an extra $4,675, while the piping on the doors was another $1,350. ▲

Starlight headliner

The Starlight headliner is the most expensive single option in the tester. It’s a roof lining perforated with 1,340 little holes that are randomly filled with tiny LED lights, simulating a night sky. It cost $16,775. If you want it to accurately depict a particular night sky, such as the night you were married, that’ll be an extra $10,000 or so. ▲

Traditional controls

Rolls-Royce cars retain the “organ-stop” controls for opening and closing the air vents. This is a traditional feature from some of the very first cars. ▲

Only Rolls-Royce

You won’t find any other brand names in a Rolls-Royce – no famous names for the audio system, or the clock. The only brand name you’ll see is Rolls-Royce. ▲

Power Reserve

The instrumentation is a little different, too. Instead of a tachometer, the Rolls has a “Power Reserve Meter” that shows how much power is left in the engine. Unless you’re stepping hard on the throttle, you’ll probably have at least 90% left. ▲

V-12 engine

There’s a 6.6-litre V-12 engine under the hood, after all, and it makes 624 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. The Wraith is the fastest car in the Rolls-Royce lineup. It weighs 5,500 lbs, but its huge power lets it accelerate from zero-to-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds – faster than most much-lighter cars. ▲

No need for first

Because it’s so powerful, its transmission is set by default to always start in second gear. If you want to start in first gear, you have to press a button on the steering-wheel-mounted transmission stalk to do so. ▲

Even the paint costs extra

The “commissioned collection paint” on the tester cost an additional $11,900, and the upper paint of the two-tone exterior was another $10,725 on top of that, literally. ▲

Always right side up

The central “RR” plate on each wheel is actually separate from the wheel, so it is always the correct way up, whether the car is driving or parked. ▲

Spirit of Ecstasy

Of course, the most distinctive feature of any Rolls-Royce is the Spirit of Ecstasy on the hood. This one is uplit at nighttime with blue light, for an extra $4,600. ▲

Temptation removed

You can set the Spirit of Ecstasy to be hidden when the car is parked, to remove temptation. ▲

No doubt it’s a Rolls

When you’re driving, though, she leads the way proudly, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that this is a Rolls-Royce. ▲

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