In 1906 when Sir Henry Royce and Charles Rolls founded their luxury motorcar company, their guiding principle was: “Take the best that exists and make it better.” Following that injunction and over a century later, the company has ended up competing against itself; and won. Luxury car it is without doubt. What comes free is its deceptive ability to provide, when asked not too politely, to demonstrate its abilities with a high-speed descent on a switchback road high in the Hajar Mountains in Ras Al Khaimah. Without demur, the Wraith supplied thrills, an agreeable scent of hot tyres and a high, angelic threnody extracted by the approach to the boundary of the 21-inch 255/40 tyres' ability to grip the road. This ‘entry level' Rolls described as a driver's car; that it certainly is. The slightly disconcerting aspect is that unlike the ‘seat of the pants' driving that characterises extreme sports and muscle cars, driving the Wraith is almost other-worldly. The driver is obliged, when the Wraith's suspension is lowered and the sport mode engaged to concentrate more on the topography of the road visually, because the car tends to feed back rather less information through the suspension, incredibly light (but very precise) steering and chassis than expected. This is a magnificent car, entry-level or not. It is a little less taut in the chassis than its larger cousin the Ghost, but faster and with surging ‘jet engine' acceleration through the eight-speed gearbox that is simply breath-taking. The outcome is pace: incredible. Road dynamics are superb, but just short of the Ghost. Under anything but extreme pressure, that is irrelevant. This however does not detract either from its exceptional abilities or performance. It would be easy to push this fine car a bit too far, but if at speed the driver diverted total focus away from the road it could prove rather too exciting. In short, it is the first Rolls I have driven that satisfies my demands which are an ability to deliver extreme performance with total controllability and satisfy the function of luxurious touring. For my money, the best Rolls yet. It takes the marque out of the luxury sector and positions it as a very competitive player in the fast-touring/sports market. The formidable 624 BHP V12 6.6 litre twin-turbo power plant pushes the Wraith to 100kph in just 4.6 seconds and onward to a (limited) top speed of 250kph with little more than a happy burble from the rear end. From a stationary, the Wraith sprints the standing kilometre in slightly over 22 seconds. Matching that, front 374 mm and rear 370mm ventilated disc brakes bleed the speed with a more than reassuring speed, giving a feeling of total and perfect control. That control is augmented by the fact that the 12.7 metre turning circle of the Wraith gives this big car (5.269 metres long 1.947 metres wide) a small car feel with its low-speed manoeuvrability, a very reassuring touch in urban environments. Performance and style is the world of Rolls Royce Bespoke, the lynch pin of the company's current drive to improve on perfection. Precisely what constitutes improvement is a very personal judgement, and the company recognises that with the addition of ‘Bespoke' to identify the new range, aimed at a younger and social media-aware breed of customer it seeks to cater for. The Bespoke class is a far cry from the understated elegance of, for example, the Phantom IV ordered by Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1950 and is in Royal service to this day. There are now orders for diamond encrusted doors and paint schemes so unusual that even PG Wodehouse's imperturbable gentleman's gentleman Jeeves might, in mannered agony at the attack on decorum, inhale sharply and describe them as, “a trifle sudden”. However, the thought of 44 thousand paint colours (that include some ten shades of genteel black and more shades of grey than he could wag a manicured finger at) might go some way to his soul. Sudden or no, the 2014 Ghawwass range, (‘diver' in Arabic), that was offered in Abu Dhabi, home of the company's most successful dealership, featured an interior inlaid with mother-of-pearl and was painted to match the glistering turquoise of the Arabian Sea. The cars sold out. The new Wraith Bespoke range, three cars, which are “Inspired by Film”, “Inspired by Fashion” and “Inspired by Music” take the customisation available from Rolls Royce a stage further. The “Inspired by Film” version under test had a distinctly retro feel to it. Open-grain wood veneers on door panels and dashboard are set off with bold chrome trim. Rich cream and black leathers, very much in the bold art-deco style of the 1930's are counterpointed with tan piping and chrome bullet end-caps. Traditional Rolls touches such as organ-stop air vent controls contrast with the slightly out of place i-Drive control display. However, that can be hidden behind a veneered panel. Some unbreakable traditions remain; the Spirit of Ecstasy – the leading lady in any Rolls Royce production – is for the Bespoke editions solid silver, the defining hallmark clearly visible on the plinth. Although traditionalists may still mourn the passing of the original Greek Pantheon radiator, the Wraith along with all other models, still utilises a modern iteration of that definitive Rolls icon. What Rolls have perfected however is the profile of the car. First viewing can generate a reaction that this is a hatchback Rolls. Tarry awhile, is good advice. As with any work of art, and this is a work of art as well as engineering, revisiting and reflection are essential to see the subtle beauty of the design. The fluid upper shape of the profile and the massive visual body weight combine in a way redolent of an oceanic swell, combining all the promise and threats of simple beauty moved by extreme power. The only question remaining is: Can Rolls improve on perfection again? Watch this space.
