Rolls-Royce Wraith

Why this car

The Wraith, built from 2013 to 2023, took the Ghost's underpinnings and reshaped them into the most powerful and driver-focused Rolls-Royce of its generation, a fastback coupe with 624 bhp from a twin-turbocharged V12. This guide is built from the manufacturer materials and the independent buying guide listed as sources. We have not driven this model for this article. What follows records what those sources agree on about the car's design, its known attention points and the buying case.

What the Wraith is

The Wraith is a two-door fastback derived from the Ghost saloon platform, with a shorter wheelbase and a wider rear track that sharpen the stance and the handling balance. The independent Exotics Hunter guide, which covers the Wraith by name alongside the Ghost and Phantom, places it at the top of the marque's modern performance hierarchy. The twin-turbocharged 6.6-litre V12 produces 624 bhp and 800 Nm of torque, and the catalogue records a run to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and a 250 km/h top speed. The Exotics Hunter guide records the period 0-62 figure at 4.6 seconds with the Black Badge version slightly quicker, a measurement difference that reflects how the two sources timed the car rather than any dispute about the hardware. The manufacturer marketed the Wraith as the most powerful Rolls-Royce in the marque's history at launch, and it remains the definitive modern grand touring coupe from Goodwood.

The engine and drivetrain checks

The V12 shares its architecture with the Ghost's engine and carries the same known attention points. Injector failure across the marque's modern V12 range is documented by both independent sources, with the corrective bill reaching around five thousand dollars including coils and plugs at specialist rates, figures from the source guide quoted as historical context. Turbocharger oil and cooling pipe leaks appear with age and heat cycles, and the rear main seal is a familiar inspection finding. The gearbox is a satellite-supported automatic that shifts smoothly when healthy and deserves a diagnostic read of its adaptation values during any pre-purchase inspection. A Wraith that has been used as intended, warmed through and serviced on schedule, will show none of these items as surprises.

Chassis and the coupe-specific checks

The air suspension should be checked exactly as on any modern Rolls-Royce: level from cold, even settling, no corner that sleeps low. The coupe body adds its own items. The long coach doors, hung on rear hinges, need to open and close with even effort on both sides, and a door that droops or catches points to worn hinges or a previous repair that deserves questions. The frameless side glass should seal quietly at speed with no wind noise, because resealing a coupe window correctly is a specialist job. The fastback rear glass and its wiper, where fitted, should operate cleanly.

Cabin, Starlight and equipment

Inside, the Wraith carries the cut-glass rotary controller and voice-activated navigation that the manufacturer introduced as a signature feature, and the cabin deserves the same bespoke verification as any modern Rolls-Royce. The Starlight headliner, when fitted, must be checked in darkness for dead fibres and uneven illumination; a partial failure is expensive to correct and easy to miss in a daytime viewing. Commission records should match the paint, veneers and hides the car carries, and paint-depth readings should be consistent across panels. The Exotics Hunter guide's central advice applies in full here: a full diagnostic scan covering stored fault codes, module errors and communication faults is non-negotiable, and the service history must show module updates rather than only oil changes.

Buying and values

The Exotics Hunter guide records Wraith pricing when new around two hundred and forty thousand dollars at then-current exchange rates, with the Black Badge higher, and used values in a band that rewards the best-kept cars, figures from the source guide quoted as historical context. The low-mileage paradox that both independent sources describe applies here in full: seals, fluids, tyres and electronics degrade from sitting, so a Wraith with modest consistent mileage and a complete specialist file is a sounder buy than a barely-driven example with gaps. The pre-purchase inspection must be Rolls-Royce-specific, covering the Starlight headliner, the coach doors, air suspension behaviour and the full electronics scan. The DVSA recall check is a two-minute task and should be completed before purchase. Despite the fastback roofline the Wraith is a full four-seater, with a rear bench usable by adults on real journeys, which sets it apart from the two-plus-two convention of most rivals. The Black Badge variant added power and dark trim at a meaningful premium and has retained its own following in the used market. The Wraith's launch claim as the most powerful Rolls-Royce of its day still reads true in the used files that back it up. Values have found their level, and the difference between good and neglected examples widens with each passing year.

The ownership case

The Wraith's value as an ownership proposition is the combination of genuine 624 bhp pace, a cabin built to the marque's standard and a body style that stands apart from every saloon. It asks the same disciplined maintenance as the Ghost and adds coupe-specific attention to doors and glass. It rewards a buyer who treats the file as the most interesting part of the car. We have not driven this model for this article. No present valuation, investment assurance or universal failure rate is offered. Actual values vary with specification, condition and history.