The 2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith has won Popular Science magazines, ‘Best of what’s New’ award.
This struck me as odd.
I have always viewed Rolls-Royce as a purveyor of automotive decadence, the pinnacle of vehicular opulence.
Not once have I thought they were at the cutting edge of the latest automotive technology.
It turns out I was naïve.
Rolls-Royce has developed a Satellite Aided Transmission. The system uses GPS data in real time to predict which gear the driver will be requiring for the road ahead.
Basically Rolls-Royce and NASA have joined forces to provide the very well to do with the vehicle of the future.
Working in conjunction with this SAT system the Wraith has received further dynamic enhancements in the form of dynamic spring and damper settings, and more direct steering response to aid in cornering the rather heavy chariot.
The Rolls-Royce Wraith is powered by a twin turbo V12. The mammoth engines 624 h.p. hurtles the car from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds.
Clearly then the performance is as dynamic as the visual appeal.
The designers thought back to the 1930’s when creating this fastback Coupe and succeeded in conjuring a car that exudes grace, sophistication, and simplicity.
Therein lies the truth of the old adage, ‘never judge a book by its cover’.
The Rolls-Royce Wraith is a technological advancement which will no doubt shape the future of automotive transmission function, yet it manages to appear simply beautiful.