2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith Review

    Two questions: one: why did Rolls-Royce really bother with a sports car? And two: is their creation any good? To the first one I say: don't know, don't care. To the second one I say: they should have focused on performance and power more than luxury if they really wanted to make a great sports car/ grand tourer. In my opinion, the Wraith is too big and isn't really any smaller or sportier-looking than the car it is based on, the Ghost. I still like the look, and I like Rolls-Royce, but I think their standard look doesn't really work on a sports car. The engine is plenty powerful, cranking out 624 hp and 590 pound-feet of torque. That's more than a Bentley Continental GT, this car's main competitor. 0-60 takes 4.4 seconds, which matches the Conti Gt, but isn't actually that fast, compared to today's sports-car standards. They haven't slouched on the luxurious side of things, considering that this car can be optioned with a light-up headliner that mimics a starry night sky and has hand-carved wood and stitched leather. As I mentioned earlier, I feel that this car needs improvement on the handling and performance side of things more than luxury because Rolls-Royce is used to big limousines, not high-performance coupes, so they should work harder on that, and not the stuff they're used to. And to tie it all together, the Wraith's base price is an obscene $284,900 before optioned to meet the high expectations of it's possible buyers.  

Comparison: 2014 Bentley Continental GT vs. 2014 Rolls-Royce Wraith

     Both of these two-door behemoths have a price tag of over $175,000, have big V12 powerplants, and are extremely luxurious. But one is $100,000 more than the other, so is it worth it?

2. Rolls-Royce Wraith

    Rolls-Royce's Wraith coupe was released in late 2013 and is one of the largest coupes on the market. I mean, it is longer than a Chrysler Town&Country and has about 3 times the power. The 6.6 liter V12 produces 624 hp and 590 pound-feet of torque. 0-60 takes a somewhat disappointing 4.4 seconds. The interior is incredibly finished, with hand-crafted veneers and leather that came from only the finest cows. Everything is put together by hand and that pays off, resulting in one of the best-looking Rolls-Royce interiors ever. But, I find the Wraith disappointing in areas like acceleration, gas mileage, and most of all, the price tag. Only a mere $300,000. Only. 

1. Bentley Continental GT

    The Continental GT has been around since 2003, and has had many variants since, such as GT Speed, GTC, and Supersports. All of these have been favorites of mine and always will be. One of the best aspects of the car is the powertrain. Measuring 6.0 liters in displacement, it is a Volkswagen-sourced W12 that makes 616 hp and 590 lb-feet of torque. 0-60 takes 4.0 seconds, which is insane for a car that weighs this much. The total weight is a staggering 5,115 lbs, which I don't find surprizing somehow. I find the interior a little more plasticky than the Wraith's but I like it more.