Rolls-Royce’s Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow Will Be the Marque’s Last V-12 Coupe
Rolls-Royce is sending off the Wraith the only way it knows how—in style.
The British luxury marque has just unveiled the ultra-exclusive Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow. The automaker says it will build just 12 examples of the commanding coupe, one for each cylinder of its powerful engine.
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The Wraith arrived on the scene in 2013 as the replacement for the Phantom Coupé. The stylish two-door grand tourer hasn’t changed much over since then, especially under the hood. Every single Wraith that has rolled off the line at Goodwood has come equipped with a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V-12. That’s why the marque saying goodbye to the coupe after only a decade: As the brand moves toward fully electric power, there’s no room for a vehicle defined by its internal-combustion mill.
Rolls-Royce’s last homage to the Wraith is inspired by the “Thunderbolt” land speed record car from the 1930s that was powered by not one but two V-12s. It wears a special gradient finish that transitions from Celebration Silver to Black Diamond with Bright Yellow accents. The marque says the model-specific glass-infused paint job is one of the most complex in its history and took 18 months to get just right.
There’s a lot more yellow in the cabin, including on the front seats, steering wheel, and suicide door panels. Parts of the interior are covered in a new material called Club Leather, which offers more sheen and richer coloration, according to the automaker. Other special details include a schematic illustration of a V-12 on the dashboard, a clock engraved with the Thunderbolt’s top speed (357.497 mph), and a star headliner designed to match the sky over Bonneville the night that record was set in 1938.
Of course, under the hood, you’ll find the Wraith’s familiar V-12. It is the same version of the engine found in the Black Badge Wraith, which means it’s mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and produces an impressive 624 hp and 642 ft lbs of torque. It does come with a special yellow-trimmed badge identifying it as one of the marque’s final V-12s.
“As the last examples of this landmark motor car get ready to leave Goodwood, we commemorate Wraith’s status as the last series V12 coupe we will ever make,” Rolls-Royce CEO. Torsten Müller-Ötvös said in a statement. “Both Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow and its inspiration, the V12-powered land speed record-holding Thunderbolt of the thirties, represent the culmination of many long years of achievement, and the end of their respective eras.”
Unfortunately, all 12 Black Badge Wraith Black Arrows are already spoken for. This might explain why Rolls-Royce hasn’t announced a price for the car. We imagine each example cost well north of the Wraith’s $343,000 starting price when it was last on sale in the US. Expect this to remain the case if any of the dozen coupes end up hitting the auction market in the years to come.
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