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Rolls-Royce spotted testing even sportier Wraith

A Rolls-Royce is not what you'd typically consider to be "sporty." Luxurious. Stately. Even powerful, packed as they are with twelve-cylinder engines displacing in excess of six and a half liters. The Wraith set out to change that with a sportier package, more rakish profile and an even more potent version of the Ghost's 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 to make it the fastest and most powerful Rolls-Royce ever made. But now it seems Goodwood is working on an even more aggressive version.
Spotted undergoing testing in parent company BMW's home country of Germany, this particular Wraith might strike you as the same one we've already seen, save for a few telltale details. It may be wearing the same rolling stock as the existing model, with what look like the same tailpipes protruding ever so elegantly around back, but at the bottom of the front bumper and atop the rear trunklid you'll notice more assertive spoilers added on.
To what end, we cannot be certain, but our spotters on the ground seem to think this is a prototype for a more extreme version of the Wraith - possibly inspired by the attention garnered by the Bentley Continental GT3-R. Could we be looking at a Wraith V-Specification like we saw with the Ghost? We'll have to wait to find out for sure, but in the meantime you can scope out the virtually undisguised prototype in the gallery of high-resolution spy shots above.

Rolls-Royce EV likely to take the name Silent Shadow

Rolls-Royce last year trademarked the name Silent Shadow with the German patent office, and that moniker is likely to be applied to the British luxury carmaker's upcoming battery electric vehicle. In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Rolls CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos confirmed that the company is working on a purpose-built EV. While he would not reveal the scheduled launch date, Rolls-Royce has previously said an EV model would arrive before the end of the decade. The Silent Shadow name echoes the Silver Shadow of 1965-1980. Although Rolls-Royce has previously ruled out doing a plug-in hybrid, the German-owned British automaker has been inching toward full-electric vehicles for some time. At the 2011 Geneva auto show, it introduced an electric version of the last-generation Phantom named 102EX. More recently in 2016, it unveiled the stunningly futuristic 103EX concept, which was fully electric. "Electrification fits perfectly with Rolls Royce — it's torquey, it's super-silent," Muller-Otvos said. It's true that, at Rolls-Royce, the sound of the car's engine has never been a selling feature. Instead, the brand has long promised near-silent motoring. Indeed, a 1958 ad for Rolls-Royce by advertising legend David Olgivy, makes a claim to the car's quietness. And that ad has become what many consider to be the most famous auto ad of all time: "At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock." Maybe they'll want to revisit that claim when the Silent Shadow makes its debut. Green Rolls-Royce Automotive History Electric

Rolls-Royce Phantom Oribe has a pottery theme and high-fashion interior

Rolls-Royce has developed quite a busy business with its Bespoke division. It creates specially customized one-off models for particularly wealthy clients. The latest is the Rolls-Royce Phantom Oribe, and it's one of the prettier and more interesting ones. The car was commissioned by a Japanese entrepreneur who collects old pottery from Japan called Oribe. That pottery often features green and white glazing, which provided the inspiration for the name and the color scheme of the Phantom. This particular Phantom was also a collaboration between Rolls-Royce and the French designer fashion brand Hermes, which provided all of the interior leather and canvas. That interior is really the highlight of the car. Most surfaces feature green and white leather to match the exterior. But the headliner and rear armrests receive a canvas fabric Hermes uses on some of its handbags. Walnut wood veneers decorate the doors, rear seat tables and dashboard. A unique touch is the lack of metal speaker grates. Instead, Rolls-Royce drilled out holes in the wood trim over the speakers. Additionally, the dashboard features an equine themed pattern that was hand painted. It was inspired by a particular style of scarves offered by Hermes. Both the car and fashion companies' logos appear on the glovebox door. This car is of course a one-off, so you won't see any more of them. Of course if you have the undoubtedly massive amounts of money to commission a Bespoke Rolls-Royce, you could probably request certain aspects of it on your own special car. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.