Pick of the Day: 2015 Rolls-Royce Wraith

If you haven’t started yet Your holiday shopping, you’ll probably start doing it soon. Maybe this has been a good year financially for you and you want to give your significant other some extravagant gifts. Or maybe you want to buy yourself something to celebrate your hard work and achievements. Either way, our Pick of the Day, the 2015 Rolls-Royce Wraith, is a perfect choice. My little gift to you is to tell you what its driving experience is like.

Before we get into that, let’s take a closer look at the Phantom overall. Rolls-Royce launched the ultra-luxury coupe in 2013, calling it the “most powerful and dynamic” car in the company’s history. It combines a 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine that produces 624 horsepower and 590 pound-feet with an eight-speed satellite-assisted transmission that uses GPS to pre-select the correct gear for the road ahead.

The pairing is mounted on a fastback body with a lower roofline, shorter wheelbase and wider rear track. “To minimize body roll and discreetly amplify feedback when cornering,” Rolls-Royce tuned the suspension. It also calibrates the steering to be lighter at low speeds and heavier at high speeds, making the Ghost more engaging to drive.

This particular Wraith you see here has an attractive two-tone silver and black finish that accentuates the curvature of its swooping roofline. Interestingly, black is also used on the grille, although the Ecstasy remains nice and bright. This neutral theme continues inside the cabin, which is lined with black leather and dark wood with metallic hardware surrounding it.

So what’s it like to drive a Wraith? Just like you would expect. This is a privilege and experience that I have never had before. Back in 2015, a Rolls-Royce Product Communications representative in Austin, Texas, invited me to drive a $398,355 Wraith to the most unlikely of places. She had a hankering for Texas BBQ and decided Salt Lick in Driftwood was the perfect place to satisfy those cravings.

It was unusual for me to just get into Ghost. I’ve seen passenger cars with doors at the rear of the vehicle, but never a coupe. In front of me is the steering wheel and steering column – no paddle shifters. The Wraith is not a sports car. In fact, it doesn’t even have a sport mode. The closest thing you can get is pressing the button on the shifter to engage “low” gear and force the Ghost to start in first gear instead of second (its default setting). I also wasn’t expecting the Ghost’s infotainment setup. Instead of using the infotainment display as a touchscreen and entering the restaurant address, I had to enter the restaurant address by turning and pressing the Ecstasy rotary controller.

After I hooked up with Rolls-Royce and feasted on Salt Lick’s brisket, smoked sausage, coleslaw, and potato salad, I started the drive back to her Four Seasons hotel in downtown Austin. By then, the traffic had thinned out, giving me a chance to enjoy the Ghost’s ample power. Once again, a Rolls-Royce is unlike any car I’ve ever driven before. Given its specs, I expected it to explode with power when I put my right foot down. The force came strong, but more like a huge wave, carrying both of us forward. Although the Wraith can accelerate to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, it’s not a car that needs to be rushed. It will get you there with restraint, calmness, and poise. Ride quality is similarly refined and drama-free. Every movement I made in “Ghost” felt graceful and effortless.

If this sounds like a driving experience you’d like your partner or spouse (or yourself) to have in the coming years, click here to view the daily featured list on ClassicCars.com. If they ask you how much this generous gift cost you, don’t tell them $139,500. Just say, “No matter how much I spend, it’s worth it to see the smile on your face.”