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Rolls-Royce Wraith looks rad in red [UPDATE]

UPDATE: An earlier version of this post called this car the "St. James Edition," which is incorrect. It's not a full-on special edition, rather a bespoke color. And an awesome one, at that. Of all the cars that would look right in red, and of all the colors you could specify for a new Rolls-Royce, ordering up a bright scarlet Wraith might not seem like the first choice to many. Fortunately there are plenty of other options available in the Rolls-Royce catalog. But for those who disagree, the British luxury automaker offers St. James Red, the bespoke color seen here. The color is offset by chrome brightwork on the grille, window frames, and door handles. The wheels are done up in a two-tone silver and gloss black, while the interior is swathed in what we're sure is only the softest, most supple black leather known to man. Of course, since it's a Wraith, there's power to match that racy exterior. This coupe is, after all, the most powerful vehicle Rolls-Royce has ever offered, packing a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 with 624 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, propelling over 5,000 pounds of luxury to 60 in a scant 4.4 seconds. More than adequate, indeed. If there was ever a Rolls that could get away with the bright red approach, surely it's the Wraith.

Freddie Mercury's silver Rolls-Royce auction will benefit Ukrainian war victims

Freddie Mercury, Queen’s exuberant front man, had a penchant for very expensive, very lux cars; a Lincoln, a Daimler, and his favorite, a 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. The limousine, which chauffeured Mercury until his death in 1991 (he had no driverÂ’s license), is now on its way to a higher calling: ItÂ’s to be sold off next month at RM Sotheby's London auction, with proceeds going to the Superhumans Center, a charity supported by Richard Branson and others to provide aid for war victims in Ukraine and to fund construction of a hospital in Lviv. According to the Hagerty automotive site, MercuryÂ’s sister Kashmira drove the car for a time after her brotherÂ’s death. With 62,000 miles on the clock, it was eventually put up for auction in Britain and sold in 2013 and fetched GBP74,600, the equivalent of GBP131,098 (about $146,000) today. The car is painted a color called Silver Chalice and has a blue interior. It is powered by a V8 motor. The sedanÂ’s memory was kept alive in the Queen biopic, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” At the beginning of the film, the rocker is being delivered to the Live Aid concert in a silver Rolls (not MercuryÂ’s original, presumably). In other Queen-related news of note, band members Brian May and Roger Taylor authorized the release Thursday of a newly-discover song, “Face It Alone,” originally recorded in the 1980s. It was targeted for inclusion on “The Miracle,” QueenÂ’s 13th studio album, but didnÂ’t make the final release. The song was discovered by a team assembling an upcoming eight-disc Queen box set. “WeÂ’d kind of forgotten about this track,” Taylor said in a statement. “But there it was, this little gem. ItÂ’s wonderful, a real discovery. ItÂ’s a very passionate piece.” Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Freddie Mercury's Rolls-Royce View 11 Photos Celebrities Rolls-Royce Auctions Luxury Sedan

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.