Rolls-Royce Wraith
Why 2.3: Rolls-Royce’s coupe: the idea of a fast two-door, not the reality of one. 624 hp that arrives so seamlessly you barely notice them, a Satellite Aided Transmission that reads the road ahead, and an ownership experience almost entirely predicated on arriving rather than driving.
Layout
Natural habitat
Ride comfort
Sound
The 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 is smooth to the point of being inaudible, which is precisely the specification Rolls-Royce wrote. But this column rates noise, and a car engineered so you cannot tell the engine is running has almost nothing to offer it.
12-cylinder · turbocharged · 6,000 rpm redline · rated 3.6 / 10 for engine sound
Market value
Median asking price, good condition · €262k (2014) → €156k (2026), trending down · illustrative data
Child seats · ISOFIX
Both rear seats come with ISOFIX mounting points, though the low, scooped rear buckets make actually fitting a bulky seat fiddly.
No front ISOFIX documented for the Wraith's front seats.
Parkers.co.uk Wraith practicality review (owner-community sourced, not manufacturer documentation)
The long version
Rolls-Royce built the Wraith with a satellite navigation link that tells the gearbox what corners are coming and pre-selects the gear before the driver needs it, which is either the most sophisticated transmission in production or the clearest evidence that the driver is not the point. At 2.4 tonnes, the Wraith is not a car you push; it is a car that impresses by making everything effortless. The annual mileage data confirms the ownership pattern: these cover modest miles in ideal conditions, are rarely ventured into weather, and trade at prices that reflect collector maintenance rather than heavy use. Valet Royalty is the obvious badge, but at 1.5 it avoids the very bottom tier because some owners do cover meaningful road miles — they just do so at the pace the car recommends.