Rolls-Royce is on a roll.
The BMW-owned British luxury car manufacturer has just announced that it’s going to build its first ever SUV for people who like their luxury splashed with mud.
Last year it cracked 4000 car sales for the first time and is building a new tech and logistics centre in the seaside town of Bognor Regis, not far from the company’s Goodwood HQ.
For Australian fans of the marque, a new 2-door Rolls-Royce Wraith arrived in Sydney last week and Business Insider had the chance to take it for a quick spin.
If you think Rolls is a brand for geriatric fuddy-duddies, Middle East princes and Russian oligarchs, then the Wraith will change your mind.
It’s not a sport car, but it exudes confidence, with opulent, tapered lines, rather than the boxy, classical ones most equate with a Roller. This though doesn't mean it comes for cheap: the starting price for this jewel is £230,000 ($350,000)
Also, it’s a big car – and not one you want to try and squeeze between the pylons in an underground car park – but that room gives you plenty of space for rear seat passengers to stretch out, which isn’t typical of a two-door vehicle.
And then there’s the quiet grunt of the engine – a true iron fist in a velvet glove that’s both all torque and plenty of action.
1. It looks great inside – especially at night when the 1340 fibre optic roof "stars" come out.
2. The Spirit of Ecstasy pops away when you turn the engine off – and returns when you start up.
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3. There are Rolls-Royce umbrellas hidden in the door cavity.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider