Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow: Last V12 Coupe for Rolls-Royce
Big engines with lots of cylinders are going the way of the dinosaur as car brands switch to hybrids and all-electrics. Famed British automaker Rolls-Royce is winding down the Wraith, which has been one of the mainstays in the company’s lineup since it debuted in 2013. Now the Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow is set to be the company’s last V-12 Coupe as the brand shifts to electric engines.
The Rolls-Royce Wraith for sale comes with a 6-liter V-12 under the hood and plenty of performance to match its luxury. Yet it’s a relic of a soon-to-be bygone age. Many car brands are shifting to electrics and even those continuing with combustion engines are focusing on smaller, more efficient engines.
Throughout much of the 20th century, the easiest way to add speed and power to a vehicle was to add more cylinders. V-12 engines were typically reserved for motorsports cars and large, heavy luxury sedans and coupes. Yet even a V-12 will struggle to keep up with a modern electric engine, especially off the line.
The Wraith Black Arrow was inspired by the Rolls-Royce Thunderbolt, which set the land speed record back in the 1930s. That car also featured a V-12 engine and topped out at 357.497 miles per hour. The Thunderbolt’s top speed is engraved on the clock, and the interior liner also pays homage to the starry night in Bonneville, when the Thunderbolt set its record in 1938.
Just 12 copies of the Black Badge Wraith Black Arrows will be built, and all of them have been spoken for.
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