Rolls-Royce has shown off the Wraith Black Arrow, a limited-edition version of the V-12-powered coupe that will be the last one made by the company. The Rolls-Royce engine used in the “Black Arrow” land speed record car of the 1930s is etched into the dashboard of the Wraith. The special edition’s paint goes from silver to Black, and the yellow trim adds cooler. The Rolls-Royce Wraith is finally being phased out after ten years. Even though the coupe was taken off the market in the U.S. in 2021, it was still available in other countries. With the release of the Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow Collection, the company will no longer make V-12-powered coupes. Later this year, the electric Spectra will take over, but as a farewell gift, Rolls-Royce will make 12 of these special Wraiths. The vehicle was based on Thunderbolt, a land speed record vehicle with eight wheels and two Rolls-Royce V-12 aircraft engines. On the Utah Bonneville Salt Flats in 1938, Thunderbolt set a speed record of 357.497 mph, which it kept for almost a year. World War II made it harder to get back to the top, but engine technology improvements after the war ensured that the Thunderbolt was still the fastest V-12-powered vehicle ever made. Rolls-Royce says that the brilliant aluminums body of Thunderbolt reflected the harsh Utah sun so strongly that timing devices couldn’t pick it up. So, the driver painted a big black arrow and a yellow circle on the side of the car. This is what gave this limited-edition Wraith its name and design. Rolls-Royce says it took 18 months to perfect the stylish gradient paint finish on the Black Arrow, which has a Celebration Silver front and a Black Diamondback. Accents are added by the wheels and the bright yellow trim on the front bumper. Yellow paint is also used on the struts seen through the grille and the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament base. The luxurious dashboard, steering wheel, and seats are all made of yellow leather to match the color scheme. On the headrests is a stylized arrow, and the analog clock on the dashboard shows Thunderbolt’s top speed with pride. Behind the glass on the dashboard is a piece of etched aluminums that looks like the Thunderbolt’s V-12 engine. The coach doors are made of over 320 pieces of dark wood that are layered to look like the rough surface of the Salt Flats. A small aluminum copy of the Thunderbolt is also hidden behind a piece of glass in the center console. With the starlight headliner, Rolls-Royce went above and beyond. It has the most fiber-optic lights that the company has ever put on a single headliner: 2117. In the “Stars” arrangement, the constellations visible when the Thunderbolt set its record in 1938 are shown.
