Each of the 50 owners will have the chance to win an unspecified prize should they crack the code…
The majority of today’s special-edition cars are no more than a numbered plaque and a set of decals, but Rolls-Royce’s limited-run Wraith Kryptos has something a little different up its sleeve.
At first glance, you’d assume the designer has a strange obsession for Morse code, with artistic dots and dashes to be found inside and out. Look a little closer, however, and you’ll find that these are complex ciphers which, should you crack them, will lead you to ‘an enlightening conclusion’, according to Rolls-Royce.
Katrin Lehmann, Rolls-Royce bespoke designer, said: ‘As a designer, I’ve always been fascinated by the notion that you can communicate messages that are understood by only an elite few, using symbols, pictograms, and ciphers. Finding the key becomes integral to appreciating the full meaning of an item that can otherwise be viewed simply as a work of art.’
Just 50 examples of the Wraith Kryptos will be produced, with each owner invited to submit their findings for the chance to win an unspecified prize. Only the model’s designer and company CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös hold the answer at current, with it locked away in the marque’s Goodwood facility.
Beginning the cipher trail is green enamel detailing at the base of the Spirit of Ecstasy, with unique green intake surrounds also to be found at the front. Running along the length of the car is a hand-painted double coachline, composed of Kryptos Green and grey – though it may seem purely aesthetic, even this fades into a cryptic cipher towards the rear.
Every example will be finished in a unique Delphic Grey shade with blue and green metallic flakes, coming complete with 21-inch part-polished wheels, also featuring grey and green elements.
Step inside, and you’ll be greeted by illuminated ‘Wraith Kryptos Collection’ treadplates, and an array of unique details throughout the cabin. In place of the traditional ‘double-R’, Rolls-Royce embroiders elements of the cipher into the headrests, with a complex pattern embedded into the passenger side of the dashboard. Perhaps most notable is the revised starlight headliner, now featuring a dual-colour ‘data stream’-inspired pattern within striking Kryptos Green leather.
No powertrain modifications have been made, with the Wraith’s 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V12 sending 624bhp and 605lb ft of torque to the rear for a 4.6sec 0-100kph time and 250kph top speed.
Should you want to enter this intriguing game, you’ll have to be fast, as only 50 examples are set to be produced. No pricing has been disclosed. However, a standard Wraith will set you back from around $325,000.
This article originally appeared at evo.co.uk
Copyright © evo UK, Dennis Publishing
