By Cheryl Tay

Unveiled at the 2013 Geneva International Motor Show on 5 March was the highly anticipated Wraith from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, hailed by the company as "the most powerful and dynamic Rolls-Royce in history".

Grabbing the headlines at its world debut, the crown jewel of the fleet is sleek and eye-catching and embodies all the British super-luxury marque's hallmark attributes of luxury, refinement and hand-craftsmanship.

At the press conference for the launch in Geneva, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced, "The most powerful Rolls-Royce in history, Wraith promises the sense of adventure and speed that drove our founding forefather."

Rolls-Royce Chairman and BMW Group board member Harald Krüger added, "The BMW Group today reconfirms its full commitment to the future of Rolls-Royce. Growth and a prosperous future lie ahead thanks to continued investment, careful brand stewardship and the launch of groundbreaking new models like Rolls-Royce Wraith, a magnificent addition to the product range."

The Wraith shares much of the Ghost’s elegant fastback coupé styling with two-doors along with refinements to the grille and front air dam. Compared to the Ghost, the Wraith has a shorter wheelbase, a wider rear track and lower roofline for a more aggressive stance.

It also has increased power over the Ghost with its 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 engine — similar to the top of the line Phantom models — pushing 624bhp and 800Nm from 1,500rpm (563bhp and 780Nm in the Ghost), but the eight-speed automatic transmission stays.

The Wraith’s acceleration capabilities are better than the Ghost, taking 4.4 seconds (0.3 second quicker) to get from a standstill to 100km/h.

Showcasing the latest technology from the luxury marque, the Wraith sees the debut of the Satellite Aided Transmission (SAT) which uses GPS data to "see" ahead of the moving vehicle, allowing the driver to  anticipate the next move based on location and current driving style, before pre-selecting the gear for the road profile ahead.

With the SAT, corners, junctions and roundabouts are all anticipated in advance.

Presenting an ‘onboard valet’, the Wraith has voice-activated connectivity. Voice activation commands are available with a one-touch call button on the steering wheel. The driver can simply speak out for immediate route assistance without needing to manually input a desired destination into the navigation menu.

There is also a new Spirit of Ecstasy rotary controller and touchpad that allows the ability to ‘write’ on the pad with your finger rather than scroll through the characters.

The cabin of the Wraith witnesses Canadel Panelling on the doors and other surfaces for what the brand refers to as a ‘yacht-like interior’.

Ambience is enhanced with the Starlight Headliner, an option available beyond the Phantom for the first time. Essentially, there are 1,340 small fibre-optic lights hand-woven into the roof upholstery to create the feel of a starry night out.

Without a doubt, the Wraith is an absolute best-in-class amongst super luxury launches for 2013 and as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars so aptly puts it,