Rare Rides: The 2020 Rolls-Royce Wraith Silver Spectre, Affordable Shooting Brake Time

Ever wanted the luxurious accommodation of a Rolls-Royce, without the stodgy roofline and pesky cargo limitations of a coupe? Well Carat Duchatelet has just the car for you.

Presenting the Rolls-Royce Wraith Silver Spectre, your personal shooting brake.

The Wraith took over coupe duty in the Rolls-Royce lineup for the 2014 model year, as a replacement for the more expensive Phantom Coupe. While the flagship Phantom is on its own bespoke platform, the Wraith is a bit more common in pedigree and resides on BMW’s F01 chassis with the 7-Series. Rolls also sells a convertible version of the Wraith called the Dawn, and a sedan known as Ghost.

Power for the Wraith also comes from BMW, in the form of a twin-turbo V12 shared with the most expensive 7-Series. 6.6 liters of engine churn out 623 horses, controlled by an eight-speed ZF auto. The Wraith is fully customizable inside and out, but all examples leaving the Goodwood, England plant are two-door coupes.

That limitation didn’t sit right with designer Niels Van Roij, who dreamed up a shooting brake version of the Wraith. He worked with Belgian firm Carat Duchatelet and reworked much of the Wraith’s exterior. The roofline was changed substantially, as it sloped to a rear hatch instead of a trunk. Of significance, said roof is made of a single piece of carbon fiber. The roof changes also meant a significantly revised (and enlarged) C-pillar. Dogleg hinges hold up the large rear aperture, which opens to a flat if narrow cargo area. Cargo capacity is only slightly better than the Wraith coupe, as large, leather-covered panels were installed at the rear to hold things like wires and ductwork, and much sound insulation.

Carat also included a full-length starlight headliner in the Silver Spectre and turned up the power on the V12 to an even 700 horses. Van Roij says the project is meant to recall the luxurious and stately British shooting brakes of yore while bringing the idea into a most modern interpretation.

This particular modern interpretation was limited to seven total units from Carat’s Belgian coachworks. Today’s brown example for sale in the Netherlands seems to be the very one used in its manufacturer’s press photos seen here. It’s priced upon request, probably in the seven-figure area.

Ed. note — you’re not experiencing déjà vu, we did write about this car last fall. But that was a newsy post, and this car definitely fits our Rare Rides series, so Corey was able to go a bit more in-depth here.

[Images: Carat Duchatelet]