Although rarely associated with racing,->ke447 Rolls-Royce->ke74 has had a busy Goodwood Festival of Speed this year, where it unveiled two one-off cars and broke its own record up the hill with a Wraith.->ke1710 Now that the show is over, the Brits have returned to their habit of launching bespoke models based on their existing products. This time around it's still a Wraith, but one that's more than just an appearance update.

Meet the Wraith St. James Edition, the company's most powerful vehicle yet.

Also crafted by the Bespoke division, which had already created at least three new Wraiths over the past eight months, the St. James Edition comes with all the bells and whistles we've come to expect from Bespoke. It has a striking exterior paint and a custom interior on top of everything that already makes the Wraith a breathtaking vehicle.

However, this particular car is a lot more special than I imagined. Not because it has bespoke badges or a color that's not exactly common for a Rolls-Royce. Nope, this Wraith actually received a mild bump in horsepower; the first time that's happened since Bespoke started building one-off models regularly a few years ago. But you'll have to keep reading to find out more about that.

Continue reading to learn more about the Rolls Royce Wraith St. James Edition/

Exterior

Much like any other Wraith customized by the folks at Bespoke, the St. James Edition is about a new color, new wheels, and a lot of chrome. But while the bright-red color is far from mind-blowing, it gives the Wraith a look, most likely because red-painted Rolls-Royces aren't very common. It's probably why I can't decide if I like it or not. Sure, bright shades of red go well with fastbacks, but the Wraith is a bit too massive to be as sexy and sleek as, say, a red 2015 Mustang.

The good news is Rolls used plenty of chrome to highlight the paint job. The huge front grille, the door handles, the window frames, and the trim in the front bumper intake are there to remind us that this is indeed a Rolls-Royce and not just any old massive coupe screaming for attention. Rounding out the package is a set of two-tone wheels finished in silver and gloss-black. Fancy!

Interior

For some reason Rolls-Royce did not release photos of the coupe's interior, except for a picture showing a chrome side sill and its "Hand Built in Goodwood, England" plaque. However, judging by the door panels, the entire cabin is likely dressed in black. Although I'm not a fan of black interiors, it's an excellent choice considering the red exterior. Of course, a brighter, two-tone upholstery as seen in the 2015 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe Al-Adiyat Collection would've been nice as well, but you can't go wrong with black.

Even though there aren't any official details to go by, I'm positive the St. James Edition comes with every surface covered in the softest leather highlighted by contrast stitching. The wood dashboard likely features the familiar Bespoke clock as well as a themed section as seen on other similar creations. Given this special edition bears the name of St. James, the patron saint of Spain and Portugal, I'm expecting this coupe to feature a few related motifs, though I wouldn't bet on anything religious.

Drivetrain

This is where the Wraith St. James Edition stands out in a pack of Wraiths, as the massive 6.6-liter V-12 under the hood was tweaked to generate 632 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. That's eight extra horses over the standard model, which not only makes it the most powerful Wraith in production, but also Rolls-Royce's most potent vehicle yet. Sure, some may argue that eight extra horses isn't much, and I couldn't agree more, but looking back on other Bespoke models, this is a big deal.

Though the added power won't help the coupe->ke141 get to 60 mph any quicker than the standard car, it's acceleration is still impressive at only 4.4 seconds. Bear in mind that this vehicle weighs nearly 5,400 pounds and it's as quick as a 2016 BMW 435i ZHP Edition and quicker than a 2015 Chevrolet SS in a straight line. The Wraith's top speed is equally impressive at 186 mph. The same ZF eight-speed automatic found in all Rolls-Royce models handles the shifting.

Prices

There's no word as to how many of these cars will be built and how much they will cost, but considering the regular Wraith is priced from about $300,000, the St. James Edition should fetch even more.

Competition

2016 Bentley Continental GT Speed

When talking about size, luxury, and customizing options, the Wraith is pretty much in a league of its own. However, if you're willing to trade some of those features for quicker sprints and more sportiness, then the Bentley Continental GT Speed is your best choice here. It's not as exclusive as the Wraith, but it's made in Britain and comes with a menacing W-12 under the hood.

The 6.0-liter unit cranks out 626 horsepower and 607 pound-feet of torque. But even though it misses six horses compared to the Wraith, it does have an additional 17 pound-feet of twist to brag about. Additionally, because it's lighter and built with sportiness in mind, it's significantly quicker from 0 to 60 mph, needing just four seconds to hit that speed. Its top speed is also superior to the Wraith's (and just about every other vehicle in its class for that matter), at 206 mph.

More good news in favor of the GT Speed comes in the pricing department, as the Bentley->ke15 starts from $203,500 in the U.S.

Read more about the 2016 Continental GT in our detailed review here.

2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe

Even though it's a few inches longer than the Continental GT Speed, the S65 AMG Coupe is still significantly smaller than the Wraith. On the other hand, the German coupe is better suited to compete against the Wraith, as Mercedes->ke187 offers a wider range of customizing options through both the AMG and Designo. Not to mention it's arguably the prettiest and most aggressive looking option of the batch, courtesy of the brand's new design language and AMG's stylish yet still aggressive body kits.

Styling and features aside, the S65 AMG Coupe is quite the performer too. The 6.0-liter V-12 lurking beneath the long hood churns 621 horsepower and a whopping 738 pound-feet of torque, which return four-second 0-to-60 mph sprints and a top speed of 186 mph. Additionally, although it's a bit more expensive than the Speed GT, is significantly more affordable than the Wraith, at $230,000. Of course, a Mercedes will never be as exclusive as a Rolls-Royce, but it depends on what you want.

Find out more about the S65 AMG Coupe in our full review here.

Conclusion

After seeing so many Bespoke Rolls-Royces the past 12 months, it takes a really special model to impress me. I mean, the new paints and leathers are nice and all, but not all vehicles have that little extra to catch your attention. I'm talking about the "crossbanded" Canadel wood trim in the 2015 Rolls-Royce Wraith "Inspired by Film," the clock face depicting the Suhail Ursa Minor and Major constellations in the 2015 Rolls-Royce Suhail Collection, or the carbon-fiber/aluminum Z-Box in the 2015 Rolls-Royce Phantom Limelight just to name a few.

While the St. James Edition might not have such features (we won't know until we see the interior), the fact that it comes with a few extra horses under the hood1 makes it one of the most exciting Rolls-Royces I've seen in a long while. And not just because it's the most powerful vehicle to ever leave Goodwood, it could also be the signal that the Brits are finally considering updating their drivetrains.