The past few days have given us a treasure trove of special edition Rolls-Royce models, ranging from the Ghost by Vitesse AuDessus and Bengala Automotive Design to the pair of Porto Cervo exclusives for the Dawn and Wraith models by Rolls’ very own Bespoke customer personalization program. Now we give you yet another exclusive, special edition Rolls-Royce courtesy of American experiential designer Eddie Sotto, who once was the Senior Vice President of Concept Design for Walt Disney Imagineering.

Given his experience and pedigree in design and craftsmanship, Sotto sought to find inspiration to create a special edition Wraith that literally lived by its “special edition” label. He found what he needed in the designs of classic wooden motor yachts so he set about giving the Wraith the full yacht treatment. The coupe’s exterior and interior were treated to an imaginative combination of actual mahogany and a variety of wood-paint combos to create a highly personalized bespoke custom job that speaks to the elegance and luxury characteristics that Rolls-Royce is famous for.

The custom work doesn’t come without its gulp-inducing moments. The whole thing costs more than $1 million, donor car included. Do the math and that adds up to around $350,000 for the actual Wraith and over $650,000 for the full-scale Regatta custom treatment. It’s definitely a king’s ransom, but one that comes with the exclusivity of being one of only a few Rolls-Royce Wraiths to have actual mahogany on the roof.

Continue reading to learn more about the Rolls-Royce Wraith Regatta by Eddie Sotto.

2016 Rolls-Royce Wraith Regatta by Eddie Sotto

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2016 Rolls-Royce Wraith Regatta by Eddie Sotto
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

What Makes the Rolls-Royce Wraith Regatta by Eddie Sotto so Special

“We’re aiming to give customers a decidedly non-plastic experience.” Those are the words of Eddie Sotto when he talked to the BBC about this project. Hailed by TED founder Richard Saul Wurman as one of America’s most creative people, Sotto did his reputation a great service with his work on the Rolls-Royce Wraith. It’s far from what you’d call a traditional aftermarket program, but therein lies its uniqueness.

For instance, the exterior of the Wraith received the full craftsmanship treatment, right down to the use of actual mahogany planking on the hood, roof, and rear section of the luxury coupe to go with a satin-finish aluminum outline. The bow-to-stern mahogany treatment not only brims with class and craftsmanship, the detail by which Sotto designed the mahogany planking (take a look at the bird’s eye view photo) also creates a striking image of an actual luxury boat. And if it so happens that a customer isn’t digging the mahogany, the designer says that the material used can be personalized using a different wood-paint combination.

The extravagance doesn’t end there either. Swing open the rear-hinged power doors and therein lies a lavish world adorned with materials that imbibe Sotto’s nautical theme. Wooden finishes on the door panels and dashboard are just the tip of the iceberg. The cabin also features nautical-brass inlays, brass-trimmed vents, bejewelled controls, and engravings on the wooden dashboard and door panels.

Not surprisingly, Sotto’s work doesn’t include upgrades on the Wraith’s 6.6-liter twin-turbo V-12 engine. As such, don’t expect any gains from the V-12’s standard output of 624 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Don’t feel too bad though because even in stock form, the V-12 is still good enough to help the Wraith sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds before hitting am electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

In some ways, not having an engine upgrade fits into Sotto’s goal of focusing more on automotive craftsmanship than going the typical aftermarket tuning route that, in his eyes, have become more “garish than graceful”, thus betraying the true essence of Rolls-Royce. According to Sotto, the Wraith Regatta is a “return to that handmade finish and Old World craftsmanship you’d expect in a car like .”

It’s hard to argue against what he’s saying and it’s even more difficult to do so when the final product looks like this.

Those interested in availing of Sotto’s Regatta program for their Rolls-Royce Wraiths will have to send their luxury cars to the Aria Group, Sotto’s partner in this endeavor. The California-based design and fabrication firm will take the point in giving the luxury coupe the Regatta transformation.