The new limited edition offerings from Rolls-Royce, the Wraith Kryptos Collection cars, have a secret to tell, and only a select few will have access.
Rolls-Royce are known to make extremely special cars, bespoke creations that bring to life the deepest desires of every imagination. Yet, they’ve now done something that is just that little bit more unusual. The Goodwood marque have invited clients to decipher special encrypted messages within their unique new Wraith Kryptos Collection car. Each Wraith incorporates a series of secret messages. What the cipher will reveal is presently in a sealed envelope in the safe of Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, and holds the key to the code.
Design is the natural starting point for all special endeavours and the new Wraith Kryptos Collection is the culmination of one designer’s passion for cryptography. The very limited Wraith Kryptos Collection consists of just 50 examples each incorporating a labyrinth of complex ciphers into its façade.
Katrin Lehmann, Rolls-Royce Bespoke Designer, commented, “The name Kryptos is derived from Ancient Greek, referring to something unseen, hidden and coded, mythical even. Ciphers can be traced through millennia, capturing the imagination of some of the world’s most brilliant minds.
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.”
As expressed, the Rolls-Royce Wraith Kryptos Collection carries within it an encrypted cipher that evolves throughout the car for both pleasure and amusement. It will lead clients on an intriguing journey of discovery. On the surface, these ciphers appear to be merely an alluring design for aesthetic purposes, devoid of any discernible pattern. However, look closer, and the few that hold the key, will embark on an experience that leads to an enlightening conclusion.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said, “The brilliant and creative minds of our Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective have excelled once again, creating an extraordinarily contemporary and compelling iteration of Wraith. The Wraith Kryptos Collection, on first glance, is a statement of dynamism. On closer examination, a series of messages are hidden behind a unique Rolls-Royce cipher. I look forward to seeing whether any of our clients will crack the code!”
Those acquiring the Wraith Kryptos Collection cars will be invited to submit their efforts at deciphering the cryptic clues through the members-only Whispers Rolls-Royce App.
The journey begins with the Spirit of Ecstasy, a symbol of the marque that has graced the bonnet and Pantheon grille of their motor cars for over a century. An engraving with green enamel detailing introduces the cipher on the base of the figurine. Below, recrafted bumper inserts draw the eye lower, subtly modifying both the gesture and posture of the Wraith, giving it an identity of its own.
More hints present the car’s inner-most secrets. Delphic Grey, a bespoke exterior hue of a solid Anthracite base colour has a secret – only in sunlight will the blue and green mica flakes appear. This effect is accentuated by a hand-painted double coachline, the upper being painted in the newly developed Kryptos Green while the lower acts as a shadow in Dark Grey, both depicting clues relating to the interior code. Completing the exterior are part polished wheels, with Orbit Grey coloured centres featuring a coloured pinstripe.
Inside, the cipher evolves deep into the fabric. The accented bespoke Kryptos Green leather has been developed to incorporate a metallic effect, set against either Selby Grey or Anthracite. The most apparent clue, perhaps, lies in the elements of the cipher embroidered into the headrests. The Wraith Kryptos Collection also features an elaborate, dual-tone headliner depicting an in-motion data-stream inspired motif. Illuminated door pockets continue this theme with Rolls-Royce woven leather and Kryptos Green threads to reveal an unexpected and subtle illumination that fades towards the base of the pocket. The centre tunnel is exquisitely stitched, repeating the horizontal lines of the door pockets that also hint at the Wraith’s driver-focused nature.
Rolls-Royce are delighted to unveil this new generation Collection car and hope that it poses an intriguing and entertaining challenge. There is an old adage that says it’s not something for everyone, but everything to someone.
