The fastest Rolls-Royce ever made

The Rolls-Royce Wraith isn't like other coups, says Will Nightingale in What Car magazine. "At 5.3 metres long it's closer in size to a Victorian semi than an Audi TT, and with a starting price of £235,000, it's a lot closer in price, too."

But it drives somewhat better than the semi. Press the dash-mounted start button and the Wraith's twin-turbo V12 engine which has been tuned to produce a "mighty" 624bhp "stirs into life so smoothly and quietly you'll barely notice", says Nightingale. Start driving and you'll remain "wonderfully isolated from any engine noise or vibration". But "bury your right foot in the shagpile carpet, and the engine will bellow loudly and send you hurtling towards the horizon at a breathtaking rate".

Come to a corner and you'll quickly realise this 2.4-tonne behemoth is no sports car. "But adopt a slow-in, fast-out approach, and it's possible to hustle the Wraith along a country road surprisingly quickly."

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It is the fastest, most powerful car Rolls-Royce has ever made, says Paul Bond in AutoExpress, and it will whisk you from rest to 62mph in just 4.4 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 155mph. But it's still all Rolls: "the stunning coach doors open backwards to expose a lavish interior covered in expensive wood veneers, chrome and plush leather". It's exactly what a Rolls-Royce should be, agrees Matt Prior in Autocar: smooth, swift and refined.

Price: £235,000