Of all the accusations that can be levelled against the Rolls Royce, boring is not a word that will feature. And the Rolls Royce lives up to this axiom with the launch of its newest Collection- the Wraith Kryptos Collection.

The new Rolls Royce Wraith Kryptos collection — **Image courtesy of Rolls Royce**

The first unique feature of this collection is its number: only 50 Wraith Kryptos will be manufactured. Its second special trait is the intricate yet complex ciphers that have been incorporated into its design for clients’ pleasure.

Providing more insight behind the collection’s puzzle-driven design, Katrin Lehmann, Rolls Royce designer explains, “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. 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.”

According to Rolls Royce’s official press release, the Wraith Kryptos Collection carries within it an encrypted cipher that evolves throughout the car for the clients’ pleasure and amusement, leading them on a journey of discovery and intrigue. To the uninitiated, these ciphers appear, on the surface at least, to be an alluring design purely for aesthetic purposes and devoid of any discernible pattern. However, for those that look closer, those few who hold the key, they will embark on an experience that leads to an enlightening conclusion.

The cryptographic journey begins with the Spirit of Ecstasy, which has graced the bonnet of the marque’s motor cars for over a century. An engraving with green enamel detailing introduces the Rolls-Royce cipher on the base of the enigmatic figurine. Below, recrafted bumper inserts draw the eye lower, subtly modifying both the gesture and posture of Wraith, giving this collection an identity of its own.

Even the collection’s colourway is significant. The exterior is a Delphic grey that hides blue and green mica flakes which appear only in sunlight. 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 aesthetic are part polished wheels, with Orbit Grey coloured centres featuring a coloured pinstripe.

Inside, stepping over the illuminated treadplates, the cipher evolves deep into the fabric of the motor car. One is immediately greeted by the accented Bespoke Kryptos Green leather hue, which has been developed to incorporate a metallic effect, set against either Selby Grey or Anthracite. In perhaps the most apparent clue, elements of the cipher are embroidered into Wraith’s headrests, where the customary ‘double-R’ emblem can so often be found. For the driver’s enjoyment, an intriguing screenprint flows across the metal fascia, spanning the width of the interior.

Completing the mysterious allure of this marque is the fact that the solution of the code is known to only two people – the designer and the Chief Executive. The answer has been placed in a sealed envelope, in the safe of the Chief Executive Officer, at the Home of Rolls-Royce, in Goodwood, West Sussex. Clients will be invited to submit their efforts at cracking the code via the members-only Rolls-Royce Application, Whispers.