Skip to main content

From lavish to ludicrous: Mansory graces the Rolls-Royce Wraith with power and gold

Mansory Palm Edition 999 Rolls-Royce Wraith
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Rolls-Royce vehicles are generally crafted from materials like steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber. In other words, plebeian scraps. For the Palm Edition 999, German tuner Mansory decided to add something something far more opulent: pure gold.

The Palm Edition 999 starts out in life as a run-of-the-mill $300,000 Wraith, but Mansory’s addition of 24-karat gold on the badges, door handles, and sill guards bring it to the next level. The wheels, hood, mirrors, roof, and bumpers are also accented with a gold-like metallic finish, as are multiple pieces of the downright stunning interior. If you’ve got the cash, though, the brand says it will gold plate any surface you like.

Mansory Palm Edition 999 Rolls-Royce Wraith
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In true Mansory fashion, aesthetics are just one part of the equation. The Wraith’s 6.6-liter biturbo V12 has been retuned from the stock output of 624 horsepower to a lofty 730 horsepower, and torque has been similarly increased from 590 pound-feet to 738 pound-feet. With these improvements, 0 to 60 mph now comes in just 4.4 seconds. Top speed has been bumped up as well, because with the removal of the 155-mph limiter, the Palm Edition 999 tops out at 186 mph.

Just nine of the gold-laden Wraiths will be built by Mansory, and although pricing information is on a strict need-to-know basis, we’d bet the MSRP is high enough to make even King Midas blush.

Mansory Palm Edition 999 Rolls-Royce Wraith
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In “standard” Rolls-Royce news, the automaker is currently testing a new aluminum platform that will underpin all of its future models. The lightweight design — appropriately dubbed Architecture of Pure Luxury by Rolls-Royce — has been developed completely in-house by the British automaker and is expected roll out on the brand’s first-ever SUV.

Tentatively named Cullinan after the world’s largest gem-quality diamond, the vehicle is expected to go head-to-head with the Bentley Bentayga when it arrives somewhere around 2018. Read more about the Cullinan here.

Editors' Recommendations

Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
Mercedes-Benz G580 first drive: old-school off-roader goes electric
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

American car buyers mostly know Mercedes-Benz as a luxury brand. But for decades, the automaker has also produced the tough, rugged G-Class (also known as the Geländewagen or G-Wagen), an SUV not afraid to get its leather upholstery muddy. And now, this iconic Mercedes is going electric.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology — the final name of the SUV previously known as the EQG — isn’t the first electric off-roader. The Rivian R1S and R1T and GMC Hummer EV have proven that electric powertrains and off-roading are a great combination. But the electric G-Wagen is different because it’s based on an internal-combustion model — and a very traditional one at that.

Read more
Honda believes hydrogen semi trucks will make the case for fuel cells
Honda hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck.

Honda remains committed to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, but the market for those vehicles remains limited. So Honda is looking at other uses for fuel cells -- including commercial trucks.

To show how that could work, Honda converted a semi truck to fuel-cell power, replacing its diesel engine with three fuel-cell modules. Together, the three modules produce a combined 321 horsepower, and can propel the truck to a top speed of 70 mph. There's enough onboard hydrogen storage capacity for a 400-mile range with a full load, Honda claims.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz G580 vs Rivian R2: Is the much cheaper Rivian actually better?
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

Mercedes-Benz has finally taken the wraps off of the new "Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology." Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's basically a new electric G-Wagon. It looks a lot like the G-Wagon you know and love, but with an electric powertrain and a battery. It's not the only electric SUV out there, however, and there are some great ones -- like the Rivian R2.

Both the Mercedes G580 and the Rivian R2 have a lot going for them, but they also approach the electric SUV slightly differently. Is one better than the other? I put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The approach that the two vehicles take to design is quite different -- and you might like one better than the other.

Read more