Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé vs Rolls-Royce Wraith

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Historical comparison

Every selected record is historical. Verified South African specifications and last-listed prices remain available for owners and used-car shoppers.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé Discontinued model Rolls-Royce Wraith Discontinued model
Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé in South Africa

Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé

6.7 V12 Petrol 8-Speed Automatic Discontinued model
No longer sold new historical price not confirmed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 338 kW 🔧 720 Nm ⛽ 6.76 km/l
VS
Rolls-Royce Wraith in South Africa

Rolls-Royce Wraith

6.6T V12 Petrol 8-Speed Automatic Discontinued model
No longer sold new historical price not confirmed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 465 kW 🔧 800 Nm ⛽ 6.99 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Wraith
Fuel Economy Tie
🛡 Safety Wraith
📦 Practicality Wraith
🔑 Ownership Tie

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Phantom Coupé Wraith
Maximum Power 338 kW @ 5350 rpm 465 kW @ 5600 rpm
Maximum Torque 720 Nm @ 3500 rpm 800 Nm @ 1500-5500 rpm
Engine Size 6749 cc 6592 cc
Claimed Mileage 6.76 km/l 6.99 km/l
Ground Clearance 132 mm 149 mm
Boot / Load Bay 395 l 470 l
Airbags 6 6
Kerb Weight 2580 kg 2360 kg
Seating Capacity Not confirmed Not confirmed
Warranty 4 years, unlimited kilometres 4 years, unlimited kilometres

= leads in this spec

Archived models stay fully comparable. Verified specs remain visible; historical fields that were not source-confirmed are marked Not confirmed instead of being guessed.

The Bottom Line

Both Phantom Coupé and Wraith are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Wraith +2 pts
Efficiency Equal
Safety Wraith +5 pts
Practicality Wraith +4 pts
Ownership Equal

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Phantom Coupé

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Less comprehensive safety features
  • Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to: General Use
🏆 Overall Winner

Wraith

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger safety package
  • More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Highway Driving Family Usage

Which One's Right for You?

Phantom Coupé

  • Buyers looking for a balanced all-round vehicle

Wraith

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Families prioritising stronger safety equipment
  • Large families needing more practicality and usability

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec Phantom Coupé Wraith
Generation Phantom VII two-door Coupé; the archived profile uses the exact Series II World specification listed for South Africa in 2016. First-generation Wraith fastback coupé; this profile uses the May 2016 World technical specification aligned with the April 2016 South African 6.6T V12 listing.
Facelift History Phantom Series II was introduced in 2012; Phantom Coupé production ended in 2016. No facelift attribution is made; this archive profile is tied to the May 2016 World technical specification rather than the different 2013 launch figures.
Facelift Launched Since 2012 2016
Facelift Version Ending 2016 2023
Body Style Coupe Coupe
Model Year 2016 2016
Production Status discontinued discontinued
Segment Ultra-luxury grand tourer Ultra-luxury grand tourer
Vehicle Type Passenger car Passenger car
Model Introduced Year Not confirmed 2013
Spec Phantom Coupé Wraith
Drivetrain Layout Front-engine, rear-wheel drive Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Transfer Case Not Applicable Not Applicable
Paddle Shifters No No
Gearbox 8-speed automatic / 8HP70 8-speed automatic / 8HP90
Final Drive Ratio 3.154 2.813
Number of Gears 8 8
Transmission Type 8-speed automatic / 8HP70 8-speed automatic / 8HP90
Clutch Type Torque converter Torque converter
Drivetrain RWD RWD
4WD Engagement Not Applicable Not Applicable
4WD Hi Range Not Applicable Not Applicable
4WD Lo Range Not Applicable Not Applicable
4WD Selector Not Applicable Not Applicable
Automatic Shift Paddles No No
Front Differential Lock Not Applicable Not Applicable
Gearbox Type 8-speed automatic / 8HP70 8-speed automatic / 8HP90
Low Range Ratio Not Applicable Not Applicable
Low Range Not Applicable Not Applicable
Axle Layout Two axles Two axles
Transmission Speeds 8 8
Gear Shift Type Steering-column automatic selector; no manual mode Automatic with Low selector mode; no manual override

Overall Verdict Score

Decision-grade view of the winner, score gap and category strengths.

Weighted / 100
Verdict readout

Wraith leads by 3 points

Both Phantom Coupé and Wraith are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Winner 65 /100
Lead 3 points
Data 91% confidence
65
#1 Winner

Wraith

91% data confidence 2 strong categories
Best at Performance 97 Check Efficiency 31
Performance 97
Efficiency 31
Safety 76
Practicality 58
Ownership 44
Leads by 3 points
62
#2

Phantom Coupé

91% data confidence 2 strong categories
Best at Performance 95 Check Efficiency 31
Performance 95
Efficiency 31
Safety 71
Practicality 54
Ownership 44
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Wraith +2 Efficiency Level Safety Wraith +5 Practicality Wraith +4 Ownership Level

Very close match. Final decision depends on buyer preference.

Why this score View full breakdown
Overall Winner

Wraith

Performance 97/100
Efficiency 31/100
Safety 76/100
Practicality 58/100
Ownership 44/100

Phantom Coupé

Performance 95/100
Efficiency 31/100
Safety 71/100
Practicality 54/100
Ownership 44/100

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Rolls-Royce Wraith wins with 65 pts vs 62 pts for Phantom Coupé

In structured scoring, Wraith emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Phantom Coupé may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the Wraith edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Phantom Coupé 31 vs Wraith 31. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Phantom Coupé 71, Wraith 76. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Phantom Coupé 44, Wraith 44. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Phantom Coupé 54, Wraith 58. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Phantom Coupé 95, Wraith 97. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Wraith edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Wraith scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Phantom Coupé and Wraith in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Phantom Coupé scores 95 vs 97.

Efficiency: Phantom Coupé scores 31 vs 31.

Safety: Phantom Coupé scores 71 vs 76.

Practicality: Phantom Coupé scores 54 vs 58.

Ownership: Phantom Coupé scores 44 vs 44.

Final structured scoring gives Wraith the advantage in this comparison.