Luxury Cars Are Embracing the “Drop” Model Favored by Supreme, Nike
Exclusive colors, rare interiors, bespoke lighting: These tiny runs of cars are all about aesthetics—and fat margins.
Illustration: Robert Beatty
Rolls-Royce knows that for some clients, the $330,000 Wraith—in all its 12-cylinder, 3,800-pound art deco glory—is not enough. The model is six years old, after all, and usually cruises rather reservedly down the street in a shade of navy or noir.
On the other hand, the Kryptos edition of the Wraith, which was released in July, comes with computer-generated ciphers stitched into the buttery leather door panels. Fiber-optic bulbs that have been woven into the ceiling depict an in-motion data stream. The quirky name is a reference to cryptography, the art of using codes. And details such as glowing fluorescent light threads and flecks of green paint are clues to a hidden message for owners to solve.