Ever imagined a car that has hidden, encoded messages all across its interiors?
Quite unlikely, as this is probably the first time we are seeing a car that is essentially a coded message in motion. Inspired by cryptography, the art and science of creating and solving codes, Rolls-Royce has unveiled the limited edition Wraith Kryptos. Only 50 of these will be offered for sale to discerning customers, who may want to try to crack the code.
For Wraith Kryptos, the design team at Rolls-Royce has taken inspiration from the ‘Kryptos’ sculpture installed at Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) office in Langley, Virginia. The sculpture has four hidden messages, three of which have already been solved. The fourth one continues to be a challenge for code breakers. Rather than using the same coding technique, Rolls-Royce design team has developed their own unique cipher.
The key to the code is being safeguarded with absolute secrecy at the company’s Goodwood plant in West Sussex, England. As of now, only two people have access to the code key, designer Katrin Lehmann and Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos.
Rolls-Royce Wraith Kryptos is essentially a challenge for customers to test their brain cells. The company is hopeful that at least a few of its customers will be able to crack the code. The journey itself would be quite fascinating, as owners try their best to decrypt the hidden messages.
The game begins when the car is unlocked, revealing a coded message on the Spirit of Ecstasy sculpture located on the bonnet. This is the primary cipher that will guide users to unlock the rest of the code. Once inside the car, users will have to carefully analyse the complex brushstrokes, some of which will have hidden cipher text. These will be visible only when viewed at a specific angle. Other components that have hidden codes include the embroidery.
Wraith Kryptos has several other cypher-inspired design elements such as covert illumination and shapes and patterns that form with the ambient lighting. The iconic Starlight Headlight gets a fibre-optic-inspired makeover, representing the dynamic flow of data. All these design elements add to the intrigue and mystery associated with the car.
Rolls-Royce Wraith Kryptos will have the same powertrain option as that of the standard variant. The 6.6 litre V12 engine churns out 624 bhp of max power at 5600 rpm and 820 Nm of max torque at 1500-5500 rpm. It is mated to an 8-speed automatic ZF transmission. Wraith has a top speed of 250 kmph and can reach 0-100 kmph in just 4.6 seconds.
