Rolls-Royce Wraith picks gears using GPS, keeps your Spirit of Ecstasy soaring (video)

Many Rolls-Royce drivers are used to effortless speed between the big engines and smooth suspensions. The automaker’s new Wraith coupe could iron out what few of those wrinkles are left through a clever use of GPS for the transmission. Its eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox relies on positioning to pick gears in advance, gauging the situation down to the exact stretch of road: it can see the need for a shorter gear at the upcoming corner, for example. Other tech upgrades aren’t quite as fresh, although we’re sure that less traditionalist Rolls drivers won’t mind a heads-up display, voice command support and the infotainment system’s multi-touch trackpad. The Wraith’s €245,000 ($318,745) priceand late 2013 availability will likely be too much to endure if all you’re looking for is seamless shifting — they may, however, provide some consolation for missing out on that LaFerrari.

Filed under: GPS, Transportation