Recent Patents Hint at Another New Rolls-Royce Wraith Model

Newly discovered patents hint that Rolls-Royce could be coming out with yet another variant of its Wraith coupe.

The British luxury automaker recently patented Wraith Merlin with the European Union Intellectual Property Office, hinting that a new Wraith variant is in the works. The Merlin name represents Rolls-Royce’s Second World War-era 27-liter V12 aircraft engine that powered the Spitfire fights and other planes. It is the most produced Rolls-Royce engine type of all time and the company celebrated the 80th anniversary of its first run in October 2013.

Production of the Merlin engine ended in 1951 with a total of 168,040 engines produced, including over 55,000 units built under license as the V-1650 by Packard in the U.S.

SEE ALSO: 9 Things I Learned Driving the 2016 Rolls-Royce Wraith

Over the years, enthusiasts have managed to shoehorn the Merlin engine into production vehicles, but don’t expect the modern Wraith to be coming with one. It’s more likely that Rolls-Royce will use the nameplate to pay homage to its past and will come out with a limited edition Wraith with visual cues, a color combination or styling that have something to do with the military aircraft.

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