Hyper-Luxury Cars Are Now Selling Faster Than Normal Ones

Something strange happened two years ago at Switzerland's annual caucus of ultra-luxury car makers. Rolls-Royce, a brand dedicated to the driven, not the driver, unveiled a vehicle that had just two doors, an engine the size of a small Jacuzzi, and a transmission that pinged satellites in order to adjust to the road ahead. The Wraith, as it was called, had no space for a jar of Grey Poupon.

“We’re evolving,” says Eric Shepherd, president of Rolls-Royce North America, about the shift into a sportier model. “Take a 22-year-old guy who just sold his app company for $22 million. When he gets behind the wheel of a Wraith, he’s hooked.”