GHOST STORIES
The new Rolls-Royce Ghost is the marque’s most advanced car yet
The original Ghost became the most successful product in the Rolls-Royce’s 116-year history and now, on a cold morning in 2020, we’re standing in front of the brand-new Ghost. It’s the most advanced car that Rolls-Royce has ever made, and from the moment you step into it you’re imbued with a sense of serenity.
Reduction is the key theme here – busy details and superficial embellishments were stripped out to create a more relaxing refuge, while acoustic engineers worked to create a whisper-quiet environment.
In fact, Rolls-Royce experimented with a completely silent interior but found it too disorientating. Instead, they manufactured a soft undertone – a subtle note which perfectly resonates throughout the vehicle. It’s calming, hand-crafted, and so special you’ll find yourself speeding up as you walk towards it, in anticipation of its luxury.
As well as creating a serene environment, the near-silent cabin creates a perfect stage for the Bespoke Audio system, which uses new exciter speakers bonded to the surface of the Starlight Headliner, transforming the car’s ceiling into a large speaker.
There’s no point in having an interior that lulls you to sleep if every bump in the road sends a jolt up your spine and, luckily, Rolls-Royce has taken care of this as well with the new ‘Planar Suspension System’. This combines a radical front suspension assembly with the ‘Flagbearer system’, which uses two cameras to read the road ahead and prepare the suspension system for any changes in the surface. The result is unprecedented levels of ride comfort.
A bespoke Ghost engine map was created to ensure ‘sufficient’ performance from the 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12, delivering a tarmac shattering 563bhp and 850Nm of torque to the all-wheel drivetrain. Combined, this makes the Ghost a driver’s Rolls-Royce, one that you’ll very much want to drive, rather than be driven in.
The new minimalist aesthetic is confident, pure, and unmistakably Rolls-Royce, whilst still feeling fresh and modern. Special mention goes to the ethereal front-end, using 20 LEDs in the radiator grille to subtly illuminate the vanes. It’s incredibly effective.
So, although this may be the ‘entry-level’ Rolls-Royce, priced from a mere £249,600 ( rolls-roycemotorcars.com), the Ghost is far from ‘entry-level’; it’s a super-luxury saloon that is dynamic, serenely comfortable and perfect in its minimalism.