The first images released of the new Rolls-Royce Ghost they are all in an ethereal white against an ethereal white background, in perfect harmony with its name and the concepts that were behind its conception: simplicity and serenity, or even the very evident concept of post-opulence.
It's smaller than the Phantom flagship, but it's bigger than its predecessor: it's 5546mm long, almost 150mm longer, and just 20mm shorter than the long version of the first Ghost. It is 30mm wider (2140mm with mirrors) and 21mm taller (1571mm). The wheelbase remains at 3295 mm.
It builds on the Architecture of Luxury, inherited from the Phantom and Cullinan, and gains proportions somewhat different from its predecessor — the additional inches gained are concentrated in the elongated rear span, more in line with the classic proportions of the Rolls-Royce of yesteryear.
Visually, the new Rolls-Royce Ghost meets the advocated simplicity with a cleaner body: there are fewer cut lines in the body and the number of creases has also been reduced.
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There are two exceptions. The first is the slightly arched waistline that marks the side, extending uninterruptedly along the entire length. The second is the so-called “waterline” (nautical term), which has long marked the side of the Rolls-Royce and the new Ghost is no exception, interpreted here as a more subtle crease in the underbody.
The “Spirit of Ecstasy” now appears from the hood and not from the new single-frame grille. LED Laser headlamps are also simple in appearance, but precise in their appearance.
Still noble 12 cylinders
The premises of post-opulence and serenity were what guided the development team, but the new Rolls-Royce Ghost still moves, exclusively, with an internal combustion engine — no electrons… yet. It's still a noble and refined V12 — placed behind the front axle for better mass distribution — but the previous 6.6 l block gives way to a version of the 6.75 l debuted in the Cullinan.
As Rolls-Royce would say, performance is "adequate". Despite the high capacity of the engine and the fact that it comes with two turbochargers, we can say that the 571 hp (at 5000 rpm) advertised are… modest. The same cannot be said of the generous 850 Nm of torque (+70 Nm than the predecessor), available at an absurdly low 1600 rpm.
All this force is transmitted to the four wheels, through an automatic gearbox (torque converter) with eight speeds. And even considering its 2553 kg, we have to admit that the performance of the new Rolls-Royce Ghost is more than "adequate": 4.8s until it reaches 100 km/h with the maximum speed fixed to an electronically limited 250 km/h.
Certainly enough for those who choose to drive.
Speaking of driving it…
For those who choose to drive it, Rolls-Royce has not forgotten them. In addition to four-wheel drive, the new Ghost also has four-wheel steering, for greater agility, or better yet, greater grace when you have to go beyond those sections of asphalt that join two straights.
In doing so, onboard comfort should be paramount. The new Rolls-Royce Ghost comes with a sophisticated self-leveling pneumatic independent suspension (double overlapping triangles at the four corners), which introduces a new system called Planar, which combines the action of three mechanical and electronic elements.
The upper suspension triangles at the front contain a mass damper that absorbs vibrations generated by the impact of the wheels on the road. To its aid is also a camera-based system that is capable of examining the road surface ahead at speeds of up to close to 100 km/h, adapting the suspension damping in time — a “flying mat”? It seems so.
Silence and Serenity
Still on the serenity and comfort on board, we addressed the topic recently. The British brand released several small films about the new Rolls-Royce Ghost. In this article, which explores some of the peculiarities of the new Ghost, you can find more details on how it achieved its ambitious goals of silence and serenity:
Looking now at the revealed interior, it is also worth noting the effort to visually and functionally express these qualities of simplicity and serenity.
Its design is simple, formed by horizontal lines, tending towards the minimalist, but enriched with top materials such as leather, wood and aluminium. As an option we can have a “starry” ceiling that integrates exciter type speakers, capable of transforming the entire Ghost ceiling into a… loudspeaker. The “starry” theme continues on the dashboard, where we can see the Ghost inscription accompanied by 850 points of light.
When does it arrive and how much does it cost?
We don't know how much it costs in Portugal, but in the US it starts at around 280 thousand euros. The production of the new Rolls-Royce Ghost has already started, as it is already possible to order, with the British brand starting the first deliveries, if all goes according to plan, before the year ends.
