There’s nothing else on the highway that comes near the brand new Rolls-Royce Ghost.
The brand new Ghost is the smaller sibling to Rolls’ full-size Phantom, and is aimed toward clients who not solely need to be pushed, but additionally need to drive their slice of road-legal luxurious themselves.
As we sat and listened to Rolls-Royce’s presentation of the brand new Ghost at its launch occasion, it sounded spectacular – virtually too good. Nonetheless, having spent a whole week with the Ghost, we are able to safely say that it delivers on the guarantees of consolation, quiet, energy, status and a driving expertise like nothing else.
There’s merely nothing extra luxurious on the highway proper now, and unsurprisingly it comes at a price. The Ghost we drove had a price ticket north of £300,000, however for Rolls-Royce clients that determine is just about insignificant. This automotive is not about its price ticket, it is about an expertise you possibly can’t get anyplace else.
Rolls-Royce Ghost design
We drove
(Picture credit score: TechRadar)
Rolls-Royce Ghost
Engine: W12
Energy: 563bhp
0-60mph: 4.6 seconds
High pace: 155mph
Gas effectivity: 18.8mpg
Worth: £301,775
Whereas the Rolls-Royce Ghost is a ‘smaller’ tackle the Phantom, it is from small. Measuring over fiver and a half meters in size, and greater than two meters large, it makes its presence recognized wherever you’re.
It is virtually intimidating as you method it. The vastness of the machine casts doubt within the thoughts – maneuverability may very well be a problem right here – regardless that Rolls-Royce claims it is a lot simpler to drive than it could seem.
It is not simply the sheer scale and lengthy wheelbase of the brand new Ghost that attracts the attention, nonetheless. The long-lasting, and gleaming Rolls-Royce grille on the entrance homes a brand new trick. Illumination.
Rolls has utilized lighting to the well-known grille for the primary time, and when the solar descends past the horizon the delicate lighting makes its personal assertion – refined and modern.
The Spirit of Ecstasy hood decoration stands proudly on the entrance of the Ghost, and really offers a helpful level of reference from the motive force’s seat as to the place the entrance of this big automotive really is.
Step out and lock the automotive, nonetheless, that the statue descends into the engine bay, with a sensible piece of bodywork transferring in to cowl the void. Rolls-Royce has refined the design across the mechanism of the Spirit of Ecstasy, with the hood engulfing the statue for a single, seamless piece of bodywork.
The earlier technology Ghost had this mechanism in a separate piece of bodywork in entrance of the hood – creating a further break within the design.
Issues get even higher while you get inside, however earlier than you do it is advisable open up the coach doorways – that are hinged opposing one another, opening up your entire facet of the car in the event you choose to open each entrance and rear concurrently.
It offers a dramatic entrance to the automotive, and in the event you occur to be caught in a rain bathe, you will discover a full-size umbrella within the body of the doorways.
Press the button to launch the umbrella and slide it out of the housing. What’s extra, while you return the umbrella to the door after use, the Ghost will even dry it for you – making certain no moisture drops are launched on its subsequent use.
As soon as inside, and you have sunk into the heavenly seats that are extra akin to your couch than a conventional automotive seat, do not you even take into consideration reaching for the door deal with to tug it closed. Oh no, within the Roll-Royce Ghost there is a button for that. The motorized system permits the doorways to shut themselves unassisted – delightfully decadent.
They do not, nonetheless, have the flexibility to open themselves in the identical method – however you do get motorized help on the rear set. Pull the interior door deal with and the door will slowly open itself, as long as you proceed to carry the deal with and gently transfer the door outward.
This helps disguise the load of the doorways, that are massive, thick and heavy – and in consequence present wonderful sound-proofing. Because the doorways of the Ghost softly click on shut, the sound from the skin world disappears, leaving you in a serene, and intensely snug surroundings.
Rolls-Royce has ensured that the front-seat passenger and driver get the identical luxuries because the rear-seat vacationers within the new Ghost, as it is a automotive that house owners need to drive in addition to be pushed in.
The seats – each back and front – are heated, air cooled and have built-in therapeutic massage methods with a variety of various pummeling choices. It is not simply the seats that are heated nonetheless, with the armests between the seats, and on the doorways additionally warming, offering an much more pleasing end result.
It is the small particulars like this extra heating, plus the pillow-like headrests, which assist elevate the Ghost expertise above different autos. There’s loads of legroom for all passengers due to the lengthy wheelbase, and look up and also you’re handled to Rolls-Royce’s starliner roof lining.
This array of lights offers an aesthetic akin to the night time’s sky. You’ll be able to regulate the brightness of the celebs, and every so often you might spot a capturing star – giving the entire scene a extra dynamic look.
When travelling because the solar goes down, or in the course of the night time, the starliner offers a calming visible which makes your presence within the automotive all of the extra calming.
You will additionally discover your toes sink into the luxurious lambswool footmats – a fabulously decadent flourish which inspires you to kick your footwear off to take advantage of the delicate, plump furnishing.
There’s loads of house for baggage too, with a large 500 liter boot offering ample house for a number of baggage – one thing we suspect lots of Rolls-Royce house owners will likely be happy to listen to.
Rolls-Royce Ghost drive
As we have already established, the Rolls-Royce is a large car, and weighing in at 2 and a half tons you would be forgiven for pondering it would not precisely excel within the efficiency division, nor be significantly helpful going spherical corners. Nonetheless, nothing could not be farther from the reality.
First up, energy, and the brand new Ghost packs in lots. It comes with a 6.75 liter, twin-turbocharged V12 beneath the hood which is able to producing 563bhp. It manages to maneuver the Ghost from 0-62mph in an especially spirited 4.6 seconds – fairly superb when you think about the scale and weight – and it will proceed to climb all the way in which to (a restricted) 155mph.
The facility supply is easy. The Rolls-Royce Ghost by no means feels prefer it’s struggling for energy, however nor does it ever appear to encourage you to push it additional. The facility is there while you want it. No fuss, simply pure, clean acceleration.
You will shortly neglect in regards to the dimension and the load of the Ghost due to this, and the supremely gentle steering. It is as soon as once more easy, with minimal resistance on the steering wheel making it really feel such as you’re in a small, light-weight metropolis automotive.
The Ghost additionally options all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering, offering responsive actions to your inputs, and making the automotive extraordinarily simple to maneuver – even in tighter parking conditions.
The steering is so splendidly gentle that I believed my private automotive had developed a fault after I returned to it after per week within the Ghost. It felt just like the steering wheel had been submerged in a treacle because it felt very heavy. There was no subject, it turned out, I’d simply grow to be accustomed to Rolls-Royce beautiful, easy steering.
All this ends in shocking efficiency in corners, because the Ghost clings to the highway and pushes you spherical. It is definitely not one thing you’d need to take to the observe, however there’s sufficient pleasure to maintain you engaged as a driver.
One other standout function right here is experience consolation. The Ghost makes use of a brand new damper design, which sees it eat up imperfections within the highway to make sure your journey is supremely clean. It options an higher wishbone damper – in brief, a damper on a damper – offering an unprecedented experience.
So the brand new Rolls-Royce Ghost is effortlessly highly effective, elegantly clean and surprisingly simple to maneuver. Nonetheless, there’s one final piece of the puzzle which makes this like no different automotive on the highway. The sound. Or, extra precisely, the shortage of sound.
The Ghost options unprecedented ranges of sound-proofing, offering driver and passengers with a splendidly quiet expertise contained in the cabin. A lot of the highway noise is cancelled out, and even the V12 engine operates at a close to silent capability – even at excessive speeds. It creates a sense of serenity, and one which’s very enjoyable.
Rolls-Royce Ghost specs and tech
Unsurprisingly, the Rolls-Royce Ghost comes with a number of tech packed into its lofty price ticket. For drivers, there’s the same old array of aids together with adaptive cruise management and lane departure warning – though, not like many automobiles as of late, Rolls-Royce has opted towards lane help which sees the car gently nudge you again to the center if it senses you beginning to drift too near the sting.
You additionally get blind spot indicators, parking sensors and 360 diploma cameras that provide you with a view throughout the automotive – which is particularly helpful with regards to parking.
As automotive producers transfer in the direction of placing shows within the instrument cluster, Rolls-Royce has resisted, as an alternative choosing three, bigger conventional dials. The central speedometer is flanked by the gasoline and engine temperature gauges on the suitable, and Rolls’ personal Energy Reserve dial on the left.
Nonetheless, you are not left fully previously. The brand new Ghost has a HUD (heads-up show) which initiatives key info – corresponding to present pace, the pace restrict and navigation instructions – into your eyeline on the windscreen. It does not overload you with info, providing you with simply what you want.
Turning consideration to the central show and people acquainted with BMW’s iDrive system will discover the similarities right here as Rolls-Royce makes use of it at its coronary heart, however provides its personal interface excessive.
You should use the touchscreen to enter instructions, or in the event you desire there is a rotary dial within the heart console between the 2 entrance seats which might be twisted and clicked to make picks.
It is easy sufficient to make use of, but it surely does not really feel fairly as fluid because the infotainment methods from Audi or Jaguar Land Rover. There is not assist for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, as Rolls says it isn’t one thing that is excessive on its buyer precedence listing. There may be, nonetheless, Bluetooth assist permitting you to stream music out of your smartphone’s apps, in addition to make and obtain calls by way of the on-wheel controls.
Underneath the central armrest you will discover a USB-C port and a wi-fi charging mat, permitting you to maintain your gadgets topped up.
Shifting focus to the rear, and the infotainment takes on one other dimension. Our Rolls-Royce Ghost got here outfitted with screens on the again of the 2 entrance seats, that are neatly tucked away behind folding picnic tables.
Press a button and the tables fold down, the screens fold out and the infotainment system switches on. You’ll be able to management music playback, view the map and route knowledge if navigation has been enabled, and likewise choose the kind and depth of therapeutic massage you need.
That is not all nonetheless, There is a DVD participant, permitting you to take pleasure in a film, plus a reside TV operate providing you with entry to a number of channels – sign allowing.
We discovered reside TV did work nicely in areas of excellent sign – corresponding to in metropolis facilities – but it surely was much less efficient when touring within the countryside. Rear seat passages can entry reside TV at any time, whereas the primary show can even entry this operate when stopped and in park.
Calm down to observe a film although – shut the privateness blinds with only a contact of a button for that cinematic really feel – and the Ghost’s incredible, bespoke soundstage impresses. The deep bass rumbles alongside the ground and the a number of audio system create an excellent cocoon of sound.
You will not solely hear the motion, however really feel it. It is not an expertise you will discover in different autos.
In addition to a DVD participant, rear seat passengers even have entry to USB, HMDI and Aux ports – for charging gadgets and connecting exterior gadgets to the shows.
A phrase on these picnic tables nonetheless – they’ve not significantly massive. They will simply accommodate a cellphone and notepad, however there’s not likely sufficient house to steadiness a laptop computer on them.
Fold down the central armrest between the 2 rear seats and you will get bodily controls for the screens – in the event you’d slightly not use the contact enter – plus particular person recline controls for every seat together with cup holders.
There’s one other storage space hidden between the 2 seats, and accessed when the armrest is folder down. Pull the panel down and you will reveal a ‘cool chamber’ which comes with two glass champagne flutes and sufficient house to chill a small bottle of bubbly.
And, as I sip on my champagne throughout my previous few moments contained in the Rolls-Royce Ghost earlier than it is collected, I mirror on the machine I have been lucky sufficient to take pleasure in over the previous week.
It is not an expertise I will ever be capable of afford – nor one thing many will be capable of. The Ghost is brimming with magnificence, consolation and exclusivity. You’ll be able to definitely see the attraction, and if I had to decide on the way to journey on land – the Ghost can be on the high of my listing.
- John McCann is getting behind the wheel to offer you an alternate take a look at the wealth of automobiles – and the tech inside them – obtainable right this moment. From super-fast sports activities automobiles to tech-packed hatchbacks, he’ll take you thru a variety of makes, fashions, energy and worth tags in his common TR Drives column.
