The all-new Rolls-Royce Ghost 2021 - Review

Overview: The Rolls-Royce Ghost first appeared on the scene back in 2009 as a bespoke luxury mobility experience designed to be both driven and chauffeured in. Since then, the Ghost has been a phenomenal success, so much so it is the most successful model in the company's 116-year history.

I had the privilege of meeting and speaking with Torsten Müller-?tv?s the CEO of Rolls-Royce at their Goodwood Headquarters. He mentioned that the design brief commissioned by the clients for the all-new Ghost was to give them "less but it must be more." Not an easy feat but if anyone was up for the challenge, for sure the manufacturer at the very pinnacle of luxury design was. The company now refer to this as “the new age of post-opulence, limited, intelligent and unobtrusive.” The new Ghost is less ostentatious and proof that less really is more as Rolls-Royce retain their crown as the world's most customer centric company.

Omitting the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot and the signature umbrella that nestles within the B-pillars, Engineering Lead, Jonathan Simms and Lead Exterior Designer, Henry Cloke proceeded to inform me that no other components survived from the first Goodwood-era Ghost. Ghost 2.0 has been “designed, crafted and engineered from the ground up” on an all aluminium space-frame chassis that underpins this car “resulting in the most technologically advanced Rolls-Royce yet.”

It's instantly noticeable that Rolls-Royce are obsessed with perfection and attention to detail. Second-generation Ghost echoes this mantra as a harmonious collocation which combines perfectly the elements of being beautifully minimalist yet highly complex, whilst still satisfying it’s core clientele needs. The trademark Pantheon grille for example has been remodelled, sand blasted, brushed and matted from behind, with twenty LEDs tucked away at the top to give a subtle illuminated glow of the vanes. The face lift is more curvaceous, utilising large monolithic pieces for significantly reduced shutlines, with purposely fashioned ‘waft lines’ borrowed from nautical design that use reflections for the Magic Carpet Ride to create a pure sense of motion.

Driving: Given it’s size and weight this car is no slouch, astonishingly nimble, sensationally smooth and versatile making sublime use of all-wheel drive and all-wheel active steering. The comfort of the ride is unparalleled with the use of a combination of improved technologies. The Planar Suspension System utilises 3 key elements a mechanical mass damper on the upper wishbone of the front suspension a Flagbearer System that reads the road ahead and prepares the suspension to erase surface imperfections aswell as a Satellite Aided Transmission that per-selects the optimum gear for cornering. This kind of angelic feeling should come as a Doctors prescription.

Interior: Inside the cabin the experts at Rolls-Royce have engineered a serenity pod with the highest quality luxuriously crafted materials. The cabin is encased in sound-deadening materials designed to specifically select desirable harmonised sounds while blocking sounds that are deemed unacceptable all without discombobulating passengers. The car also houses a state of the art bespoke sound system that automatically compensates for sound imbalances and incorporates a resonance chamber that turns the vehicle into a giant sub-woofer.

Verdict: If you’re in the market for a car like this, cost is pretty much irrelevant. Nevertheless for the record, the all-new Rolls Royce Ghost starts at ￡249,600 with limitless customisation extras. Overall it is hard to criticise as it's more than just a car; it's truly an ultra-luxurious flying experience on land, one I certainly will never forget...

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

• Car reviewed: Rolls-Royce Ghost
• Starting price ￡249,600
• 0-62mph 4.8secs
• Top speed 155mph
• Engine 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12-cylinder unleaded
• Max Power 571bhp@5000rpm
• Torque 850Nm@1600rpm
• Transmission 8-speed automatic with all-wheel-drive
• Weighs 2,490kg
• Warranty Four years/unlimited mileage
• NEDC (combined): CO2 emission: 343 g/km; Fuel consumption: 18.8 mpg / 15.0 l/100km *
• WLTP (combined): CO2 emission: 347-358 g/km; Fuel consumption: 18 – 18.6 mpg / 15.2-15.7 l/100km #

#RollsRoyceGhost #RollsRoyce #SpiritofEcstasy