The Ghost has always been the one to go for those who found the Phantom to be “for daddies”. I mean, the target audience for the Ghost has always been the younger generation. When I say “younger generation”, I mean relatively younger; the wealthy individuals in their 30s or 40s. Which is why you also have the Black Badge edition.
If the Ghost wants to haunt more young wealth, the second generation has to look even more sportier; and it is. I think this is the best looking 4-door Rolls-Royce ever. CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös says that the styling took a minimalistic approach thanks to the feedback from the Ghost clients. This Ghost doesn’t scream, but whispers, he says. Even the shut lines have been reduced as much as possible, thanks to simultaneous hand welding by multiple craftsmen. The design philosophy if you’re interested to know, is called ‘Post Opulent’.
The new Ghost is 30 mm wider (1,978 mm), but cleverly manages to hide it with the new front and rear fascias. Built on a brand-exclusive Aluminium Spaceframe Architecture that also underpins the Phantom VIII and Cullinan, the Ghost’s overall length has grown by 89 mm to 5,546 mm. Its rear-three quarter angle somehow reminds me of the Mulsanne.
Anyway, the front grille has 20 LEDs that subtly illuminate the veins from the top. The laser headlights boast a range of over 600 metres.
The interior of a Rolls-Royce has been clean and minimalistic, but the new Ghost appears to take it to the next level. Of course, there are new materials and wood available, including an open-pore finish. Two new finishes have been developed specifically for the new Ghost. The first is Obsidian Ayous, inspired by the colours found in lava rock; the second one is Dark Amber that integrates veins of fine aluminium particles into the dark wood. The hides available are of course, of the very best quality.
It has also got the Starlight Headliner with shooting star effects; illuminated Ghost branding on the passenger side dashboard surrounded by 850 stars, and a 1300-watt bespoke audio system. While the instrument cluster has traditional, circular bezels, the content inside is digital. Also, the new Ghost uses more than 100 kg (220 lbs) of sound-deadening materials, applied in the doors, roof, between the double-glazed windows, inside the tyres and within the architecture itself.
There’s also a new Micro-Environment Purification System, which is claimed to be capable of removing nearly all ultra-fine particles from the cabin in less than 2 minutes.
Power assisted egress
In addition to the self-closing doors, the opening of the doors is also power assisted for the first time. You just pull the handle once to open the door, then after deciding that it is safe to exit, you pull and hold the handle for power assistance. Once the gap is sufficient to exit, you then stop pulling the handle to engage a door brake.
Suspension
The marque’s Magic Carpet Ride has evolved into Planar Suspension System for the new Ghost. Named after the geometric plane, which is obviously flat and level, the system is apparently the result of 10 years of testing and development. It incorporates an Upper Wishbone Damper on the front suspension assembly — claimed to be a world-first, promising a more stable ride. In other words, it has got a damper for the upper wishbone. The Planar software that controls all of this, works alongside the existing system that uses cameras to scan the road ahead and prepare the suspension for any changes in the road surface, as well as the marque’s Satellite Aided Transmission.
The five-link rear axle benefits from the same, self-levelling air suspension. The new Ghost also gets the rear-wheel steering.
Powertrain
Moving on to the business end of the story then, the new Ghost is powered by a 6.75-litre V12 twin-turbo petrol engine that pumps out 571 metric hp (420 kW) at 5,000 rpm and 850 Nm (627 lb-ft) of torque at 1,600 rpm. The engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox that now drives all four wheels. A 0-100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration is claimed to happen in 4.8 seconds, should such things interest you.
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