roll royce ghost reviews
roll royce ghost
roll royce ghost
roll royce ghost
roll royce ghost
roll royce ghost
roll royce ghost
roll royce ghost
roll royce ghost
roll royce ghost
roll royce ghost
Rolls-Royce is one of the grandest names in automobiles, with a history that dates back to 1904. Yet the cars sold today under this name are made by one of the youngest carmakers of all. Indeed, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was created in 1998 after BMW acquired the rights to this epical badge. With only a paper title in hand, the new German owners had to start from scratch, in search of “the Rolls-Royce DNA.” A development team was assembled in Munich, Germany, and a new, ultramodern “green” factory was built in Goodwood, England. Its first car, the spectacular Phantom sedan, was launched in 2003. Since Rolls-Royce was always at its best with two complementary car lines, enter the all-new Ghost: a somewhat smaller, more powerful, more nimble and more affordable ultraluxury sedan. With it, Rolls-Royce expects to double, if not triple, its annual sales worldwide. You can bank on it.
Model Lineup
Development of the Ghost was announced at the Paris Motor Show in 2006. Sketches of the car, still code-named RR4, were revealed in the spring of 2008. The imposing sedan was shown in virtually final form as the 200EX concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2009. Its name was announced at the Shanghai Motor Show in April and it was officially introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September.
A single version will be offered at first, but expect the announcement of a “drophead” or convertible model soon. Almost 18 feet long (212.6 inches, to be precise) the newest Rolls-Royce is nonetheless 17.1 inches shorter, 3.3 inches lower and 1.6 inches narrower than its daunting Phantom sibling. Its 129.7-inch wheelbase is also 10.9 inches shorter and its front and rear wheel tracks narrower by 2.4 and 0.3 inches. Yet because its structure is a steel monocoque instead of the Phantom’s more expansive aluminum space frame, their interior space is comparable. The Ghost weighs 5,445 pounds, which is 353 pounds less than a Phantom.
The body shells are built in a separate facility at the Dingolfing plant in Germany, where BMW produces its 7-Series and 5-Series models. They are then whisked in special trucks to the Goodwood plant in England, where the preparation and paint process takes a full week. Building each Ghost requires 20 days of work, mostly done by hand. There are 12 exterior colors, eight shades of leather and five types of veneer from which to choose.
Styling and design are paramount for Rolls-Royce, and the Ghost’s lineage is immediately recognizable, signified by the Spirit of Ecstasy, or Flying Lady, ornament that automatically retracts at speed from the leading edge of the long hood. Yet the lines are less angular, the chromed vertical grille less massive and the roof’s rear pillar more slender than on the Phantom. Unsurprisingly, the Ghost is also more aerodynamic than its larger predecessor, with a drag coefficient of 0.33 to the Phantom’s 0.38.
Rolls-Royce designers and engineers have open access to BMW’s leading-edge facilities, systems and technologies. The Ghost is said to share about 20 percent of its components with BMW’s 7-Series flagship, but you would be hard pressed to single them out by look, feel or function. Components such as suspension anti-roll stabilization, dynamic and cornering brake control, dynamic stability and traction control systems have all been adapted, redesigned or tuned to work seamlessly with the larger, taller, heavier and more powerful Ghost, in keeping with the car’s different mission and Rolls-Royce’s exacting and specific handling and ride objectives.
As one would imagine, the list of standard equipment is lavish and includes exclusive Rolls-Royce touches such as deep pile carpet and Teflon-coated umbrellas tucked into the front doors. Yet Ghost buyers can still get substantially more by checking boxes on the list of available options, which includes a Silver Satin finish for the aluminum hood, larger 20-inch alloy wheels — chromed or not — and a camera system that provides side, rear and top views of the car.
Optional driving and safety systems include an infrared Night Vision camera, a clear and effective heads-up display, a lane-departure warning system, high-beam assistance that automatically dips the bright xenon lights for oncoming traffic, and an active cruise-control system that can stop the car completely and get it rolling again in traffic, as well as modulate its speed in curves.