Rolls Royce Ghost

rolls royce ghost
Rolls-Royce has just handed us a wax-sealed, gold-plated envelope containing a bunch of numbers on the upcoming Ghost - the new ‘baby Rolls' previewed by the 200EX concept (pictured) - and here's the big news: it's bloody quick.

How does 4.7 seconds to 60mph grab you? Yes, four-point-seven. That's faster than a BMW M3, as quick as an Audi RS6. That's phenomenally fast.

All that fastness comes courtesy of an all-new 6.6-litre turbocharged V12 producing 563bhp, and 575lb ft from just 1,500rpm.

Don't worry, though - just because it's quick, this isn't some hardcore, track-focussed Rolls.

"First and foremost, the Ghost is a Rolls-Royce," says director of engineering Helmut Riedl. "This means that despite its extraordinary performance figures, it has been engineered for effortless composure and refined power delivery. It is delivered free from stress and exertion but at the same time must engage the driver."

To that end, the Ghost rides on air suspension with multi-link front and rear axles. Rolls-Royce promises that it'll be quieter than a mute dormouse in a library, with engine, exhaust and tyre noise dialled down to near-imperceptible levels.

The Ghost goes on sale in the UK towards the end of this year, with prices starting at £165,000.

Rolls Royce Ghost

The Rolls-Royce Ghost is a driver’s car. You know, the type of driver who is paid to wear a suit, always be early, and smile even on his worst of days. As such, the ride is so supple that you might imagine the massive twenty-inch wheels dancing around potholes rather than just soaking up the impacts. The twin-turbocharged V-12′s 563 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque are massaged for gentle yet firm delivery through the eight-speed automatic. The engine never feels aggressive, yet there’s always jet-like thrust at the ready.

Rolls Royce Ghost Interior

The small Rolls affords plenty of room for rear-seat passengers, and the trunk could swallow a small Chevy. As you might imagine, the rear seats are just as comfortable as the fronts, and the lambs’-wool carpet under your feet feels like it’s three inches thick. I was surprised, though, to see how much equipment was optional, rather than standard on the Ghost. A panoramic sunroof-standard on a $46,355 Acura ZDX-is a $7000 option on top of the $248,700 base price. Passive entry costs $1700 while those iconic wood tray tables cost $2800.

he navigation and entertainment system is borrowed from BMW’s iDrive, which means that Rolls doesn’t have to curse high-dollar cars with inferior electronics, like so many other niche manufacturers do. The center stack is kept free of clutter by burying a few settings (such as stability control) deep in the iDrive-like system. There’s also a neat interactive owners’ manual that can be accessed when the vehicle is stopped.

Rolls-Royce Planning to Expand Ghost Lineup with New Derivative

Rolls-Royce is planning a derivative of its Ghost uber-luxury sedan. The Ghost, which starts at US$245,000, is the 'baby' brother of the US$380,000 Phantom.

"I'm quite confident that we're going to see a Ghost derivative to come," said the British automaker's CEO, Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes in an interview reported by Bloomberg. "There's still a lot of potential in the market."

Mueller-Oetvoes would not elaborate on what the derivative would be, but hinted there may be more than one. The company is awaiting more feedback from its customers before committing to a bodystyle and timeframe for launch.

Rolls-Royce also announced that it is expanding its operations in China (the brand's biggest market after the United States), India and the Middle East. In spite of this, Mueller-Oetvoes has assured buyers that the brand will remain exclusive:

"We will definitely not end off in the tens of thousands of units. That's not the right strategy for us. Rolls-Royce always needs to stay very exclusive. We only build a car when there is a customer behind it."

Rolls-Royce suffered a 17% drop in sales in 2009 due to the global financial crisis. With the market now in recovery, Rolls aims to sell at least 2,000 cars in 2010. To date, the automaker has sold 1,467 cars worldwide, trailing Volkswagen-owned Bentley which had 2,489. Much of the growth has been attributed to the Ghost, which went on sale late last year.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: Bloomberg

Fenice Milano Previews Ghost-based Diva, Rolls-Royce Fans Cringe In Horror

In an apparent homage to Mansory, creator of such elegant eyesores as a gold-and-blue Rolls-Royce Ghost and a pink Continental GT, Italian firm Fenice Milano has created a handful of garish photoshops as a warning to car fans everywhere. Guys, if you need some fresh ideas, just ask (I'm here all week).

The car seen here is Fenice Milano's "Diva" and, for all intents and purposes, it's the kind of Ghost the "Opulence" commercial guy would drive with his 'wimmens' and giraffe in the back.

This is not the kind of "Italian elegance and style" I have come to expect from the boot-shaped Mediterranean country known for beautiful women, beautiful suits, beautiful cars, and beautiful food.

For those brave enough to consider the Diva, the car will be available in three colors: navy, bronze, and white (with 24k gold flakes); all three colors and a variety of color schemes can be seen below.

Inside, the car gets biscuit leather and 24k gold throughout, optional Alcantara inserts for the more ergonomically-designed seats, and wood trim that is supposedly limited to teak or grey oak.

Performance boosts of some sort are also mentioned, though with something called the Diva there's no telling what the ECU/intake/exhaust mods will do for it. On a more positive note, at least their website has some nice music to listen to.

By Phil Alex

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