New Rolls-Royce Ghost officially unveiled

The first Goodwood Ghost was Rolls' most successful model ever; now there's a new one for the next decade

By Matt Bird / Tuesday, 1 September 2020 / Loading comments

Nobody needs much reminding that the world is a very different place now to what it was in 2009. In the automotive sphere especially, things aren't what they were back when the 2010s were dawning and Rolls Royce revealed its "slightly smaller, less ostentatious" entry point to the range: the Ghost. Yet despite the vicissitudes of the following years, the Ghost became the most successful Rolls-Royce in its long and illustrious history - the demand was clearly there for a slightly more accessible product. Therefore, closely following the new Phantom and Cullinan, Rolls-Royce has taken the wraps off a second generation. Whether this remains the sales top dog with an SUV available remains to be seen - though there's no doubting the effort that has gone into reinventing the smallest saloon. As 15 pages of press release attests to...

The biggest news is the overhaul of what underpins the Ghost, this new model taking on the proprietary aluminium spaceframe architecture also found in the Phantom and Cullinan but scaled to the Ghost's slightly more compact dimensions. Which, for those interested, are 5,546mm in length, 1,978mm in width and 1,571mm in height. So it's still enormous (and 89mm longer than before), with another 200mm or so on a Cullinan, but with the same again shaved off the length of a Phantom. The new platform means both four-wheel drive and four-wheel steer can be incorporated into the Ghost for the first time, theoretically boosting both usability and dynamic acuity. The steering rear axle ought to help mitigate against any side effects associated with weight, as also happens in the Bentley Flying Spur - aluminium architecture or no, the Ghost is still a two-and-a-half-tonne car before any occupant has stepped aboard.

Interestingly given the current climate (in every sense), the Ghost keeps a twin-turbocharged V12; the 6.75 as found in the other two models. With a focus on customer feedback for "near instant torque and near-silent running", the V12 produces 570hp and 627lb ft, the latter from just 1,600rpm. The entire car, from air intake to boot cavity, has been methodically engineered to ensure the most refined cabin possible, with 100kg of acoustic damping materials - or a "serene acoustic ambience within the interior suite", to give the work its proper due. For those vulgar enough to discuss numbers, the new Ghost will apparently dash to 62mph in 4.8 seconds before a governed 155mph top speed.

'Post Opulence' is Rolls' internal strategy for how the new car was designed inside and out, characterised by "reduction and substance"; which sound like conflicting interests, but is said to focus on the use of exceptional materials in a limited and unobtrusive way. It's the direct opposite, says Rolls Royce, of 'premium mediocracy', where an illusion of luxury is gifted to items lacking much substance.

In practise, Post Opulence for the Ghost means things like a front end where the backs of the metal grille bars are polished; the LED lights above were too effective and the light too striking without, it's said. Inside it means a similarly minimalist approach, one reflecting a "clear understanding of clients' changing luxury consumption patterns". Note the open pore wood, simple clock face, conventional dials, meticulous stitching and so on. It's meant to be luxurious without necessarily being showy.

Well, apart from the illuminated fascia; basically a Rolls-Royce Starlight Headliner on the dash, it has taken two years and more than 10,000 hours to create. There are more than 850 stars surrounding the Ghost font, illuminated by 152 LEDs and with 90,000 laser etched dots across the surface to ensure even lighting all the way across and a twinkling effect as the eye moves across it. With the interior lights off, the illuminated fascia isn't visible - but it's certainly not going to be missed once inside, whether up front or passengering.

Speaking of which, Rolls Royce has spent the last decade of Ghost production monitoring how its clients use their cars. And there were plenty where the owner would be both driver and passenger, where at the weekend "this business tool morphed into a discreet celebration". So those clients would be taken to meetings Monday to Friday, but then take the family away at the weekend. As such the new Ghost has been developed to appeal to those in both rows of seats, promising something "dynamic, serenely comfortable and perfect in its minimalism." Which doesn't sound an easy task...

With Rolls-Royce's Planar Suspension System reworked to further improve the famed magic carpet ride, the Ghost will apparently deliver "a sense of flight on land never before achieved by a motor car." As before, GPS data reads the road ahead and prepares the suspension for changes, now featuring an Upper Wishbone Damper unit above the front suspension for improved stability (the work of five years on road and bench, no less) and a five-link rear axle. Air springs and adaptive dampers are, of course, standard fit.

And this is barely scratching the surface; we've not mentioned 18-channel, 1300W audio, self parking, laser headlights, power assisted doors, the Micro Environment Purification System or the 50:50 weight distribution achieved through somehow getting all of the V12 behind the front axle. It's a thorough old job anyway - despite the "perfection in simplicity" tag - which seems fitting given it's been 10 years in the making. Rolls-Royce hasn't yet confirmed when the new Ghost might go on sale or for how much, but don't expect the launch to be far off. And don't expect the finished product (going off Rolls-Royce's most recent efforts) to be anything less than sublime.