Timeless elegance
The Ghost has inherited its name from the production car, the Silver Ghost, built in 1906. The modern Rolls-Royce Ghost was designed as a more balanced and more realistic car than the luxurious Phantom, designed for a ‘lower’ price category of buyers, which is quite difficult to apply to those who buy Rolls-Royce cars…
Concept
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced the development of a new RR model range at the 2006 Paris Motor Show. At that time, it was only known that the new car would be smaller than the Phantom. The first sketches of the new car appeared in 2008. Back then, the car had no name. The prototype was named ‘RR4’ and was positioned as a true Rolls-Royce, totally uncompromising. The pre-production version, the Rolls-Royce 200EX, appeared at the Geneva Motor Show in 2009 and immediately caused a sensation. The upcoming production version was heralded as the epitome of timeless elegance found in luxury yachts, exclusive furnishings and 1930s architecture.
The upcoming production version was heralded as the epitome of timeless elegance found in luxury yachts, exclusive furnishings and 1930s architecture.
The 200EX undertook a world tour, mainly to elaborate the sedan’s engines and chassis. As a result, the newcomer became the most powerful Rolls-Royce at that time, featuring a 563 hp engine. Following the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the 200EX in the Old and New Worlds, as well as in Asia and Africa, some minor changed touched the exterior of the car. By the way, the Rolls-Royce Ghost was designed by Ian Cameron and Helmut Riedl.
The first generation
It was produced from 2009 to 2020, and was restyled in 2014. The flowing lines of the first generation Ghost were dominated by the majestic Yacht Line style with the vast, continuous surfaces being enclosed between clearly defined horizontal lines, creating a recognizable smooth and well-defined silhouette of the car. Combining elements of classic Rolls-Royce design, including the typical radiator grille, long hood, short front overhang, sharply sloping A-pillar and elegantly contoured stern, the Ghost exuded a powerful aura of timeless superiority.
Aiming to comply with the major principle of development of the Ghost for simplifying complexity, designers avoided unreasonable curvatures of the body and elements. The same principle was applied in the development of the control panel. As a result, complex software and technology were hidden under the panels, which made driving easier and more enjoyable.
By the way, the first Ghost is built on the same platform as the BMW 7 Series, 20% of the components are shared by these cars. Therefore, the owners of the BMW 7 Series can safely say that they drive one-fifth of a Rolls-Royce… The sedan had a 3,290 mm wide wheelbase and a curb weight of 2,470 kg. The Rolls-Royce Ghost was equipped with a modified version of the BMW N74 V12 engine and an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. It should be noted that the Ghost, despite being a top-end executive car, can be used by owners without a personal driver, which is one of the model positioning features.
Aiming to comply with the major principle of development of the Ghost for simplifying complexity, designers avoided unreasonable curvatures of the body and elements.
The interior is trimmed with the leather of pasture-raised cows, which is not a figure of speech, but the truth, as the animals graze in places that are not fenced with barbed wire, which ensures fewer skin defects. Each Ghost is trimmed with at least eight skins, and to ensure uniformity of color, each skin comes from a batch dyed at the same time. The skins are evenly dyed in a rotating drum, so the color is even and rich, the skin remains elastic, preventing cracking and squeaking. All seats and interior panels are hand-sewn by the best craftsmen.
Specially trained people are also in charge of the interior wood trim. Veneer specialists select only the very best logs, which are the source of very thin cross-sections. Only one wood veneer is used in the decoration of one car. This not only ensures that the texture is consistent throughout the interior, but that each area ages and changes color at the same rate. The details are polished by hand, and then covered with five layers of varnish for protection and mirror shine… It should be noted that the first Ghost was equipped with all the necessary advanced devices of that time.
Restyling
Five years later, a restyled version of the Ghost II was unveiled at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. The restyled version features redesigned headlights, new bumpers, chrome inserts in the front air intakes. The Ghost II has Wi-Fi, voice commands, a Spirit of Ecstasy rotary controller with a touch panel for character recognition, a personal sound system with auto-tuning and multiple connections, automatic low-beam headlights with glare-free technology, and more.
The restyled Ghost is even more driver-focused than any previous Rolls-Royce. The driver sits behind the wheel in a slightly raised position, which makes the view of the road clearer. The controls are neatly placed, and the most important functions are emphasized by chrome accents. The control center display is hidden behind a veneered panel, housing satellite navigation, telephone, communications and entertainment, controlled by a central rotary controller surrounded by quick access buttons on the front center console.
The restyled Ghost is even more driver-focused than any previous Rolls-Royce.
The initially comfortable model has become even more comfortable thanks to electronically adjustable thigh supports for front passengers and adjustable rear seats who those who want to stare into each other’s eyes. To fulfill this noble task, the developers have provided for the inclination of the seats towards each other in order to create a more intimate atmosphere. The entry-level version is equipped with the seats with three levels of heating with optional massage function.
In 2014, the famous Spirit of Ecstasy figure turned 103 years old. In connection with this almost anniversary date, the flying lady appeared inside of the Ghost Series II. But here it is not just a beautiful figurine, but the Spirit of Ecstasy rotary controller, a touch panel with the ability to write characters with your finger, as well as the ability to scroll through the menu of functions. The Advanced Spirit of Ecstasy recognizes Latin and Arabic characters as well as Mandarin Chinese…
The second generation
In 2020, Rolls-Royce introduced a new Ghost. 2020 was the last model year before the full redesign of the Ghost, so design changes were minor. The interior is still luxurious, comfortable and well-equipped. There is now a longer version of the sedan. The new Ghost is equipped with a 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine with 563 hp, coupled with a gearbox that uses GPS data to read the road landscape and readjusts according to the type of road surface.
Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has tested the 2020 Ghost. But we are sure that the new Rolls-Royce Ghost is as safe as possible. The executive sedan has everything for this, including a head-up display and a night vision camera, frontal collision warning, front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control and a night vision camera system.
