Ten years ago, the Rolls-Royce Ghost made its debut and now the British are ready for the second generation of their most successful model. The aim of the latest offspring: to represent a new kind of luxury.
The message is less is more. Now, that's tricky with a Rolls-Royce, but consider it mostly relative. Don't think that the Ghost has suddenly become a modest city car, because when we arrive at Cito Motors in Eindhoven, the white hulk impresses.
Yet the British brand calls the Ghost "perfect in minimalism". Assuming your sense of minimalism is an interior with a starry sky. Including a shooting star every few seconds.
Yet this is also what you expect from a Rolls. And in this, the Ghost does not disappoint. However, besides being imposing, it is less bling this time. And the fact that it is truly new is not marketing talk. Only the Spirit of Ecstasy (the figurine on the immensely long bonnet) and the well-known umbrella in the door are copied from the previous one.
Furthermore, the slightly wider and longer -5.5-metre Ghost stands on Rolls-Royce's Aluminium Space Frame, with a body that runs in a smooth line from the legendary pantheon grille to the boot.
Inside, there is a surprisingly clean interior -except for that starry sky then- with the latest gadgets and conveniences. Extra points for the presence of classic buttons and switches for climate and seat heating, for example. There is also a large screen for navigation and media and digital but classic-looking windows for the driver.
That cleanliness also shifts to the rest of the interior. The quality of the leather and wooden accents are flawless and feel extremely luxurious and comfortable, without being flashy becomes.
And then there is the driving itself. The Ghost is there to drive and be driven in. With active noise-cancelling, the whole thing is hugely soothing. Even though you have a 6.75-litre V12 under the bonnet. A new damping system, what they call the Planar Suspension System, is a mechanical damper. This works in conjunction with the Flagbearer system, which uses cameras to look ahead and 'read' the road to spare you unpleasant bumps. If this is what they mean by less is more, then we are a lot less demanding than thought after all.
Rolls-Royce Ghost
Engine: 6.75 litre V12 Biturbo
Power: 571 hp
Average consumption: 15.2 litres/100km
0-100 km/h: 4.8 seconds
Top speed: 250 km/h
Price: €392,488
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