Rolls-Royce Ghost Launched!

Rolls-Royce sold just over 1,000 cars in 2007, the first four-figure annual tally in the firm's 104-year history. That surely delights parent BMW, which took charge of Rolls in 2003. But the Bavarian bosses see greater things for their celebrated English marque. Specifically, they want to boost Rolls sales closer to those of former stablemate Bentley, which now moves over 11,000 cars per year as part of the Volkswagen group. That suggests a somewhat smaller Rolls model that uses BMW hardware and steps in before the Phantom. It might be less sporty than a Bentley, but would tilt toward the same younger, very well-heeled buyers. The 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost was made official in late 2006, but with few specifics given. Since then, Rolls has announced that Goodwood will add a second assembly floor and a second shift to produce the Ghost.

On the styling front the design team was seeking to create a modern Rolls-Royce that achieved a new dynamism but remained true to its luxurious heritage. So what they have is a modern execution of timeless Rolls-Royce elegance, breaking with some areas of tradition but retaining the core values that make the marque unique. According to the designer the Ghost will have a more informal presence than Phantom models, with a greater emphasis on driving. In design terms this is expressed by a more organic form, yet with powerful, purposeful proportions. Contemporary touches include self-righting wheel centres and the Xenon headlamps that frame the latest evolution of the Rolls-Royce grille.

Stepping inside the Ghost reveals a contemporary ambience which stays true to the to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars traditions of fine materials and peerless comfort. There are elegant, frosted lamps and chrome door handles, traditional violin key switches and eyeball air vents, frosted white dials and refined instrumentation. Deep-pile carpets can be complemented by optional lambswool floor mats for a truly luxurious feel.

Ghost is entered through substantial doors. Like the Phantom, even the Ghost gets Teflon-coated umbrellas housed with the front doors. Occupants for the rear seat enter through the traditional rear-hinged coach doors, opening to a generous 83 degrees and the same can be closed at the touch of a button.

Interiors feel nice and airy with natural light in plenty which is further enhanced by the optional Panorama Sunroof, which extends from the front into the rear compartment. The airconditioning features a four-zone climate control which can be individually tailored to each passenger's requirements, with separate controls for front and rear. As expected the Ghost also features an audio system that would delight any audiophile. 600 Watts of sound are delivered through a 10-channel amplifier and 16 speakers, including two floor-mounted subwoofers. USB and auxiliary inputs allow for the integration of external audio devices and a 12.5 GB hard drive enables storage of music files from USB or CD player sources.

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One thing that Rolls-Royce has been bullish about is how it is projecting the Ghost as a driver's car. Just below the Spirit of Ecstasy lies an all new 6.6 litre twin-turbo V12 engine. Featuring direct injection, it produces 565 PS and a stump pulling 780 Nm of torque. This kind of fire power is enough to propel the Ghost to a 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. All that power is transmitted through an eight-speed, shift-by-wire, automatic ZF gearbox. To take care of the handling the Ghost is built around a steel monocoque body, which means there is no separation of chassis and body. Coupled with doublewishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension work with an intelligent, four-cornered, air-suspension system and electronic variable damping the Ghost can shift between riding on a bed of air to a corner carver. The Ghost also has a series of complex electronic aids like Anti-Roll Stabilisation, Dynamic Brake Control and Dynamic Stability Control, including Dynamic Traction Control and Cornering Brake Control. These individual technologies work together under dual Integrated Chassis Management systems giving the Ghost amazing poise and handling.

Rolls-Royce definitely seems to have a winner on its hands and it seems the Ghost is all set to break sales records for the RR marque. So if you are looking to move up to a Rolls, or want a garage mate for your Phantom then the Ghost is a logical selection. Priced at Rs. 2.5 Crore in India, the Ghost might be a pricey asset, but it's worth its weight in gold.