A view to a grille
The grille and Spirit
of Ecstasy figure are
illuminated; inside,
the fascia nameplate
is surrounded by 850
handmade stars.Trouble no door
Rear coach doors
open and close
electrically for
effortless in/out
slinking without the
chauffeur’s help.QROLLS-ROYCE GHOST £249,600 / stuff.tv/Ghost
any car manufacturers
consider themselves
‘prestige’, but only one
totally understands what the
0.0001% consider true luxury,
and that’s Rolls-Royce. The
previous Ghost is the most
successful car in the company’s
history; with the new one, RR
brought in ‘luxury intelligence
specialists’ and spent 10,000
hours determining a vision for
its next decade.
This new philosophy is
(honestly) called Post-Opulence.
They’ve set about rejecting
superficial expressions of
wealth. Errr, wait, what? Surely
a car like this is a superficial
expression of wealth? Maybe,
but what it really means is a
more minimalist design where
all the technology is hidden
away; where the lines are clean
and the bling restrained, but far
from absent.WHITE ALIGNS
There’s exquisite engineering
involved – and this can be seen
(the vast one-piece bonnet is
aligned precisely with the hood
ornament without the need for
unsightly shut lines), heard (the
interior components are tuned
to a specific resonant frequency
to create a sense of serenity)
and felt (with world-first
suspension tech).
This suspension system
comprises three elements:
an upper wishbone damperunit creating a more stable ride,
electronic road-reading tech
to prepare for any changes
in surface, and satellite-aided
transmission using GPS to
pre-select the optimum gear
for upcoming corners.COMFORTABLY THRUM
The 6.7-litre V12 hurls you
towards the horizon with
nonchalance. It’s big and
heavy but fast and unflappable,
defying the laws of physics. The
result is supreme comfort, and
we haven’t even talked about
the regal interior yet.
Most owners will personalise
theirs with custom marquetry
(maybe using open-pore veneer
from a tree on your own estate?)and perhaps a monogrammed
safe in the footwell. You could
easily spec this car to well over
half a million quid.
And that’s who it’s really for:
ultra-high-net-worth types.
Is the Ghost worth three times
more than a Mercedes S500?
No, because the S-Class has a
much better interface, Level 4
autonomous driving systems
and broader dynamic abilities.
But the Ghost is three times
as special.Key specs
Engine 6.7L twin-turbo V12
Power 563bhp
0-62mph 4.8 secs
Top speed 155mph
(electronically limited)STUFF SAYS This is the most technologically advanced Rolls-Royce yet ++++,
M
GROUP TEST SUPERCARS