Rolls-Royce Ghost Review

Many people believe that the whole point of having a Rolls-Royce is to be driven in it, making yourself comfortable at the back looking at the beautiful scenery of the countryside while shouting at your chauffeur!

To those people, the Rolls-Royce Ghost aka the baby Roller which is supposed to the driver’s Roller does not make sense. They think the only reason for you to buy the Ghost is becasue you can’t afford a Phantom!

They do have a point actually, becasue peel away that lavish RR body and you will see the car is just a BMW 7 Series underneath. That is not bad from a car enthusiast point of view, but it is from a Rolls-Royce enthusiast’s! It also means the Ghost is both supremely comfortable and dynamic to drive. So as a car this baby Roller is just fantastic.

Rolls-Royce Ghost is more driver-focused than any Rolls-Royce car before it. The driver sits in a slightly elevated position behind the wheel, described as the authority position. This makes the view of the road much clearer. The fascia has been kept deliberately clear; it is spacious in design and has an intuitive layout. The controls are neatly sculpted, with the more important functions emphasised by accents of chrome. The soft light of the instrument panel glows through the familiar black-rimmed steering wheel, which in turn employs a number of violin keys as well as an ergonomic roller-ball control.

The optional driver assistance systems and technologies in Rolls-Royce Ghost are notable for their discretion and ease of operation. From the moment the driver approaches the car, optional Comfort Entry allows easy access, unlocking the doors when the key fob is within 1.5 metres and the cool chromed handle is grasped. Once you are in the car, voice control allows you to select from the control systems menus without using the central controller.

Rolls-Royce Ghost’s flowing lines are dominated by its majestic ‘Yacht Line’ styling. Large, uninterrupted surfaces flow between finely sculpted horizontal lines that provide definition. Together, the upward-sweeping sill line and low-cut roof create a powerful profile, almost as though the cabin has been pushed toward the rear. Powerful shoulders and flanks draw in sharply as they flow from the rear wings to the tail lights, while touches such as the optional chromed exhausts hint at Rolls-Royce Ghost’s more dynamic nature.

At the heart of the Ghost you will find a a BMW-derived 6.6 litre twin-turbo V12 engine with direct injection. It produces 563bhp – enough to propel Rolls-Royce Ghost from 0-60 mph in just 4.7 seconds and on to an electronically governed top speed of 155mph. With 780 Nm of torque available at just 1,500rpm, delivery of power is immediate and extremely smooth. Power is transmitted through an eight-speed, shift-by-wire, automatic ZF gearbox. What this achieves is a feeling of endless, surging power, which is illustrated by the power reserve gauge on the fascia, replacing the more common rev counter. The new powertrain delivers this performance while emitting just 317g/km of CO2.Fuel consumption is 20.8 mpg / 13.6 l/100km.

Talking about the features and equipments of the Ghost is pointless frankly! Because you get very nearly everything you can get from a car. It might be a more dynamic driver-focused model, but it is a Rolls-Royce nevertheless. We are particularly fond of the Ghost’s audio system which has 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.Available as an option with both seating arrangements is Theatre Configuration, which allows all settings that do not directly affect the driver to be controlled from the rear seat. The functions are displayed on two 9.2in LCD screens in the back of the front seats; these can be angled to suit the viewers by a central, armrest-mounted, rotary controller.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Number of doors / seats: 4 / 5
• Vehicle length: 5399 mm
• Vehicle width: 1948 mm
• Vehicle height: 1550 mm
• Wheelbase: 3295 mm
• Turning circle: 13.4 m
• Overhang front: 867.5 mm
• Overhang rear: 1236.5 mm
• Track width front: 1622 mm
• Track width rear: 1660 mm
• Shoulder room front: 1510 mm
• Shoulder room rear: 1418 mm
• Elbow room front: 1540 mm
• Elbow room rear: 1448 mm
• Max headroom front: 1030 mm
• Max headroom rear: 990 mm
• Effective headroom front with sunroof: 995
• Effective headroom rear with sunroof: 975 mm
• Ground clearance: 150 mm
• Width including mirrors: 2108 mm
• Luggage compartment capacity (ISO3832): 490 l
• Fuel tank capacity: 82.5 l
• Unladen weight (DIN / EU): 2360 kg / 2435 kg
• Axle load ratio, rear: 48.2 %
• Gross axle weight / max payload: 2940 kg / 580 kg
• Axle payload limit front / rear: 1445 kg / 1575 kg
• Engine type: V12
• valves: 48
• Fuel management: Direct injection
• Engine injector set-up / Aspiration: DI(VVT) / twin turbo
• Displacement: 6592 cm3
• Stroke / Bore: 88.3 mm / 89.0 mm
• Power output: 563 bhp (420 kW) @ 5250 rpm
• Max torque: 780 Nm (575 lb/ft) @ 1500 rpm
• Compression ratio: 10.0
• Fuel type: Super unleaded
• Transmission type: 8 speed automatic
• Transmission ratios 1st/2nd/3rd/4th: 4.717 / 3.143 / 2.106 / 1.667
• Transmission ratios 5th/6th/7th/8th: 1.285 / 1.000 / 0.839 / 0.667
• Transmission ratio reverse gear: 3.317
• Final drive ratio: 2.813
• Steering wheel revolutions lock to lock: 3.1
• Brakes front / diameter x thickness: Ventilated discs / 410×36 mm
• Brakes rear / diameter x thickness: Ventilated discs / 402×30 mm
• Drag co-efficient cd / A / cd x A: 0.33 / 2.60 m2 / 0.863 m2
• Top speed: 250 km/h (155 mph)
• Acceleration 0-60 mph / 0-100km/h: 4.7 s / 4.9 s
• 1km from standing start: 23.1 s
• Power to weight (DIN-Unladen weight): 5.6 kg/kW
• Power per litre: 63.7 kW/l
• Consumption urban (EU): 20.5 l/100 km
• Consumption extra urban: 9.6 l/100 km
• Combined consumption: 13.6 l/100 km (20.8 mpg (imp. gal.))
• Range: 605 km (376 miles)
• CO2 Emissions (combined): 317 g/km
• Exhaust emissions standard: EU5
• Front tyres: 255/50 R19 103Y / 255/45 R20 101Y
• Rear tyres: 255/50 R19 103Y / 285/40 R20 104Y
• Front wheels: 8.5J x 19 EH2 / 8.5Jx20 EH2
• Rear wheels: 8.5J x 19 EH2 / 9.5Jx20 EH2
• Battery capacity / location: 90 Ah (AGM) / Luggage compartment
• Alternator output rating: 210 A / 2900 W