The only Rolls-Royce self drivers require

It’s difficult to imagine Warren Buffett taking the time to iron his own shirt over a coffee and slice of toast in the morning. We’d also take a wild stab in stating that Bill Gates doesn't spend his weekends hoovering his mansion and feather dusting the china. For those whose time and money balance reaches astronomical highs, menial tasks are better and cheaper if they're dished out than dealt with personally.

Driving is one of them. The world’s one-percenters simply don’t have time for it and you can’t really blame them. Buffett’s $12.7 billion earnings drill down to around $24,000 per minute, which makes ironing that shirt a fairly pricey job. Bank the sort of cash Buffett earns during a 20 minute commute to the office, and you could buy a Rolls-Royce Phantom outright and still have enough change to hire a bloke to drive it for 12 months.

The Ghost is different. While it too has its fair share of high-powered rear seat occupants, Ghost drivers are more likely to spend time behind the wheel themselves. Like the Phantom, it too is luxurious, fast and exclusive but Rolls-Royce says it appeals to a far funkier crowd of entrepreneurs, captains of industry and business leaders who are more inclined to take it out for a spin over the weekend.

Launched in 2009, the Ghost has been a resolute success for Rolls-Royce, driving record sales for the past four consecutive years. Where the Phantom is produced in the hundreds (631 in 2013), the Ghost represents almost two thirds of all Rolls-Royce sales (2284 sold in 2013). It has lost a little ground since the introduction of the Wraith last year, but the Ghost remains the company’s chief revenue earner by a long shot.

Like the original, the new Ghost Series II retains its 7-Series underpinnings, and you’d need to be a close fan of the brand to spot the differences to the exterior styling. The front fascia has been made to look ever so slightly more substantial by moving the grille higher and emphasising the character lines on the bonnet. New adaptive LED headlights help widen the look of the nose, just as they put Rolls-Royce back on the lighting-technology lead lap.

The Ghost Series II is all new from the windscreen forward. The new nose has been designed to give it more road presence, a little more aggression and even a dose of attitude. The Spirit of Ecstasy (fashioned after Mr Royce’s Personal Assistant) is in her prime position and now she has a ‘wake channel’ behind her, styled into the bonnet itself. “The Ghost’s styling is heavily based on sailing yachts,” explained Head of Exterior Design Marcus Syring. “And now she has her own wake flowing back elegantly towards the screen.”

Similarly, the Ghost Series II sees its interior electronics updated to use the current iteration of BMW iDrive, with a Spirit of Ecstasy festooned controller that supports touch input.

Perhaps recognising that the Ghost’s ride could use a little more BMW in it, as well since the introduction of the Wraith, the Ghost’s role as the driver’s Roller has been undermined a firmer suspension setup is now off ered as an option on the standard wheelbase Ghost SII. Rolls-Royce says the hydraulic rear axle bearings are engineered to cut vibrations and improve ride quality, while the new struts at the front and rear, new steering gears and adjustable dampers are all part of the optional Dynamic package.

While the retuned settings certainly allow less listing than with the standard configuration, the Dynamic package is best identified from the driver’s seat by the thicker steering wheel. Pitching the 2470 kg Ghost into a corner still results in tyre squealing understeer.

With the exception of the transmission, the rest of the mechanical package carries over, including the 563 hp, 6.6 litre twin turbo V-12. The SII replaces the old ZF eight-speed automatic with essentially the same transmission, but now it’s wired into the navigation system so that it can predict when to shift, a setup that first appeared on a Rolls in the Wraith. Shifts in the Ghost were already a non event, so it’s hard to tell whether this is legitimate technology or an apparition. What’s indisputable is that the SII Ghost still drives like a Rolls-Royce, wafting along like a hundred dollar bill caught in a strong updraft .

THE LONDON CONNECTION
Rolls Royce test drives are a little different from normal; you could even say they’re unique. I’m here in London, England at the Shard to be precise, where the Goodwood based, British icon has taken over a reasonable portion of Europe’s tallest building for its Ghost Series II launch. It’s 9am on a peaceful, sunny Saturday morning. As The Shard’s foyer quickly fills with excited tourists, fascinated by the Rolls-fest before them, I start the Ghost Series II road test... by gracefully placing my posterior in the back seat. Unique test drive indeed.

You see, one does not simply test drive a Rolls Royce, one experiences it. Sitting in the sumptuous rear cabin, surrounded by pure luxury, with a carpet as deep as a swimming pool and leather so soft it would appear the hide makers must rub baby oil into their cows every morning, my driver (who is a current racing driver) whisks me away from the Shard towards Tower Bridge which has been raised to let a rather tall ship pass beneath it. Stuck in the queue, the Ghost II’s moon roofs allow in a massive amount of light no claustrophobia here; the view for the back seat passengers is virtually unobstructed. And then it happens. The guy in the Ford Focus in front gets out and starts ‘having a nosey’ at the Roller. Then ‘her indoors’ joins him and after a friendly bit of ‘banter’ he asks if he
can take a picture of her with the Ghost. Then a group of foreign students come over and start taking photos. One of the world’s greatest landmarks is 40 metres in front of us and these guys are using up their iPhone memories on a motor car. Without a doubt, everyone loves this new Ghost and rightly so, it is absolutely stunning.

Out on the roads of South London, the Series II’s heightened road presence attracts massive amounts of attention and not just from other road users. Stuck in traffic, on of all places, Tooting High Street, a youth in a hoody is staring at the Ghost (not us) and giving the car (not us) a continued thumbs up. As we’re stationary I get to watch him for a good 30 seconds. His eyes never leave the Series II’s lines. Nor does his smile. It’s the same with other road users; you get used to the classic ‘excited point’ as the mostly male drivers coming in the opposite direction spot the Spirit of Ecstasy. The female passengers of small hatchbacks are more interested in the possible celeb in the back seat (sorry to disappoint you ladies). In fact, the only road users who won’t acknowledge your presence are the inhabitants of large, expensive, German saloons. They will simply not look. They can’t. They’ve spent A LOT of money on their car and you’ve just about ruined their day.

After a spot of lunch, we point the Ghost Series II southward into Kent and we find some dual carriage way to see what the 6.6 litre, twin turbocharged V-12 can do. After exiting the first clear roundabout, accelerator majestically planted in the thick carpet and yes, the big Ghost sprints like it’s seen its namesake. It’s ridiculously quick for what amounts to a road going superyacht you simply cannot expect any more performance from a luxury car. With 563 horsepower and 780 Newton-metres of torque propelling the Ghost II along, huge chunks of motorway can be eaten up in
complete comfort and tranquility. With the windows down, a single track country lane for company and a bouncy right foot, the V-12’s twin turbos could be heard spooling up under the bonnet. For a car enthusiast, it’s little treats like this that can make a great car amazing.

Handling wise, it feels big for the first mile or so. Your attention is focused on the elevated bonnet, but once you realise the Series II is not as physically large as you think it is, you’re able to spirit it along at an impressive pace. Again, for an ultra-luxury saloon, the Ghost II does everything you require. It can take corners like a car half its size and you’ll never get near its limits on public roads. Like everything else on this car, it’s over engineered. Whatever you need it to do, it will do it, with a bit in reserve, just in case.

For many, the best car in the world, is the Rolls-Royce Phantom but the Ghost Series II betters it in every respect. You can sit in style and opulence in the back, or you can drive it yourself, very, very quickly. Everyone will love you (apart from S-Class owners) and it has a quality, history and presence so emotive that can almost have you in tears if you think about it too much. The experience and ceremony isn’t just limited to you either; everyone is aff ected by the Ghost Series II. Somewhere at this very moment, a youth on Tooting High Street is still telling his ‘bros’ what a ‘Wicked Roller’ he saw; a Lithuanian student has a picture of the Ghost II on his desktop along with Buckingham Palace and Big Ben - the Ghost II transcends what a car should be. It’s much more than a device to go from A to B, it’s an enigma and quite possibly the finest automobile on the planet.

THE DUBAI DRIVE
It’s not often that the international launch and regional release of a car occur so closely together but as luck would have it, we had another chance to experience the Ghost Series II in Dubai just a few days after our trip to England.

Where southern England’s green and pleasant pastures are punctuated with tight roads and village byways nipped at the waist that made navigating the Ghost a delicate and precise procedure, Dubai’s open roads are less thread-the-needle and more relaxing to drive.

Rolls-Royce claims the Ghost will hit 100 km/h from standing in 5.0 seconds, a little behind the Wraith’s 4.6 seconds. That squares up with figures we’ve recorded in both cars and while a few tenths of a second is significant on paper, they mean little in the real world of uber luxury motoring. The Ghost Series II’s surge is just as impressive and relentless as the Wraith, and you’d only really come to see the difference if you ever squared up against one on the drag strip. Stranger things have
happened, granted, but two Rollers chasing the quarter is barely a daily occurrence.

Under full throttle, the Power Reserve dial to the left of the speedo winds counterclockwise spectacularly. Transitions between gears are only highlighted with a slight clockwise swing of the needle before it bounces back to the left.

Understandably, cabin noise is non-existent which makes exploring the sound system and its 18 individually tuned speakers pure joy. The 20 Gb internal hard drive may not sound a lot but the Ghost also connects to the internet which means you can listen to anything you want on the go. Rear seat passengers can be assigned control of the entire system, and there are two screens through which each of them can either watch movies, scan the internet or work online.

Comfort and refinement are never really in question with any Rolls-Royce; performance is not really talked about because it’s simply something that you don’t need to worry about. But there’s a button on the centre console that makes the Ghost perfect for the Middle East. It’s the one that raises and lowers the suspension so that you can, among other things, take it off road. Well, not off road exactly but you’ll notice from the pictures on these pages that we were able to get the Ghost a little grubby by taking a few roads less traveled in a Rolls-Royce. If the car drew a bit of attention in the south of England, the Ghost certainly got a fair bit as our photoshoot neared Fossil Rock in the Dubai desert. Granted, it’s not the sort of thing you’d normally see up a dusty track, and extra caution meant progress was measured, but it’s still a nice and comfortable machine to get closer to nature in.

As a business tool, the Rolls-Royce remains a firm symbol of success, determination and excellence. But it’s also a rewarding car to drive. Every input is effortless, every reaction a tactile blend of refinement and precision. Every journey, no matter how short or menial, is an occasion and every time you get behind the wheel, you're reminded just what separates Rolls-Royce from every other manufacturer on the planet. From the Spirit of Ecstasy inlays in the door panels to the two-tone umbrella canopies that match the exterior finish, the handcrafted attention to detail is beyond compare. Everything is easy, light, fuss free and perfectly executed For the successful, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is not just the obvious choice: it’s the only choice.

SPECIFICATIONS
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-5-passenger, 4-door sedan
BASE PRICE :  $291,350/$324,000 (SWB/EWB)
ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 48-valve V-12, aluminium block and heads, direct fuel injection
DISPLACEMENT : 6593 cc
POWER : 563 hp @ 5600 rpm
TORQUE  : 780 Nm @ 4100 rpm
TRANSMISSION:8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE : 3295 mm
LENGTH : 5569 mm
WIDTH  :  1948 mm
HEIGHT : 1550 mm
CURB WEIGHT : 2520 kg

PERFORMANCE
ZERO TO 100km/h : 5.0 seconds
STANDING 1/4-MILE :  13 seconds
TOP SPEED : 250 km/h

FUEL ECONOMY
COMBINED CYCLE : 12 l/100km