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Rolls Royce Ghost Series 2

Rolls Royce Ghost Series 2 was amongst the most anticipated launches of the year at the Frankfurt Motor Show and it did not disappoint.
                    

We take a detailed look at the latest offering from Rolls Royce – five years after the launch of the Rolls Royce Ghost.

As an answer to customer requirements, the Ghost has combined the best in dynamism, modern luxury and industry leading technology. The upgrades are discreet and not in your face , retaining the essence of the original Ghost in its entirety.

Rolls Royce Ghost Series 2 – Exteriors

The goal for the Rolls-Royce design team was to design a new modern front that builds on the existing strengths of the Ghost Series I.

The new Rolls-Royce Ghost front are fitted with stunning LED day time running lights. The front of the car is slightly raised and various visual tricks are applied to make the front look wider than the Series I. This includes the design of the indicators and larger front air intakes. The redesigned front brings the Rolls-Royce Ghost a bit closer to the Phantom when it comes to visual presence on the street.

                

The Spirit of Ecstasy at the top of the grille is tilted slightly forward and behind it a tapered wake channel runs from the wings of the Spirit of Ecstasy all the way through the bonnet towards the windshield like the vapor trail of a jet. It is a stunning bit of design that has visual impact both from outside the car as from the inside drawing your eye to the Spirit of Ecstasy.

Further design elements that define the Ghost Series II are a new waft line along the side of the car that leans further forward and expresses a stronger dynamic when viewed from the side. The shoulder line that runs the full length of the car and the rear remains unchanged. Rolls-Royce also offers a new set of 21 inch five spoke wheels for Ghost Series 2.

Rolls Royce Ghost Series 2 - Interiors

On first impressions, the changes in the interior are very subtle. Major changes include the new seats and an updated infotainment system with the Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller.

The new seats went through countless small redesigns to find the most comfortable setup possible. The seats are not just soft and comfortable, but also offer more side support than their predecessors. Both the front and rear seats are adjustable in multiple ways. In the front the thigh support can also be adjusted electronically. In the rear, a special lounge seat configuration slightly angles the seats towards each other for a jet-like atmosphere. The new seats can also optionally be equipped with seat cooling, our favorite sort of climate control in any car.
 
                              

A massage function is not available for Ghost Series 2 but Rolls-Royce is considering it for future models.

Every element of the Ghost interior is finished with the highest quality materials. More subtle changes from Ghost 1 to Ghost 2 include a redesigned centre clock, that is developed and designed by Rolls-Royce in house, and the use of natural grain leather on the dashboard, doors and other elements. This leather takes four hours longer to process and has a significantly softer feel than the leather used previously. In total no less than 9 bull hides and over 45 square meters of leather is used for each Rolls-Royce Ghost Series 2.

Rolls Royce Ghost Series 2 – Driving Experience

For the Rolls-Royce Ghost customers two equally enviable options are available- driving and being driven.

Your entry into the car is marked with thick Lambswool carpets that make you want to take your shoes off as soon as you get in.

In contrast to what you might expect from a car with a 6.6-litre V12 engine, it is as quiet as it can be both on the inside as the outside.

Rolls-Royce is associated more with royalty than any other brand in the world and many people will try to catch a glimpse of those sitting in the back of a Rolls-Royce. This is one of the things that put the Rolls-Royce cars and the Ghost and Phantom in particular, truly in a league of their own.

The modern amenities like the 360 degree camera and adaptive cruise control make driving and maneuvering the large Rolls-Royce Ghost even easier than before. On top of that, the shorter steering ratio makes driving the Ghost more fun as well. Its instant power distribution gives it very good punch off the line and even better overtaking performance on the highway. It does all this seemingly without any effort or stress.

The modifications to the suspension strongly reduced the tendency for the Ghost to lean back under acceleration or diving forward under braking. Turning into a corner happens more directly with less steering input required. At the same time you can carry a higher pace through the bends with less body roll. With the optional dynamic driving package this is further enhanced through a more driver oriented setup that enhances the steering and suspension further to increase the Ghost’s cornering capabilities. The Dynamic Driving Package is ideal for Ghost owners who prefer to drive themselves and are not shy of a sporty driving style.

The regular Ghost Series 2 weighs 2,490 kilograms, the Extended Wheel Base, which is 17 cm longer, weighs 80 kilograms more and puts 2,570 kg on the scales. Despite the sheer weight of the Ghost Series 2, the SWB sprints from 0-100 km/h in 5.0 seconds. The EWB takes a split second longer and clocks 5.1 seconds in the 0-100 km/h sprint. The top speed for both the short and the long Ghost is limited to 250 km/h.

Rolls Royce Ghost Series 2 – Gearbox

The Rolls-Royce Ghost Series 2 comes with the well known ZF 8 speed gearbox. Rolls-Royce does not have any paddles or manual mode for the driver to choose a gear of its choice. Instead, the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series 2, like the Wraith, features a satellite aided transmission that chooses the right gear based on the road ahead. It will also hold on to gears longer to allow swift acceleration out of corners for example.

Another typical Rolls-Royce feature that takes a centre stage in the Ghost Series 2 is the power metre that replaces the typical rev counter

Rolls Royce Ghost Series 2 – Suspension

If there is one thing that Rolls-Royce is famous for it is the waftability; the extremely smooth ride. With Ghost Series 2 the engineers at Rolls-Royce received a new challenge for development; the ride should become more engaging and dynamic without losing this famous waftability.

The engineers came up with re-designed front and rear struts, adjusted dampers and a new steering gear. With the optional Dynamic Driving Package, that also features a thicker steering wheel, this results in a much sportier and involved steering and handling feel compared to Ghost Series I. Additionally, new hydraulic rear axle bearings enhance ride quality and rear stability reducing vibrations and cabin intrusions.

Rolls Royce Ghost Series 2 – Infotainment

Interesting fact: Due to the entertainment screens located in the back of the seats, we experienced more leg space while watching television in the Ghost Series 2 than in the Phantom that requires the picnic table to be folded down in order to watch television.

One of the strengths, or blessings, for Rolls-Royce when it comes to the infotainment and assistance systems is that they can rely on the incredible R&D and systems available within the BMW Group. Rolls-Royce uses these tested and proven BMW systems and adapts them to make them Rolls-Royce worthy.

One example on the Rolls-Royce Series 2 is the Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller that allows both the driver and rear passengers to control the front infotainment and the rear entertainment screens. The controller is based on BMW’s iDrive system and finished with a miniature Spirit of Ecstasy hidden below the crystal glass touch pad of the controller.

The new Ghost Series 2 also offers a full suite of connectivity from multimedia streaming to live traffic information and an on-board WiFi network to bring third party devices online. Another interesting thing we noticed while driving with the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series 2 is the exceptional mobile reception inside the car compared to other luxury limousines with lower levels of noise isolation.

This is just one of the many examples of the exceptional attention to detail that makes a Rolls-Royce what it is. Another example is the Rolls-Royce umbrella available in the door, not only are these umbrellas made from Teflon, a material that is ultra water repellent, but even when you put a wet umbrella back in the door you don’t have to worry about it as the tube is heated to assure it is dry again when you arrive at your next rainy destination.

In terms of assistance systems the Series 2 also lifts the Ghost to new levels including adaptive cruise control, heads-up display, nightvision with pedestrian and animal recognition and adaptive LED headlights that blend out of oncoming traffic when the high-beam is active.

Dealers worldwide are accepting your orders now. First customer deliveries are expected in the Fourth Quarter of 2014.

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