It's hard to believe that the Rolls-Royce Ghost is already five years old, the slightly less massive sibling of the Phantom having made its first appearance at the 2009 Geneva auto show. The clean and sophisticated look has aged well, and so BMW's Goodwood-based subsidiary has taken its sweet time bringing an updated version into series production. But here is: the Ghost Series II.
The essentials remain the same. Just as before, the Ghost is powered by a 6.6-liter, twin-turbocharged V-12, which produces 563 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque. This powerhouse, based on the BMW 760i's 6.0-liter V-12, is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. On the Ghost, this gearbox is "satellite aided" in order to predict the driver's next moves and shift or hold gears accordingly. Eight speeds mean a lot of shifting, and the process is quick and almost seamless. When prompted, the pre-refresh version of the rear-wheel-drive sedan sprinted to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, and it topped out at a governed 154 mph in a comparison test.
Such haste, of course, contradicts the character of Rolls-Royce, which is all about "waftability." Or is it? The Ghost Series II does not only have a revised suspension, it can also be ordered with a "Dynamic Driving Package," which seems to have achieved the impossible: The company claims that it "offers a more involving driving experience with no compromise to ride quality."
The Ghost Series II benefits from the latest telematics and infotainment systems offered in the BMW lineup. It understands simple commands, such as "go to" or "call," and it allows data entry by means of a touch pad. The trick even works in Mandarin. Rolls-Royce has also updated the cabin with more chrome around the instruments, a new seating structure, and a redesigned iDrive controller, er, "Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller,” with an integrated emblem. The instrumentation gains some chrome and glitter as well.
Visual changes to the Ghost reflect some that debuted first on its two-door Wraith coupe sibling, particularly the fussier treatment of the headlights and turn signals. There now is a so-called "wake channel" on the hood that Rolls says evokes a jet’s vapor trail, the bumpers have been restyled to be more round and imposing, and the side character line the company calls the "waft line" now ends more softly. Newly added chrome inserts grace the front air intakes, which Rolls now claims feed more cooling air to the front brakes. Among the most impressive features are the headlights, which perform better than the outgoing units and default to high beam, dimming only when there is oncoming traffic.
We believe that the $250K-plus Ghost Series II has the potential to hold its own against the other standard bearers in of the premium-luxury segment, such as the Bentley Flying Spur, the Mulsanne, and the upcoming Maybach version of the Mercedes-Benz S-class. Enhanced waftability has never sounded so good.
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