We've just driven Rolls-Royce's new Ghost for the first time (click here to read our Ghost review) and already Rolls is rolling out the variants. The first addition to the new Ghost lineup is this, the Ghost Extended, with its longer body and wheelbase.
170mm extra length
"New Ghost is the result of in-depth dialogue with Rolls-Royce's diverse and global customer base. Many of them asked the marque to create a motor car that provides the indulgence of enhanced rear space within the interior suite with no compromise to driving dynamics. Ghost Extended answers this customer demand by creating a product that augments both their business and lifestyle requirements" said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
To create the Ghost Extended, Rolls-Royce has stretched the car by 170mm, pretty much all of which has been turned over to rear-seat legroom and space. In fact, Rolls-Royce says that the Ghost Extended has more rear legroom than any other four-door car, save for its bigger brother, the imperious Phantom Extended.
Reclining 'Serenity Seat'
But of course, a mere stretch would not be enough for the exacting standards of Rolls-Royce. According to the company: "Customer centricity has informed every step of the development process. A key learning was that Ghost Extended customers wanted no compromise to Ghost's pure, minimalist design. The marque's designers worked to cloak the extra length by only extending the rear door and body around the rear door apertures, preserving the lines of the car."
There are other tweaks to the Ghost's rear cabin (perhaps 'enhancements' is more apposite than tweaks...) including the option of a reclining 'Serenity Seat' which leans back and allows you to doze in the manner of a first-class airline passenger.
There's even an update to the champagne fridge in the rear - Rolls-Royce canvassed the opinion of a master sommelier, who informed the company that the correct temperature at which to drink vintage champagne is 11-degrees Celsius, but non-vintage needs to be much colder, at around six degrees. An adjustable thermostat was duly fitted...
Micro-filter for the air conditioning
While there are the expected infotainment options and wifi hotspots, Rolls-Royce says that it's also worked hard on ensuring that the cabin of the Ghost Extended is 'a relaxed and serene environment.' To help with that, the Ghost Extended is fitted with a new Micro-Environment Purification System (MEPS). This technology enhances existing air filtration systems through software and hardware. Highly sensitive Impurity Detection Sensors detect ambient air quality, automatically activating fresh air intakes into Recirculation Mode. If unacceptable levels of airborne contaminants are detected, the air is passed through a nanofleece filter that is capable of removing nearly all ultra-fine particles within the cabin in less than two minutes.
There are also options such as laser headlights, which can peer 600. metres into the dark, all-round cameras for parking, night vision, active cruise control, collision warning, cross traffic warning, lane departure and lane change warning.
As per the standard Ghost, the Extended gets the same 'Planar' suspension with its air springs, its adaptive dampers, its damper-on-a-damper setup, and the 'Flagbearer' camera system that reads the road ahead and tells the suspension what to expect. There's all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, and the same 571hp turbocharged 6.75-litre V12 engine.