You’ll need to bring along a magnifying glass and a micrometre to find the styling changes on this, the newly-updated Rolls-Royce Ghost. As tends to be its wont, Rolls-Royce has decided that gentle, careful evolution is the key to keeping the Ghost feeling and looking fresh. Just in time for Halloween and all…
New front end
The first generation of Ghost was launched in 2009, and this version came along in 2020. It’s a solid money-spinner for Rolls-Royce (a vulgar aspect to consider, but true nonetheless) and Ghost customers generally spend an extra ten per cent on personalisation and bespoke items.
On the styling front, the Ghost now gets a similar front-end treatment to that of the updated Cullinan SUV, with headlights and LED daytime running lights which flow out and then down, emphasising the width of the car. The front bumper now sits a little lower, and that allows for the ‘Pantheon’ grille to be a little more dramatic in its style - something that Rolls-Royce is now emphasising with back-lighting for the grille. At the rear, the brake lights are also new and styled to be similar to those used by the Spectre electric coupe. The wheels are, as standard, 22-inch rims, and those can be had in either part- or fully-polished finishes.
There’s also a new exterior colour - Mustique Blue - which Rolls-Royce says: “evokes sunlight reflecting from a tropical sea.” There’s also historical reference for the colour, too. A lightweight 1929 Phantom II Continental prototype was finished in the similar shade. That car will have some more significance to the new Ghost story in a moment…
Bamboo-based cloth
The interior, as luxurious as you might expect, has been mildly updated with much of the focus given over to how customers might like to create a more bespoke cabin environment. To whit, you can now specify the background colours of the digital instrument dials, while the ‘Spirit’ infotainment software now includes the Rolls-Royce Whispers app which allows smartphone control of the door locks, location, and sat-nav.
In the back, the rear screens can now be connected individually to two separate digital devices, while those screens also get new software, which controls such items as the rear seat massaging function. There’s Bluetooth connectivity in the rear for headphones or earbuds, as well as a Wi-Fi hotspot and USB-C sockets “hidden discreetly in the centre console.”
Speaking of audio connections, Rolls reckons that the Ghost’s inherent refinement makes it “the ultimate auditorium for sound reproduction.” There’s a standard 18-speaker audio system, with an an upgraded 1400-watt amplifier. Not enough? Then go for the Bespoke Audio upgrade, which features two ‘speakerless’ exciters that, instead of using a cone, are bonded directly to the inside of the Headliner, transforming it into an expansive overhead sound stage. If you’ve specified the ‘starlight’ backlit headliner, which many do, then the fibre-optic cables for the tiny lights are protected by a special acoustic membrane which stops them from rattling.
While much of the Ghost’s cabin is digitally focused, there are some more old-fashioned delights, such as the Spirit of Ecstasy Clock Cabinet, which features a proper mechanical timepiece and an up-lit, mirror-polished, solid stainless-steel Spirit of Ecstasy figurine. When you open the door, the statue is initially illuminated from below, as if she is being lit by a spotlight, before her stage lighting settles to a soft glow.
The passenger side of the dashboard features an ‘Illuminated Fascia’ as standard, which replicates the movement of the stars at night. However, that panel can be swapped out for a personalised panel if you like.
There are also some new trim options, including a Grey Stained Ash wood finish featuring microscopic metallic particles for a shimmering effect. With an eye on sustainability, there’s also a new man-made fabric called Duality Twill, which is made from bamboo. It is inspired by a bamboo grove in the garden of a house called Le Jardin des Méditerranées on the Côte d’Azur, next door to Sir Henry Royce’s own mansion.
According to Rolls-Royce: “Creating a full Duality Twill interior is a highly complex process incorporating up to 2.2 million stitches, 11 miles of thread, and can take 20 hours to complete. Each panel is individually prepared before being cut using a specially developed laser that seals the edges to prevent individual threads from coming loose. Once all panels are carefully positioned and stitched together to create a seamless whole, they are used to upholster the seating. The base twill textile is available in three colours - Lilac, Chocolate and Black - and the thread is available in 51 different hues, allowing clients to tailor their design according to their character, creating a bold contrasting effect or a subtle monochrome.”
Carries over the 6.75-litre V12
If you still want leather, that’s fine and Rolls-Royce is offering the option of having the perforations in that leather - to allow the climate-controlled seats to do their work - punched into the leather in specific patterns, potentially turning each seat into a work of art.
The Rolls-Royce Ghost retains its single engine option - a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 petrol with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive - and its ‘Planar’ suspension that puts the upper wishbone damper above the rest of the suspension, creating the car’s famously comfy ride quality. That’s enhanced by the ‘Flagbearer’ system which uses a camera to read the surface of the road ahead, warning the adaptive dampers of any nasty bumps that might be coming up.
The Ghost is meant to be Rolls’ most ‘driver-focused’ car - which again links back to that experimental 1929 Phantom II Continental. If you want the most specifically driver-focused version, then you’ll need the Ghost Black Badge.
As the name suggests, the Black Badge gets dark exterior trim where the standard model has bright chrome. There’s also carbon-fibre trim in the cabin, and a darker finish for any metal trim.
The Ghost Black Badge also gets a power boost - up by 29hp and 50Nm more than the standard car - while the subtle ‘Low’ button on the column-mounted gear selector is the closest you’ll ever find to a Sport button in a Rolls. It unlocks a 50 per cent increase in gearshift speeds when the throttle is depressed to 90 per cent, and a subtly louder sound from the exhaust system.
While there are no specific suspension changes for the Black Badge, there is a tweak to the braking system, which gets a pedal bite point which has been raised and shorter pedal travel.
The ultimate chill
Finally, there’s the fridge, and this is possibly the most Rolls-Royce-y thing of all. Available in both the Ghost and Ghost Black Badge, there’s an optional champagne chiller for the car. Rolls-Royce specialists consulted with a Master Sommelier and learned that the optimum serving temperature of non-vintage Champagne is, on average, six degrees Celsius and for vintage Champagne, it is broadly 11 degrees Celsius. Accordingly, the cooler operates two cooling modes, chilling to six degrees and 11 degrees Celsius. Brilliant.