Frankfurt 2009: 2011 Rolls Royce Ghost

A new Rolls Royce is something like getting a new Pope. It doesn't happen very often, it's sort of a big deal, but the fact of the matter is it looks exactly like the last one.  There's a new Rolls Royce out, and if you scratch your head and say "it sure looks like the last one," then you're not alone.  What's cool is that this is a new kind of Rolls Royce.  It's supposedly a Rolls Royce for people who want to actually drive their Rolls Royce, which isn't really something they've done in the past.

The car's official debut is schedule for the Frankfurt show (where else?) but like most cars these days, the real debut for the Ghost comes a few weeks ahead of it's "official" debut.  BMW Rolls Royce has dropped a ship's worth of details on this new Roller, so let's dive in and see what it's all about.

Dimensions wise, the Ghost slots in below the gargantuan Phantom saloon, but above the BMW 7-series upon which it's based.  It rides on a 129.7" wheelbase, compared to 126.4" for the 760Li and a massive 140.6" for the Phantom.  It's also a lot shorter overall than the Phantom, 212.6" from bumper to bumper compared with the 230" Phantom.

Rolls' press release talks about the more dynamic character of the Ghost compared to the Phantom, and that's born out in the specifications themselves.  For one thing, just based on what's under the hood, the Ghost would smack the Phantom around pretty hard when that expensive gas pedal sinks into the deep-pile wool carpet.  The Ghost has got a secret, and it's hiding its weapons-grade collection of horsepower pretty well.  Power comes from a 6.6L V12, with direct injection and twin turbochargers, which cranks out 563bhp and 575 lb-ft of torque - and that torque peaks comes at only 1,500rpms, basically off idle.  780nM of torque with the touch of a throttle?  That's power.

All that power gets the Ghost going in a most uncivilized hurry - 0-60mph in 4.7 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 155mp/h reads like the spec sheet of a BMW M car, not something that hauls around Wall Street bigwigs. Compare that to the Phantom's leisurely 6.0 second 0-60 time, and it's clear that performance was a goal of the Ghost. I guess this signals the end of the days when Rolls Royce rated their engine's power output as "adequate" and would never stoop to the level of offering standard performance figures?

Speaking of performance, what's really telling is how much faster the Ghost is than the Phantom when you consider that it's only 33 pounds lighter than it's big brother.  At 5,445 lbs empty, the Ghost isn't what I'd call light.  So why does the faster, more powerful, equally heavy ghost get better fuel mileage than the Phantom?  (13.6L/100km versus 15.9L/100km).  Might be down to the new transmission - a brand new ZF 8-speed automatic - and might be due to the better aerodynamics.  But isn't technology impressive?

The tech specs continue to impress.  For instance, the Ghost is suspended by double wishbones up front and a multi-link independent rear suspension, with electronically variable air shocks.  This is cutting edge air suspension that adapts extremely quickly to any situation.  Each damper makes load calculations every 2.5 milliseconds, working in conjunction with a series of sensors mounted around the car.  The Ghost can also use this air suspension to raise or lower itself by 25mm from static height, which is pretty cool.  That's not even to mention the alphabet soup of electronic acronyms that BMW couldn't resist stuffing in the ghost.  Who knew you could get a Roller with ARS, DBC, DSC, DTC, and CBC?  I didn't, and to be honest, I don't care.

Of course, they didn't just stuff the Ghost full of BMW nerdery.  They didn't forget some of the things that make a Rolls Royce special, rather than simply good.  Like the self-centering RR badges on the wheels, mounted on bearings so they stay upright while the wheel is turning.  Then there's the silver-satin two tone finish available for the hood, which is reminescent of the stainless hood on the Phantom Coupe.

Cool stuff continues inside, with teflon-coated umbrellas (seriously) hidden inside the front doors.  The back doors open suicide-style to a wide 83 degrees, and once inside the passengers can close them with the push of a button.  Because, you know, closing your own door is so uncouth.  There's a huge panorama sunroof to let in natural light, and 4-zone climate control means that everyone's happy.  And how about that optional lit cooling box with built in champagne flutes?  Classy. Oh, and all four seats have air cooling.  And there are available solid-wood picnic tables that hinge off the back of the rear seats.  The Ghost has a 600w 16-speaker audio system with two individual subwoofers pass sound through a 10-channel amplifier.  The Ghost also has USB and Auxiliary jacks as well as a built-in 12.5GB hard drive for music storage.  Not to whine, but my 4-year-old iPod classic holds more than twice that much, and I don't have to buy a Rolls Royce to get it!  And don't forget the 9.2" LCD screens for the rear passengers, with electronic tilt control from an iDrive-like rotary knob in the back seat.

I could go on and on about all the other things that are standard or optional on the Ghost, but frankly I'm worried about breaking our servers with that kind of load.  Suffice to say that the Ghost combines traditional Rolls Royce values - exquisite standard of manufacturing and engineering, elegant and relaxing operation, and the kind of status that only the Spirit of Ecstasy can convey - with modern BMW values - astonishing performance, well-integrated high technology, and that creepy obsessive German brand of attention-to-detail.  With a combination of attributes like that, it seems like there might be a new standard player in the ultra-luxury class.  You'll have to wait until the Frankfurt show to see the Ghost in the flesh, but I bet it'll be worth the wait.