Review of Rolls-Royce Ghost 2010

The world's insatiable appetite for super-luxury cars has been given a new twist with the Rolls-Royce Ghost. By any measure, from size to weight to price, the Ghost is a heavyweight car. And yet, by Rolls-Royce Phantom standards, the car is relatively affordable, relatively compact, and relatively ordinary.

This does not mean that the ordinary in this car is remotely related to the idea of most people about it. How can that be, with a price tag of $645,000 – not including extra equipment or travel expenses – and a weight of 2.4 tons? And the world-famous mascot of the flying lady always flaunts on the nose.

The all-new Ghost is the car you have when the Phantom is too much and the Mercedes-Benz isn't enough. More than 30 orders have already been placed for local deliveries to RR's Goodwood plant in the UK, which is getting ready for full production.

The Ghost took three years to build and will eventually come with a few other body styles, but for now, it's a full-size limousine with a V12 engine, signature RR "clamshell" doors, and more than enough luxury for every taste.

It goes without saying that the Ghost has wood and leather trim, no sign of a tachometer, and that everything you see and feel will be right at home in a luxury home. And yet the Ghost is the twin under the skin of the BMW 7 Series – starting with the RR. is part of the BMW Group - and a couple of things, the iDrive controller, the dashboard display and the radio fin on the roof, peek out from under the surface. They are fraternal twins, and you can't tell the relationship when you drive, but the connection is there.

“Everything that has to do with the character of Rolls-Royce is different. We strongly believe that important things should be owned,” says Hanno Kirner of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The commitment to the “real” Rolls-Royce is as deep as the major overhaul of the BMW Group V12 engine to provide the effortless traction expected from a luxury brand. The 420 kW/780 Nm figures speak for themselves.

There's an eight-speed rear-wheel-drive automatic transmission and a full suite of safety equipment from airbags to ESP, but vital to any Rolls-Royce is the size and weight of the car. And the engineers ticked the box.

Ghost is already creating the inevitable waiting lists, even in Australia and despite huge profits. "First customers will arrive in Australia in June," says Hal Serudin, RR's chief executive in charge of Asia Pacific. Motor vehicles.

Driving

The Phantom feels exactly like the Phantom, only condensed. It has the same secure connection to the road, the same light feel at any speed on any surface, and all the luxury you could ever need.

However, it is more breathy and responsive, tighter in corners, and a little disappointing in the BMW things I can see and hear. It's the little things like the seatbelt warning chime and the look of the iDrive display, but the little things can make a big difference when you've spent $645,000 and your best friend has a 7 Series for less than half that amount.

The people at RR don't see it and you don't feel it behind the wheel, and yet the Ghost has the same tangible magical feel as the Phantom and is clearly based on the same DNA and the same commitment to being better. best. It is, by any measure, a brilliant car. It's just a pity that so few people see it.

Rolls-Royce Ghost

Price: from 645,000 dollars

Engine: 6.5 liter V12

Power: 420 kW/5250 rpm, 780 Nm/1500 rpm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive

Economy: 13.6 l/100 km

Emissions: 317grams/kilometer CO2