2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Review

Lord Grantham would be at home with the Ghost. It's not that Downtown Abbey is haunted, it's that a new season of a hit television series is lit up in the living room as I roam the street in a new Rolls-Royce.

Perhaps his lordship would have been happier in the back of the chauffeured Phantom in the first season, but times have changed in recent episodes and the Ghost is a car for people who like to drive themselves.

The Ghost is also part of the new series, with minor changes to the nose, suspension and cockpit detailing. Not that the Series II has strayed from the basics.

This is plush with a capital letter

This is a big, heavy (2.5 tons) luxury car for people who can afford the best in life. At first I dismissed it as a BMW 7 Series in holiday dress, but the feel is completely different.

Everything you touch in Ghost is real, from chrome steel to leather and deep pile wool carpets. Audi has done a great job of creating stylish interiors that entice shoppers, but this is something else again.

It still has the iDrive system, but the display screen and operation are not like the BMW original, and the rotary controller is designed differently and gives a different feel. It's the same story with a chassis that's much more than just a 7 Series. It's chic with a capital P, supremely quiet and absolutely calm on any surface. Inside, it's as quiet as a BMW i3, and it's an electric car without any intervening internal combustion engine.

The Ghost is the smaller, or perhaps less stately, model in the Rolls-Royce lineup, and starts at a relatively affordable $545,000 (for those on a Grantham-esque budget, anyway).

For me, Ghost time is a two-day aerobatics dive that gives even more than I expect. It's a great way to thank family members who go crazy for backseat selfies, and the perfect way to get a parking space at a five-star hotel.

But it's still a machine, which means I have to check the basics. The front seats are chair-soft, the rears are plush and fine with a five-year booster in place, and there's more than enough trunk space.

I love the clamshell doors that provide easy access and close with the weight - and power - you expect from a car that's more than just a three-year lease.

The car I drive has an eye-catching two-tone paint job, but I'm wondering if I'd choose the same combination for myself. Probably not, although I do notice a similar ghost at the Crown Casino on Grand Prix weekend which is much more flamboyant so it obviously depends on the owner.

It's sublime and enjoyable at all speeds

My time is limited, but I try it on all kinds of roads and in a range of speeds, even running from traffic lights a couple of times. Just because I can.

There are a lot of electronics in the BMW parts basket, most of which are safety related; The side-view front camera helps you get your long nose out of the way without hitting a bump.

Because it's great and enjoyable at all speeds, I can handle the criticism I hear from a cop that it's a car for old people with too much money. It's not particularly nimble - you have to be careful when parking due to its size - but it's not wobbly or bulky.

In fact, it compares very well to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class coupe I recently drove. It seems heavier and, surprisingly, even more chic and luxurious. And I didn't expect it.

It's not Downton Abbey like the $855,000 Phantom, but The Ghost is for young people who are more likely to make their own money rather than inherit it with a stately home.

It's a fantastic car, despite the outrageously high price tag. This is a car that you can easily fall in love with. It's not for everyone or anyone I know, but I can easily understand the attraction.