Ghost Rolls-Royce Ghost - First Drives (CarMag,…)

[LaArtist]

^Or the Rolls was a rebadged bentley

 

[Deleted member 25]

Nope since Rolls was owning them

 

[LaArtist]

Lol i know.. but that shape was famous as a bentley..

Anyway why are we having this discussion..
BMW did great with RR..

VW did great to with the Mulsanne .. i hate the continentals..but they did great with them aswell..cause they sell/sold like hot cakes..

But imo BMW has done more work with RR as it was in a worse shape before BMW took over than Bentley..

 

[EnI]

2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost - First Drive

The spirit moves you

By Matt DeLorenzo
January 4, 2010


Despite the similarities to the Phantom, the Ghost has a personality all its own, due largely to its underpinnings, which are courtesy of the 7 Series from parent company BMW. This lineage gives the Ghost a unique blend of a limousine’s body with a driver’s spirit.


Not only is the car swift, it is fluid in operation. The car’s steering is light and communicative and it drives much smaller than its dimensions would suggest. The Ghost is easy to hustle down the road quickly and yet at the same time, it handles and rides with a unique, almost inexplicable isolation from the world around you. It is extremely quiet inside and yet, with the steering wheel in hand, you don’t feel separated from the task before you. Looking down the massive hood ahead, it’s as if you’re seated at a finely tuned grand piano.


Turn-in is precise, there’s little body roll to speak of and the standard 19-in. wheels and tires offer plenty of grip. The brake pedal feel is also quite good, with a linear action that is easy to modulate. Again, the car’s BMW pedigree shines through when it comes to vehicle dynamics. And yet, when you sit in the passenger seat or in the back, the experience is eerily similar to being driven around in the Phantom. Obviously Rolls-Royce has its DNA down pat. This is a car you can equally enjoy driving or being driven in.

More: 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost - Article - Road and Track

 

[Merc1]

Ok so I'm reading through all the printed reviews this month.....the air suspension can adjust to passengers in the rear seat switching sides! Impressive. I think I'm back on board liking the Ghost.


M

 

[EnI]

Rolls-Royce Ghost review


New Rolls-Royces come along once every blue moon. This 'baby' Rolls costs almost £200,000 and is claimed to be the essence of the marque.


By Andrew English
Published: 3:39PM GMT 29 Jan 2010

At the finish of the drive I stayed at the wheel of the Ghost for 10 minutes. It's hard to tear yourself away from this car. The facia is such a beautifully judged piece of art deco design that you half expect to find a gorgeous woman swathed in a Mariano Fortuny gown, cocktail glass in hand, in the back seat.

Rolls-Royce calls the switches and instruments "the jewellery" and on the new Ghost they are exquisite. Textures of polished chromium, piano black, cool aluminium, crystal and faux Bakelite rotary switches are so lovely to touch you feel quite pervy running your fingers over them.

There's also reverence and wit. The quadrants for the heater controls are allusions to Seventies dashboards and the heater's blower is controlled by rotary dials with descriptions rather than numbers; Off, Soft, Medium, High and Max. Soft? What manner of breeze is that? Even the matt-black lighting panel recalls the Lucas CAV charging panels on many pre-Second World War cars.

This cabin is almost better than the larger Phantom's – it's partly the captivating details. The symmetry, the bisecting panels and a simple clock with no sub-branding. Or the delightfully thin steering wheel, a precision device, with the cruise control buttons elegantly incorporated within the rim.

...


So it's an accomplished car and indecently fast. Is it a Rolls-Royce or a rebodied BMW? More the former. BMW has taken its responsibilities seriously and though it's been guilty of crass insensitivity at times, it has also put blood and treasure into cars that more than live up to the Rolls-Royce name.

And history should treat the Ghost more generously than that other "driver's Rolls", the 20/50 of 1929. That 3.7-litre, six-cylinder car sat below the mighty Phantom and was aimed at drivers, but owners stuck heavy bodies on top and the 20/50's weedy engine wasn't able to pull the skin off custard. Perhaps that's why BMW has made the Ghost so fast. It just wants people to think well of Rolls-Royce – and to sell a few cars.

Read more: Rolls-Royce Ghost review - Telegraph

 

[EnI]

Subtle in spirit: the 'entry-level' Rolls-Royce Ghost


Last Updated: January 30. 2010 2:45PM UAE / January 30. 2010 10:45AM GMT


When you own a car company like Rolls-Royce, you do things a little differently. As you should, for your clientele are of the ilk to do things differently, too.

So when Rolls decide that it needed another car in its line-up, a car that would bring new buyers to the brand, it went about it in a very different, very British, very Rolls-Royce sort of way.

...

Though the Ghost is a smaller, more demure car than the Phantom, it is still unmistakably a Rolls-Royce. The two-tone paint job with the silver bonnet accentuates the trademark grille, and that famous hood ornament carries an aura that makes whatever wears it something more than just a car. The proof comes every time it’s parked and people gather to gawk and have their picture taken with it.

Inside is a dream; in fact, I think it is a much better overall design than the Phantom. It’s a modern rendition of an art deco flavour, with chrome accents, leather and, of course, wood (in this case, done in piano black) surrounding the passengers. The limited number of buttons and dials not only cleans up the design but helps make the interior seem more calm and serene.

...

Driving the Ghost, like the Phantom, is just so simple, pared down in an elegant fashion. There are no paddle shifters, there is no button for a “sport” mode; in fact, there isn’t even a tachometer, having been replaced by a power reserve dial that feels like a romantic throwback to the earliest automobiles. No, you simply choose “drive” with a thin stalk on the steering column, take hold of the slim, large-diameter steering wheel, press the accelerator and float off.

...

With such a mass of a car surrounding you, the force pushing you back into the seat and the chime of the 120kph speed warning arrive sooner than expected and will impress even those drivers used to high-powered sports cars.

...

As you would expect, the ride is soft and insulating, and potholes are simply not a worry. Deeply sunk drainage grates on Airport Road that unsettle most cars travelling over them went almost unnoticed in the Ghost. Rolls says its Ghost is its “sporting” car, and while it is surprisingly agile for such a large vehicle (much more agile than its big brother, the Phantom), its performance in tight corners at speed belies a suspension that’s tuned for comfort. The big car dips with sharp, quick turns of the wheel, though it does keep its traction well enough. Anyone with serious sporting intentions may want to try BMW’s 760Li, with its different damper settings that help it stay stiff and solid in the twisties. But then, the Ghost seems just a bit too graceful for slalom courses, doesn’t it?

Would I want more? Perhaps a more sophisticated traction control system, which felt like it just dulled the engine down under loose conditions. Maybe even dampers that tightened up the suspension a bit more when needed. Or a key that can fit comfortably in your pocket, instead of the massive black-and-chrome block used now. But these seem somewhat nit-picky in a hand-built car that commands so much attention and gives so much pleasure to those just sitting behind the wheel.

The Ghost is aimed at those who want to get into a Rolls-Royce but may find the Phantom a bit much, and who would normally settle for a 7 Series, S-Class or even a Bentley. Or, perhaps they already have a Phantom but need something to get to the office or stables; as you would.

Kadhim Al Helli, the brand manager at Abu Dhabi Motors, says that he’s had massive interest in the smaller Roller, and he’s already made some sales, having marketed the Ghost discreetly for the last two months. With the recent recession having people paring back and at least wanting to appear less lavish, in Al Helli’s own words, “This is the perfect time for the Ghost”. Rolls-Royce will hope so, too.

Read more: Subtle in spirit: the 'entry-level' Rolls-Royce Ghost - The National Newspaper

 

[EnI]

By Top Gear:

Tom Ford

Rolls-Royce Ghost
Super natural

Is the new Rolls-Royce Ghost an unearthly blend of waft and warp speed, or is it just a skinny Phantom?

Rolls-Royce's new Ghost will make you a better person. This is a surprising statement, probably pitched in from left-field, but it is nevertheless true. And it all starts with the steering wheel. For a visual bludgeon, the new Ghost has a surprisingly delicate wheel. An elegant, leather-wrapped arc that's probably only a finger-and-a-half wide, flanked by slim stalks, a ‘black panel' fascia and white dials as a backdrop. Now, not to delve too deeply into the psychology of ergonomics, but there's something about the way you hold a slender wheel that makes you less aggressive.

Grasp an overly thick rim (like a BMW M3, say), and you naturally reach around to grab hold, pulling your shoulders forward and into a goblin-like crouch. The Ghost's slim-line control needs no such physical modification, so you end up with elbows further down, steering with four fingers and two thumbs, shoulders back and head high. The seats are pillowy, the view regal, BMW's 563bhp, 575lb ft 6.6-litre bi-turbo V12 nicked straight out of the 760i tickling about up front like whispers of mist. It relaxes into the kind of waft we've come to expect from cars like the Phantom and the Drophead Coupe.

Which is totally wrong. This is supposed to be a smaller, sportier, more usable Rolls, but the only way this Ghost qualifies as ‘small' is in comparison to the ermine and aluminium freight train that is the Phantom. The Ghost may be 18 inches shorter, but it looks and feels pretty bloody big from where I'm sitting - ideologically somewhere between a Range Rover and a Peterbilt truck, weighing only 135kg less than its almighty sibling. And as for ‘sporty' - well, um, that's not going so well either, because the steering is devilishly calorie-free, the ride is soaked in plush, and the BMW 8-speed auto (also pilfered from an eviscerated 7) is unfelt in operation. Right now, this Ghost feels about as sporty as a velvet beanbag stuffed with baby rabbit ears.

Time to point north out of the Goodwood factory and away from awkward questions. After all, I've already made encouraging noises about the exterior styling - think Phantom's hip, slightly rodded younger brother. Then I complemented the interior appointments - think Art Deco sprinkles on a heavily technological BMW architecture including the usual multifarious night and side-view cameras and beautiful satnav - all integrated into a kind of demure ‘It's there, but we don't want to shout' interior. Art-Techno, if you will. To then weigh in and tell Rolls employees that on first impressions I think their car is as chuckable as a Routemaster negotiating a waterbed might go down badly. And anyway we have an appointment tonight. And it's in Northumberland.

Still, it takes about two miles and four corners to realise that I'm completely and utterly wrong. This isn't a 7/8ths steel Phantom. It's a hybrid of Rolls vibe and utterly modern velocity. Go slow, and you get the kind of swooshy, silent ultra-absorbency that you expect from a big limo. Motorways are dispatched with a kind of über-GT disdain whose only real intrusion is a subdued blow of wind noise around the top of the A-pillars above 80mph. But press on, and the Ghost rolls out a whole panoply of counter-personality that'll leave you raising more than just an eyebrow.

At anything above murmur-level gliding, the Ghost is engaging in a way that the Phantom deliberately isn't. For all its cruising poise, when you start to lose the throttle in the three-inch deep pile of sheepskin floormat, the Ghost becomes an entirely different style of fiend. The front rears up like some deliciously bellowy speedboat, Spirit of Ecstasy unfurling her wings on the bow. It's hard not to imagine the blank serenity of the little silver figurine curled into a grin as the Ghost piles on speed like a cruise liner that's just snapped her slip-way hawsers on a particularly steep ramp. The gearbox slips between gears like a DSG, nudging ever upward through a rev range that never deigns to rise above a deep and breathy exhalation of torque, the ‘power reserve' dial that serves as a kind of revcounter-***-effort gauge on the left of the dialset swooping serenely around to zero.

And it really moves. You'd never believe that two-and-a-half tonnes of posh can be this motivated. The figures speak for themselves and are entirely reasonable: the sprint to 60mph in just 4.7 seconds and a limited top speed of 155mph. On a small and private moorland road, the Ghost positively gambolled up to the 130mph mark, with enough verve to put the fear of God into anything in the near distance. Believe me, if you get a Ghost's unsmiling, deeply technical physog filling the rear window, don't debate. Just get out of the bloody way.

But where the Ghost is special, where it really marks itself out, is when you come to a corner and realise that this isn't just a drag racer. Drive it, and you begin to understand Rolls' slightly confusing message that the Ghost is ‘dynamic' but not ‘sporty'. The steering - so light and swirly at slower speeds - weights up like it's bringing extra ganglia online to give more bandwidth for necessary sensation. You can feel what the front tyres are doing. And when all your senses are telling you that this big, long-bonneted, definitively mass-rich wedge of class divide is going to run wide with the nose at the very first hint of too much entry speed, it's a huge surprise to find the distant front end tucking up like a sporting saloon.

You're always acutely aware of the generous mass and proportions, but it doesn't stop the Ghost from being able to punt down a twisty road like an AMG Merc. Nearly. But where the big Merc is heavily tied down to extract that performance, it takes an altogether larger class of pothole to get the Ghost to crash, even on the standard run-flat tyres - usually the bane of any car that wants to filter out tarmac pimples. Of which, when you start to run across the pretty moorland side of Northumberland, there are a lot.
But aimless driving isn't what we need. To really get a measure of the car, the Ghost needs a backdrop. To complement the whole old-school, old-money image of Rolls-Royce the company, we chose a beautiful old castle, steeped in history and a weight of ages. To represent the Ghost, we chose a really haunted castle, steeped in blood and the weight of corpses. The joys of literal thinking are almost boundless.

Truth? It looks less like a good idea now that we've rocked up to Chillingham Castle in Northumberland, some 70 miles south of Edinburgh and purportedly the most haunted castle in England, to be confronted by what has to be one of the spookiest-looking edifices ever. This is old-school, hardcore architecture of the kind that says ‘Yes, we may have glass in the windows now, but we still remember where to put the cauldrons of boiling oil should we need to repel boarders.' There is no Disney patina, and there appear to be bloodstains around the studded doorway. The Ghost, the imperious, solid, hyper-real, still massive Ghost looks right at home parked outside. Scaled to fit. Fit for purpose.

.....

Nocturnally unmolested, I surface for the drive home, keen to play with my own Ghost once again. And as I walk down through the courtyard in the pre-dawn murk, bats circling above my head as they slip between the mortar of the old stones (I swear I'm not making this up), I realise what it is about the new Ghost that so impresses. It's the Ghost's sense of self - the utter confidence of character that allows it to use BMW bits and still produce undeniably a Rolls - that makes it such a success.

This is no BMW, despite all that choice hardware cherry-picking. It is definitively more skewed to relaxed über-fast schlepping, but for once this is a Rolls that doesn't sneer if you want to make more serious progress. And no, it isn't perfect. Every time you close the door, you delve into a grab that is essentially a plastic cup, and the starter-button is made of plastic, warm to the touch and irritating to the hindbrain. But it imparts the Tao of Rolls to the point where it infects you with a kind of almost subliminal sense of satisfaction. It makes you feel good.

...


More: Rolls-Royce Ghost - Super natural - 2010 - BBC Top Gear

 

[Centurion]

Possessed by Germans, but the Spirit Is British

Still, passers-by in Southern California had little trouble recognizing the Ghost as a “Royce” (only the unwashed would call it a Roller). Most motorists seemed gracious about yielding the right-of-way, which came as something of a surprise. Only a short time before, in the same general area, I had sampled the charms of a Bentley Continental Supersports to a less favorable reception.

Other motorists seemed to take great delight in short-braking that über-Bentley while saluting me with up-raised digits and hurled insults. One irate Ford pickup driver kept pace for nearly a quarter-mile in an almost incoherent rage. I was finally able to make out the epithet he was shouting: “Banker!” Worse, perhaps, was my test drive of a Maybach 57 some time back, a period during which I and the car were utterly ignored. Who wants to spend $400,000 to drive in the kind of quiet anonymity you can get in an upscale Japanese sedan?


Behind the Wheel - 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost - Possessed by Germans, but the Spirit Is British - Review - NYTimes.com


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The article is a good read with some new bits of info worth knowing.

 

[HighestOfHigh]

First Drive: 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost is smaller in size, still larger than life

Rich people are different from the rest of us. Their wants and needs involve parameters and details completely foreign to the proletariat. While we use our vehicles for transportation, utility and sport, the rich view their automobiles as a necessary accoutrement to their elevated lifestyles.

For the ultra-wealthy, an appropriate equivalent might be an original Remington bronze or Picasso painting. And just as they need art in their mansions, they need beautiful transportation. The 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost lives up to those lofty requirements by simultaneously being a rolling work of art and a status symbol beyond reproach. Like access to the Queen, our time with the Ghost was strictly limited, so comprehensive driving impressions will have to wait. But what we did get was a rare glimpse into what the world's richest inhabitants will enjoy when the Ghost goes on sale this year. And as you'd expect, life is good on this side of the financial Bell Curve.In the world of automobiles, there are better vehicles than the 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost. Some may feature more complex and innovative engineering. Others may provide more performance. There are certainly more expensive and exclusive cars.

But none of these facts matter. To those attracted to the newest, smaller Roller, what matters more is how the Ghost goes about its business of enhancing a well-off individual's life. Certainly, the engineering is solid. It's what you'd expect of Rolls-Royce's caretakers at BMW. Approximately 20-percent of what's used in the Ghost is related to the current and previous generation BMW 7 Series. In other words, Rolls-Royce started with premium stock and went no where but up. Certainly, the 2010 Ghost has more street presence than BMW's flagship. The differences are so great that most would never know the two were related, even with the knowledge that the hallowed British marque is under German control. The Ghost's lines are artfully drawn, not a bit fussy or over done. They are simple and elegant, and impart a sense of solidity. Important details such as the coach doors (otherwise referred to as "suicide" doors by the unwashed masses) allowed designers to make a single element of the front and rear door handles. The design simply looks right. Tiny details reinforce the aura, including the "RR" centers that spin freely within the wheels so the logo remains upright at all times. While there's not much to set the Rolls apart at the rear – those chromed exhaust tips are a $3,200 option – up front the car's heritage is unmistakable. Set off by the optional $5,000 Silver Satin Bonnet finish, the smaller-than-on-the-Phantom recessed grille looks appropriately updated and none-too-large given its surroundings. The strong horizontal shape of the Xenon headlamps (with integrated running LEDs) accentuates the fenders and provides another familial styling cue. A single line of turn signal LEDs rest directly below the main lamps, and standard foglights would apparently be gauche.

And, of course, one cannot overlook the Spirit of Ecstasy. She's been the brand's mascot since the very beginning, and looks remarkable for being 99 years old. She first adorned a Rolls-Royce in 1911, and has been used in various poses ever since. To protect against theft and in the event of a collision with a pedestrian, she quickly retracts into the faux radiator shell. Find her image in the gallery and look at how lovingly she was sculpted. If you look close enough, you can see how her young eyes look eagerly ahead. While setting a good example for all, her eager attitude is warranted given the performance available from the Ghost. Based on the twin-turbo V12 from the fourth-generation E66 7-Series, the Ghost's engine has been stroked from 6.0 to 6.6 liters and produces 563 horsepower at 5,250 rpm with 575 pound-feet of torque at just 1,500 rpm. The gearbox is based on a unit spreading through BMW's ranks, the excellent ZF eight-speed automatic. The suspension is unique to the Ghost, and uses a double-wishbone arrangement up front with a multi-link setup out back. Air springs work in concert with variable dampers and plenty of electronic algorithms to provide uncanny handling for a car that weighs nearly three tons (5445-pounds without occupants). The example we drove was shod with optional 20-inch wheels and tires (another $5,000 option). The doughnuts measured P255/45R20 in front and P285/40R20 in the rear, so there's no need to wonder whether the Ghost possesses the physical means necessary to exercise great mechanical grip. The brakes were equally large, with the front discs measuring over 16 inches. While substantially engineered, most Ghost owners think as much about horsepower as they do about the enriched soil used in their rose gardens. What they care about is the aforementioned exterior style and how the interior speaks to their inner Richie Rich.

Unlike the exterior, which seems to be a more cohesive design statement, the interior is a mash-up of old-world charm and modern-day technologies. Matched wood veneers (all pieces from the same tree) and beautiful hides (some 10 pampered bovines give their all for each Ghost) coexist with an 10.2-inch LCD screen and a version of BMW's iDrive. It feels a bit like having a microwave oven in the kitchen of a historic British castle. Most of it works just fine, but some of the fussy design details seem intent on pandering to perceived luxury, not luxury itself. The chromed buttons on the steering wheel, for instance, are so shiny that it's nearly impossible to identify their function. For those familiar with BMW's biggest sedan, the amount of shared components inside is obvious. The operation of the entertainment and NAV systems is identical, and controls set into the rear armrest are nearly very close to the 7 Series. It's likely most owners won't notice. One of the pieces we thought wonderfully elegant was the power-closing rear doors activated by an interior switch. The wide openings (we're told they come out to 83-degrees, but we didn't bring a protractor) make elegant and demure entries and exits from the rear seats a breeze. Flash-prone pop stars might not appreciate it, but society ladies will.

Representatives of Rolls-Royce say that the Ghost is designed to be driven by its owner. (Sorry, Jeeves.) Provided the owner isn't a rabid fan of the Audi R8 or Ferrari California, he'll think the Ghost is something pretty special when it comes to chassis dynamics. The acceleration will certainly get your attention, as the engine's ability to hustle the massive slab of sedan to 60 mph in around four seconds is enough to make you reach for a pricy aged scotch (but not while driving, of course). Our driving experience in the Ghost was limited to about an hour on the surface streets in and around Philadelphia, PA. In these confined environs, the Ghost gathered speed so quickly it felt like we were being whacked forward by a massive velvet sledge hammer. The adjustable suspension did a commendable job of managing the huge throttle and brake inputs, but while the body movements were well controlled, the ride was more Lexus/Mercedes-Benz than BMW. The adjective "wafting" is not quite accurate – it's actually more of a semi-waft. As you'd expect, the Ghost was supple and road noise was commendably subdued. However, the ride was not substantially more comfortable than the 760iL we had a chance to drive later the same day. As with so many other qualities, this isn't likely to matter. The reality is that with the narrowing of the mean as it relates to overall vehicle quality and performance, a Rolls-Royce isn't that much better than other ultra-premium luxury sedans in the dynamic and comfort departments.

But this Ghost – priced at $297,325 – is not about miniscule differences in handling, power or features. This car is all about presence and statement-making. And it does these things remarkably well in the rarified air most of us will never breathe.

- First Drive: 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost is smaller in size, still larger than life — Autoblog

 

[Levi68]

I see a heavily modified 7-Series here, but still a super-nice car.
M

But you don't see a heavily modified Touareg in the Cayenne?

 

[Merc1]

But you don't see a heavily modified Touareg in the Cayenne?

Nope. I see 2 vehicles that were designed side by side. Try again.

M

 

[Levi68]

Nope. I see 2 vehicles that were designed side by side. Try again.

M

So "designed side by side" is better than "heavily modified"?

 

[Merc1]

So "designed side by side" is better than "heavily modified"?

Yep.

M

 

[Levi68]

Yep.

M

However a heavily modified A8 (into Flying Spur) is better than a heavily modified 7 Series (into Ghost), because one is VAG, the other not.

Respect.

 

[Merc1]

However a heavily modified A8 (into Flying Spur) is better than a heavily modified 7 Series (into Ghost), because one is VAG, the other not.

Respect.

Wrong. A8 isn't modified into anything. The Flying spur is based on the Phaeton still. Don't see what the point is here, I don't think you do either.

M

 

[Soup]

 

[klier]

Ooooh...that color......drooooool

Sky blue with black grille.....amazing!!!

 

[LaArtist]

LOL at the headline..

563bhp BRIT..

Its about as British as the Luftwaffe