Rolls-Royce Ghost Review by Teamspeed.com
Words and photos by Karl Peskett

What is it?
The baby of the Rolls-Royce range

Why should I care?
This is the driver’s Rolls-Royce – It’s the most powerful and agile Rolls-Royce ever.

How much is it?
$245000, plus taxes and delivery

Fireworks. Dancing. An Air-force flyby. Thumping music. Crowds cheering.

It’s not your average Saturday night in Singapore. The city is rehearsing (yes, you read that right) for its National Day Parade celebrations to be held in August. It means walking only, no matter where you go. This town certainly knows how to party.

The flip side to all of this revelry is everyone is wiped out by Sunday morning. The city is empty and the roads are almost completely devoid of cars. We couldn’t have timed our Rolls-Royce Ghost drive better.

Teamspeed was thrown the keys to a crisp white 2011 model Ghost, and told to enjoy ourselves. That we will.

Considering this car has the impeccable build quality that Rolls-Royce is known for, but also brings to the table the most powerful engine that the company has ever built plus an agility not seen before from the brand, it’s fair to say that the Ghost is certainly the driver’s car of the Rolls-Royce range.

Fitting snugly under that long bonnet is a 6.6-liter, twin-turbocharged petrol V12 making a massive 420kW. Let’s put that into perspective – that’s the same as a Ferrari 458 Italia, but it has nearly 50 percent more torque. At 780Nm, the Ghost has some serious pulling power, but the best part is the torque curve which is completely flat, with all of it available from 1500rpm.

Press the Start/Stop button and the Ghost whirs quietly for a second and then it just sits there. Yes, the engine is running. But you can’t tell.

From this moment you can see that it fits into the Rolls-Royce family perfectly, mimicking its bigger brother the Phantom. But unlike the Phantom, the Ghost uses an eight-speed automatic and its power is much more instant and much more urgent.

Heading out into the city streets around the port, the Ghost responds like any other Rolls-Royce; a slightly soft accelerator pedal, ridiculously smooth gearchanges and super quiet interior. It’s as you come across small bumps and expansion joints you hear a distant “wok-wok” as the tires traverse the gaps, but the suspension still has that waftable quality that the brand has become synonymous with. The Ghost does ride firmer than the Phantom, quite noticeably so, however it’s never what you’d term stiff. It still rides with perfection and keeps passengers continually cosseted.

Time to test its handling, then. My guide directs me to a road which the locals call “Forty Corners”, a twisting downhill section that really tightens up. The speed limit here is 40km/h, and as we approach the road doing over double that, we’ll see how the Ghost responds.

Amazingly the steering, despite its lightness, still gives you excellent feedback, though it’s not a sportscar by any means. The wheel is fairly big, but there’s still a directness to it that never gives you a dead-zone around centre.

The Ghost heaves through the first bend, its 2.5-tonne kerb weight not hiding itself, yet it never understeers too much (there is some push, though), and leaving the corner with full throttle, the ESC is cutting in keeping the back wheels from lighting up.

Corner after corner the active roll stabilization system is keeping the body flat and my guide sitting in the back is remarking at how comfortable he is. The suspension is making road calculations every 2.5 milliseconds, and it shows in the way the Ghost is staying composed and yet eating up this road.

In truth, the Forty Corners road is a lot tighter than Ghost owners would be subjecting their cars to, and on long sweepers, this machine feels right at home. As we head back to the city, it’s time to crank up the stereo. Music of choice is the Tron Legacy soundtrack, Outlands Part II. Bass never wobbles, the treble is super crisp but never hurts your ears – I could listen to this stereo for a lifetime.

But there’s a tunnel coming up. Time to wind down the windows and listen to a Rolls-Royce V12 sing to the heavens. My foot goes down and…..all I hear is a whoosh. The car is so used to being quiet that even when let off the leash it’s still quiet.

But the acceleration is immense. 0-60mph is done in 4.7 seconds (it weights 2.5-tonnes don’t forget) but because it’s so Rolls-Royce-like in manner it builds speed slowly from a standstill. That whooshing sensation applies here, too.

Like the 102EX, on the roll, the Ghost just exudes that “hand of God” push from behind and doesn’t let up until it hits its speed limiter. The torque rush is simply gob-smacking. That’s why we’re grateful that the city was deserted – it was perfect for testing the Ghost’s power reserves.

But when you calm down and look over the stitching of the leather, the comfort of the seats, the hand-finished interior and the huge leg-room front and rear, it’s clear the Ghost entails the hallmarks of the world’s foremost ultra-luxury brand.

The Ghost is more modern, more technically advanced and more in tune with younger buyers. The clarity of its screen, the crispness of the instruments and how they blend old and new with classic dials and TFT detailing juxtaposed beneath – it’s a perfect contrast of classic and modern.

It’s also smaller than the Phantom, easier to park, and a lot more discreet. Without the silver painted bonnet it almost blends in. Almost.

People still notice that Spirit of Ectasy. And they notice the Ghost. It’s a true Rolls-Royce, there’s no doubt about that. Yes, the Ghost lives up to its name, being eerily quiet, yet possessing a depth of capability that seems almost supernatural. Its blend of traditional and contemporary craftsmanship and styling is so harmonious that one never overtakes the other. And that’s exactly how Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce would have wanted it.

 

another great review from teamspeed. you guys are really setting the bar high.

 

amazing review. thanx for sharing!!!

 

Never liked the Phantom... but this Ghost is lovable!

 

Luv it in White/Moccasin.

 

It's a terrific car, we've got a black one with the silver bonnet but the main disappointment are the factory wheels they look too tiny and dull.

 

Great review again guys! This car has really grown on me, call me a fan!

 

I'd love me one of these! Forget the gigantic phantom!

 

Great review.

I've driven the Phantom, Ghost and Drophead and the whole "driver oriented" angle is no joke --it really feels like a driver car.

Unlike the Phantoms they even updated the iDrive to be more like what current BMWs feature.

 

I like this better than the Phantom. Plus, you wouldn't look like somebody's chauffeur driving the Ghost.