The Rolls-Royce Ghost is a luxury car manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The "Ghost" nameplate, named in honour of the Silver Ghost, a car first produced in 1906, was announced in April 2009 at the Auto Shanghai show. During development, the Ghost was known as the "RR04". Designed as a smaller, "more measured, more realistic car" than the Phantom, aiming for a lower price category for Rolls-Royce models, the retail price is around £170,000. The production model was officially unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Ghost Extended Wheelbase was introduced in 2011.
200EX concept (2009)
The Rolls-Royce 200EX, officially unveiled at the March 2009 Geneva Motor Show, indicated the styling direction of the production model Ghost. The Ghost's design is virtually unaltered.
First generation
Initial release
The official name of the Rolls-Royce Ghost was originally announced in April 2009, the vehicle was officially unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, and went on sale in September 2009. Delivery in the UK and Europe began late in 2009, while in other markets deliveries began from the second quarter 2010. The Ghost Extended Wheelbase was unveiled in 2011.
Design
The Ghost was designed by Andreas Thurner and engineered by Helmut Riedl, who led the development of the larger Rolls-Royce Phantom. The Ghost, codenamed RR04 during its design phase, was developed to compete with vehicles significantly less expensive than the Phantom, such as the Bentley Flying Spur and V12 engine versions of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The Ghost is based on a platform shared with the F01 BMW 7 Series. The company concedes that 20% of parts are common to both cars. The Ghost has a wheelbase, roof height, bonnet height and track widths all of its own, and the Ghost uses Phantom-style air springs. The car also shares the FlexRay electronic system with its larger stablemate. The car has a curb weight of. Like other current Rolls-Royce models, the Ghost uses parent company BMW's iDriveuser interface; the Spirit of Ecstasy bonnet ornament along with more functions, are controlled using the system.
Engines
The Rolls-Royce Ghost features a modified version of the BMW N74 V12 engine, called the N74B66.
The engine allows the Ghost to accelerate from 0 to in 4.7 seconds, and has an electronically limited top speed of.
Manufacturing
The Rolls-Royce Ghost is built on its own dedicated production line at the Goodwood plant, sharing paint, wood and leather workshops with the Phantom series.
Rolls-Royce introduced the updated Series II Ghost at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. Visual changes over the Series I Ghost include re-sculpted headlights, and unbroken daytime running lights. The Series II also gained a tapered ‘wake channel’ on the bonnet, emanating from the Spirit of Ecstasy’s wings. Chrome inserts were added to the front air intakes, which had been enlarged so as to feed more cooling air to the front brakes. The bumpers were also subtly revised, while the side character line Rolls-Royce calls a "waft line" was slanted further forward. New alloy wheel and colour options were also offered. On the inside, Rolls-Royce fitted re-designed front seats, and re-angled the rear seats so as to allow for easier communication with other passengers. The clock fascia and instrument dials gained polished metal chaplets that evoke premium watch design. Natural grain leather could now be fitted to the A and C pillars, and two new veneers became available. Technical modifications include re-designed front and rear struts coupled to new steering gear, as well as adjusted dampers and new rear hydraulic axle bearings. The Series II also gained advanced LED headlights. With the Series II Rolls-Royce also offers a "Dynamic Driving Package" that they claim offers a more involving driving experience. "Satellite Aided Transmission" technology was added to all Ghosts, which utilises GPS data, as well as analysing the driving style of the driver, to select the most appropriate gear.
Engines
Transmissions
Second generation
The next generation Ghost was spied testing for the first time on 24 January 2019 with a long awaited update. This model will share the same platform as the Phantom VIII and the Cullinan SUV with its "Architecture of Luxury" aluminium spaceframe chassis moving on from the BMW platform that the Ghost was on for Series I and II, creating a more comfortable ride quality for future Rolls-Royce models as well as significant weight savings, which is what Rolls-Royce as a car brand is renowned for. The model is expected to be released in 2020/2021.
