Democratization is a relative term – in Rolls Royce parlance that directly translates to the ‘RR Ghost.’ At the Auto Shanghai show in 2009, BMW owned Rolls Royce announced that they would be making a baby Roller – again, a relative term since the Ghost is about 13 inches longer than a 7 series BMW, a car with which it shares 20% of its components, but about 16 inches shorter than the mighty Rolls Royce Phantom. And, at a crore less than the Phantom, the Ghost is considerably more affordable – did I mention that everything’s relative?
At 2.5 crores plus, you still need to be stupendously wealthy to afford one. And, while the Ghost may bring some new, but still well-heeled, buyers into the exclusive club of Rolls Royce ownership, it nevertheless has a lot to live up to. After all, the Silver Ghost from which it gets its name is perhaps the most famous and celebrated Rolls of all time. In fact, it was the car that led to the origin of the phrase, ‘Best car in the world,’ in 1907 – a phrase that the company has done its utmost to adhere to ever since.
So, what does it mean to be a baby Rolls? What we have here is one of the first Rolls Royce Ghost’s, delivered earlier this year, in the Asia Pacific region – so, we’re about to find out.
From the Outside
The Ghost may be considerably smaller than the Phantom, but it’s no less imposing on the road. However, it does appear to be a modern interpretation of styling that’s quintessentially Rolls Royce. The traditional front grille, for instance, is inset in the Ghost – versus the Phantom, in which it completely dominates the front end. The overall design, in fact, appears much more cohesive as compared with the Phantom, which, depending on your point of view, could be construed as being a little over the top.
Make no mistake, however, when people see the Ghost coming down the road, they still get out of the way – and very quickly too. Moreover, it does share a lot of cues from its bigger brother, such as the rear-hinged suicide doors, which Rolls refers to as ‘coach doors’ since they allow you to step in-and-out of the car with utmost grace and dignity. And, like the Phantom, the RR wheel centers always stay upright –also, the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ hood ornament can be electrically retracted into the grille if you tire of seeing her for some reason.
The car we tested was stunning in claret with a silver satin bonnet and 20-inch wheels. The bonnet isn’t brushed aluminium however, as it is in the Phantom Drophead Coupe and Convertible. Instead, it’s actually matte-finish silver, which you don’t polish, but apparently clean with Colin – another sign of this seemingly autocratic machine appearing decidedly democratic. That being the case, it takes but one look at the Ghost to see firsthand what five coats of paint and a layer of clear lacquer will do, which is give it a lustre that makes other, more pedestrian, road going vehicles appear unfinished in comparison. The 20-inch wheels, meanwhile, are quite needed – not least because the large wheels form an integral part of the proportion of a Rolls Royce, but also because they hold serving-tray sized brake discs underneath (a massive 16.1 inches in front, and 15.8 inches at the rear).
I, for one, just love the way the Ghost looks – it’s virtually as grand as the Phantom, and a lot more usable on a regular basis.
From the Inside
Exquisite is the only word that comes to mind. This particular car had moccasin leather, walnut veneer and lambswool carpets, but that’s not the point – like in the Phantom, absolutely everything looks and feels finely crafted. As you feast your eyes on the walnut, you can almost envision the craftsmen back at the factory applying coat-after-coat of veneer. And, like in the Phantom, there’s so much to take in, the attention to detail is phenomenal – such as the art deco roof lighting, the chrome plungers to open-and-close the AC vents, and the flawless black piano finish on the elegant large diameter, thin-rimmed steering wheel.
However, this is a new-age Rolls, which means that it’s also packed to the gills with the latest technology. For instance, it’s got a BMW iDrive-like interface, which can, of course, also be controlled from the rear seat. It also has a pair of DVD screens in the back, a USB-input in the glove box, a built-in hard disk to rip music to, and multiple reverse cameras that provide a phenomenal Google Earth-like aerial view of the car and its surroundings. And, like the Phantom, it has a button to close the rear door should you have to do so yourself – shudder the thought. On the more traditional front, it also has umbrellas mounted in the front doors. It most certainly is a ‘pukka’ Rolls Royce.
On the Road
The new baby Roller is powered by a not-so-baby-like 6.6 litre, twin-turbo, BMW derived V12 that produces 563 horsepower and 780Nm of torque – yes, you read that correctly, and yes again, it probably is enough to tow an ocean liner.
Now, the bigger Phantom has quite a bit in common with a sea faring vessel – it certainly costs as much as some, and also drives like a land yacht, albeit a very fast one. But the Ghost is not only smaller, but it also has an additional 100 horsepower. Moreover, it has an 8-speed ZF gearbox, adaptive air suspension (like the Phantom), active roll stabilization, four-wheel steering, double wishbones in front (which are incidentally stamped BMW), and does 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds. Now that sounds like a car that’s been made to be driven. And boy has it ever.
The Ghost doesn’t feel at all intimidating from behind the wheel. In fact, the view out the front is just as good as in the Phantom – with the Spirit of Ecstasy leading the way. The only difference in this case is that it doesn’t feel as though the bonnet is in another zip code. And that means you’re very comfortable even on our incredibly congested streets. Like in the Phantom, the steering is exceptionally light. But, being a rack-and-pinion, it’s also very direct and provides great feedback. You can certainly feel the German influence – in a positive way, because everything feels responsive and immediate, which isn’t exactly easy to achieve in a car as large as this. It really is a Rolls that’s meant to be driven. The car darts into corners in a way that shouldn’t be possible within the laws of mass and inertia. The active roll stabilization and adaptive air suspension really does work. There’s minimal roll and the body control is amazing – and the power, my God the power.
My colleague, seated next to me during the drive, likened the acceleration of the Ghost, and the sensation it provides, to that of a commercial airliner taking flight. Courtesy of the 8-speed transmission, all 563 horses are at your beck-and-call absolutely all the time. And there’s just no sensation of speed whatsoever – simply a sense that the scenery appears to be flashing by ever so quickly, and the horizon, which was just a speck, is suddenly upon you. The most incredible thing of all, though, is that every time you look at the instrument cluster, even with the accelerator pedal firmly pressed, the power reserve meter typically indicates that you’ve got anywhere between 50-60% of the engines power still in reserve (like in the Phantom, the Ghost doesn’t have a tachometer, but a power reserve meter – although the gauges in this case are white, which I found avoidable). In fact, the only time you feel the considerable heft of this machine, is when you stand on the massive brakes. The brakes themselves are very impressive, it’s just that you realise quite how much this car weighs when you come to slow down again – especially if you have to do so in a hurry.
On the comfort front, the Ghost retains the trademark magic-carpet ride of a Rolls Royce. And, as per tradition, at 100km/h all you hear is the clock ticking. Actually, in this case, the clock doesn’t tick, so in fact all you hear is the AC blower. It’s not quite as eerily quiet as in the Phantom, but still sufficiently silent enough for you to virtually hear your heartbeat accelerate with the car. Incidentally, the name for the 1906 original originated from ghost like quietness – another legacy that’s certainly carried on even today.
Another feature that could be very useful in India is the height adjustable air suspension. You can manually raise or lower the car via a button on the center console. Alternatively, the car will do it for you automatically – it raises the ride height on its own when it senses you’re traversing rough terrain, and it also lowers the car when you approach cruising speed, which reduces drag and also improves road holding. The Ghost even has a button on the gear lever to engage a Rolls Royce version of ‘Sport’ mode. It sharpens throttle response, quickens shifts, and ensures that the transmission holds gears longer. It really does work, and while ordinarily it would be the first thing I’d do before setting off, in this case I left if off – in the Ghost, it didn’t seem dignified somehow.
Verdict
The baby Roller is truly an incredible car – it may not be quite in the same league as the Phantom, but it is a true Rolls Royce in very sense. From the drivers’ chair, it’s almost incomprehensible the way it really does sit on its haunches and head for the horizon. It’s a completely different feeling to anything you’ve experienced before – being thrown back into the plush seats that are covered in hide that undoubtedly comes from the most well bred cows on the planet. And in the rear, while it may not be as voluminous as a Phantom, which has a throne unlike any other, the Ghost at least has a chaise lounge that cossets you all the same. Being inside the Ghost is really an escape from the outside world, and, if you can’t afford one, like 99% of the earths’ inhabitants, it’s an escape from reality as well. But if you can actually afford to make this your reality, I strongly suggest you do. And to clear your conscience, you can at least contribute as much to charity as well.
So, is this the best car in the world? Well, it’s second only to the Phantom – fitting I suppose.
