First signs of new Rolls-Royce Ghost begin to make appearance

Rolls-Royce is the epitome of luxury motoring. For those who can afford the indulgence, these British cars represent the ultimate driving and passenger experience.

Since it was acquired by BMW in 1998, Rolls-Royce has improved its technology and engineering sophistication. The old values in terms of handcrafted cabin appointments and impeccably finished leather trim remain, but Rolls-Royce is no longer completely traditional.

The company does not often debut new models, so when it does announce something, it makes for a notable occasion. As such, the 2021 model year Ghost commands significant attention, by virtue of various new technologies and upgrades.

The new Ghost: Indisputable road presence

A typically bold Rolls-Royce gives the new Ghost indisputable road presence, with its front-end reminiscent of the company’s Cullinan SUV. The overall limousine proportions have not changed much, but designers managed to add the latest LED lighting technology to Ghost’s grille, allowing for a variety of colours to backlight the car’s signature chrome feature.

Image: Supplied

Autonomous doors

To access the opulent Ghost cabin, you don’t have to bother with any physical input as this new luxury sedan has electrically opening doors, which also shut themselves.

Customisation and premium materials are the standard the inside new Ghost. Only the best wood veneer finishes are used for the dash, centre-console and door panel inlays.

The seating comfort and tactile delight is guaranteed with outstandingly padded leather seats, hewn by master craftspeople.

Quality engineering

Its luxury billing and presence might be what wow most onlookers, but the updated Ghost’s true value is in the quality of its engineering. Unlike the previous-generation car, this new Ghost rides on an exclusively Rolls-Royce platform, instead of sharing its chassis with the BMW 7-Series.

This has allowed Ghost’s engineers to fit it with an outstanding air-suspension system, stabilising the car at speed and through corners, whilst also smoothing out road surface imperfections.

An active road scanning camera system and GPS locator work in unison to make micro-adjustments to the air-suspension each second, interpreting surface bumps and reacting before they make a nuisance of themselves. Ride quality is peerless, allowing for unrivalled serenity on the move.

Powering this new Rolls-Royce is a 6.8-litre turbocharged V12 engine, boosting 420kW. Despite its obvious weight and bulk, the Ghost is rapid, capable of 0-100km/h in a shade under five seconds.