Although the Ghost name was used as far back as 1906 (with the first Silver Ghost), it is the modern Ghost launched in 2009 that is of great significance to Rolls-Royce. This entirely new model had been conceived for a completely new category of customers, a predominantly younger group than most of the traditional Rolls-Royce clientele.
The automaker had gone to great lengths to fully understand this new generation of customers and their expectations of a luxury car. Instead of the formal image that the brand’s cars have always portrayed, they wanted a more approachable and versatile car – which they would also drive themselves.
The second-generation Ghost, launched in 2020, continued to meet the needs of customers and with the availability of Bespoke to personalise their Ghost. The customers immediately recognised the impact that they could make with Bespoke.
This heralded an era of experimentation and expression – from the ‘quiet luxury’ codes later popularised by the fashion industry, to fearless and bright celebrations of colour. Consequently, Ghost customers invest, on average, 10% of the purchase price of their car in Bespoke.
Meaningful design enhancements
When the time came to update the Ghost, Rolls-Royce again spoke to its customers about their requirements. For them, Ghost’s potential as a platform for personal, as well as engineering dynamism, was central to its appeal. Respecting their wishes, Rolls-Royce made subtle but meaningful design enhancements when forming the latest Ghost Series II.
With the latest update, the Ghost Series II is more closely aligned to Rolls-Royce’s sheer, monolithic design approach than ever. The front end has been distilled into a clean and contemporary showcase for the illuminated Rolls-Royce Pantheon grille, while the headlight and daytime running light graphics have been updated.
New exterior colour choice
For the Ghost Series II, the designers have also created a new exterior colour, joining the marque’s existing palette of more than 44,000 choices and Bespoke colour service, where clients can craft their own shade and reserve it for their exclusive use.
Named Mustique Blue, this metallic finish captures the hues and glamour of the Caribbean island it is named after, using glass and mica flakes to create a shimmer that evokes sunlight reflecting from a tropical sea.
The colour is also a reference to one of the earliest driver-focused Rolls-Royces – a lightweight 1929 Phantom II Continental prototype, which was finished in a similar blue. That car was created for Henry Royce’s personal use and was one of the first cars in history to use pearlescent paint, which at the time was created using ground fish scales.
The interior of the updated Ghost continues to celebrate craftsmanship, both analogue and digital. Housed in the new pillar-to-pillar glass panel, the Central Information Display incorporates the marque’s advanced operating system. This enables owners to extend their Bespoke commission from hardware to software as the colour of the digital instrument dials can now be tailored to complement the interior palette or exterior finish.
Entertainment and connectivity functions have also been significantly upgraded to provide more personalised services for each rear occupant. The 18-speaker audio system further evolves with an upgraded 1400W amplifier to contribute to the ultimate auditorium for sound reproduction within the Ghost cabin.
New expressions of contemporary craft
Alongside the Central Information Display, on the passenger side, is the new Spirit of Ecstasy Clock Cabinet. This houses an analogue timepiece and an up-lit, mirror-polished, solid stainless-steel Spirit of Ecstasy figurine. She is placed on a stage with a matte black back panel and high gloss side panels to create a reflection effect. On entering the car, the Spirit of Ecstasy is initially illuminated from below, as if she is being lit by a spotlight, before her stage lighting settles to a soft glow.
Alongside this exquisite detail, and spanning the full width of the passenger side, is the Illuminated Fascia – an advanced craft feature that debuted with Ghost in 2020. With Ghost Series II, the new Illuminated Fascia design looks to the stars for inspiration, capturing the movement of the night sky in a design reminiscent of time-lapse celestial photography. Clients are also able to create their own Illuminated Fascia motif in collaboration with the marque’s Bespoke designers.
The potent and near-silent 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 8-speed transmission continue with this updated model, along with all-wheel steering and all-wheel drive. There is also the Planar Suspension System with the unique Upper Wishbone Damper unit above the front suspension assembly. This acts in concert with the continuously variable, electronically controlled shock absorbers and self-levelling, high-volume air strut assemblies to create the well-known ‘magic carpet ride’.
