Ahead of the official unveiling of Rolls-Royce's new Ghost, set for the Frankfurt Motor Show next week, the grand British marque has revealed its 'mini' Roller, whetting our appetite before the global launch. Kindly, Goodwood even gave away much-needed information regarding the specification and technical goodness underneath the stunning metalwork.
The images reveal far more than the last tease (wheels issue 229), giving us a guided tour of the interior and all its gadgetry. The Phantom's little brother will house a hefty 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12, producing 780Nm of torque from a low 1,500rpm. Although home to 563 horses and capable of flying to 100kph in 4.9 seconds, the Ghost achieves this with all the grace and elegance that Rolls-Royce is renowned for. The eight-speed automatic gearbox should grant the Roller a feeling of seamless power while gliding eloquently along the asphalt on the new air suspension system. So you can pretty much float to a top speed of 250kph.
But this lounge on wheels is loaded with so much more besides the obvious leather-adorned cabin with the expected splashings of wood veneer. For instance, the sound system delivers 600 watts via 14 speakers and two subwoofers. Then there are two 9.2in LCD screens located in the back of the front seats, with independent displays and a control unit mounted on the armrest that can keep the little blighters entertained.
Unlike any other Rolls-Royce before, the Ghost is more driver-focused, emboldened by the raised seating position for a clear view of the road. What's more, the visibility is enhanced by the fish-eye view, presented by wrap-around cameras. Furthermore, the Ghost also boasts a discreetly hidden night vision camera, sitting behind the massive chrome grille. Not only does it allow you to see in the dark, it also utilises infrared technology to detect objects - pedestrians, if you like - over 300m away, displaying them on the central screen in the dash. The camera and its chips also check the heat traces, your current speed and direction, and then classify the object's imminent danger. Pretty cool.
Other driver aids include a head-up display, a lane departure warning, active cruise control with stop-and-go technology, and of course sat-nav and the usual communication and entertainment functions. As usual, this Rolls-Royce also comes with a branded umbrella hidden in the driver's door for convenience. You gotta love that.
Unlike Rolls-Royce's previous back-seat cruisers, the Ghost may prove to be a true driver's car. It pulls all the right cues from previous models, so could never be mistaken as anything else, but it perfectly unifies old and new. To top it all off, it is the most powerful Roller to date. Now we just need pay rises all around, or to sell our souls for about, hmm, Dh900,000.
