Base 4dr Sedan
2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost
Rolls-Royce Director of Global Communications Richard Carter tells me that his storied employer is "a company that does not chase volume." In a perfect world, mused Carter, the carmaker would sell "one less" of its ultra-luxury vehicles than the fast-expanding world market demands. And, thanks in no small part to the unprecedented success of the Series I Rolls-Royce Ghost that launched in 2010, the Brit brand seems well positioned to strike that perfect balance between exclusivity and record profits. In 2003 (the year in which the first BMW-backed Rolls rolled off the line in West Sussex), the company managed to sell around 500 cars. This year, with the first run of already-back-ordered Ghost Series II models still weeks away from delivery, the marque will top 4,000 units for the first time in its history. Considering that each one of those "units" – a somewhat unsatisfying term for motor car this special – will gross Rolls-Royce $300,000 if we're being very conservative, you'll quickly see that creating a very desirable product for one of the best brands in the world negates the need to chase volume. The rich and free-spending are chasing this Ghost, instead. So, how do you refresh (I'm told that a Rolls-Royce would never be subjected to a "facelift") a luxury sedan that is already so affecting to drive, be driven in and to behold? I flew south to Dallas, TX, to drive the new Ghost Series II in and amongst the genuinely rich folks to find out. A dead-front view reveals just about everything that is visually new on the exterior. "Facelift" may be a term too gauche for company minders to utter, but it does succinctly convey the cosmetic revisions that the Ghost has seen for its second act. A dead-front view reveals just about everything that is visually new on the exterior. The brand-making grille is slightly more imposing that on the previous model, now flanked with LED-lined headlamps that have evolved into a bigger, slightly teardrop shape. Aside from the new lamps, the most obvious giveaway for the new model is the wake-shaped channel in the hood that the runs from the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament back to the windscreen. In reference to the subtly of these design changes Carter said, "the body shape is, in any event, classic," hinting that dramatic model-year-rewrites are the stuff of more ordinary cars. The Ghost looks as it should, in other words – different enough to keep the nameplate fresh I suppose, but very much hoping that its silhouette and prow have already reached eternal status in the globe's automotive annals. Inside there are more changes – both obvious and below the skin – than on the exterior, but the sense of regality remains. A new Rolls-branded iDrive controller adorns the center console, front and rear, with a slice of crystal protecting two more iterations of that lovely Spirit lady. What's more, the controllers are now touch-sensitive, too, so Sir or Madam may spell out letters …
Full Review
Rolls-Royce Director of Global Communications Richard Carter tells me that his storied employer is "a company that does not chase volume." In a perfect world, mused Carter, the carmaker would sell "one less" of its ultra-luxury vehicles than the fast-expanding world market demands. And, thanks in no small part to the unprecedented success of the Series I Rolls-Royce Ghost that launched in 2010, the Brit brand seems well positioned to strike that perfect balance between exclusivity and record profits. In 2003 (the year in which the first BMW-backed Rolls rolled off the line in West Sussex), the company managed to sell around 500 cars. This year, with the first run of already-back-ordered Ghost Series II models still weeks away from delivery, the marque will top 4,000 units for the first time in its history. Considering that each one of those "units" – a somewhat unsatisfying term for motor car this special – will gross Rolls-Royce $300,000 if we're being very conservative, you'll quickly see that creating a very desirable product for one of the best brands in the world negates the need to chase volume. The rich and free-spending are chasing this Ghost, instead. So, how do you refresh (I'm told that a Rolls-Royce would never be subjected to a "facelift") a luxury sedan that is already so affecting to drive, be driven in and to behold? I flew south to Dallas, TX, to drive the new Ghost Series II in and amongst the genuinely rich folks to find out. A dead-front view reveals just about everything that is visually new on the exterior. "Facelift" may be a term too gauche for company minders to utter, but it does succinctly convey the cosmetic revisions that the Ghost has seen for its second act. A dead-front view reveals just about everything that is visually new on the exterior. The brand-making grille is slightly more imposing that on the previous model, now flanked with LED-lined headlamps that have evolved into a bigger, slightly teardrop shape. Aside from the new lamps, the most obvious giveaway for the new model is the wake-shaped channel in the hood that the runs from the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament back to the windscreen. In reference to the subtly of these design changes Carter said, "the body shape is, in any event, classic," hinting that dramatic model-year-rewrites are the stuff of more ordinary cars. The Ghost looks as it should, in other words – different enough to keep the nameplate fresh I suppose, but very much hoping that its silhouette and prow have already reached eternal status in the globe's automotive annals. Inside there are more changes – both obvious and below the skin – than on the exterior, but the sense of regality remains. A new Rolls-branded iDrive controller adorns the center console, front and rear, with a slice of crystal protecting two more iterations of that lovely Spirit lady. What's more, the controllers are now touch-sensitive, too, so Sir or Madam may spell out letters …
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Retail Price
$286,750
MSRP / Window Sticker Price
| Engine | 6.6L V-12 |
| MPG | 13 City / 21 Hwy |
| Seating | 5 Passengers |
| Transmission | 8-spd auto w/OD |
| Power | 563 @ 5250 rpm |
| Drivetrain | rear-wheel |
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