On paper, the 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost should be good enough to please both new and old customers of the brand, but not too good to step on the toes of the bigger Phantom. However, your usual model range strategy doesn’t apply here.
The new Ghost was created for customers looking for a car that’s slightly less imposing and a bit more subtle than the Phantom, but still have all the luxury and refinement one expects from a modern Rolls-Royce.
Carfection’s Henry Catchpole reviews the all-new Ghost to find out if the Phantom’s smaller sibling is as good as it claims to be.
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The new Ghost has ditched the previous model’s BMW underpinnings for Rolls-Royce’s own aluminum architecture, which underpins both the Cullinan and the Phantom.
With the 2021 Ghost, Rolls-Royce debuts its new Planar suspension system. It’s an evolution of the Magic Carpet Ride, only one that’s been in the making for 10 years of testing and development. Not even the Phantom has it yet.
The front suspension features a world-first Upper Wishbone Damper to further improve the ride quality, working in conjunction with the Flagbearer system that uses cameras to read the road ahead and prepare the suspension for any changes on the surface. Add to this the GPS-aided automatic transmission and the extremely quiet cabin and you’ll understand why the new Ghost is one of the top luxury cars in the market right now.
With the help of a twin-turbo 6.75-liter V12 that kicks out 563 HP (571 PS) and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque at just 1,600 rpm, the new Ghost is also surprisingly quick despite tipping the scales at around 2.500 kg. The 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) sprint comes in 4.6 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155 mph (250 km/h).
Below you’ll find a second review of the new Ghost, this one from Carwow.