Rolls-Royce Ghost 2021, redesigned from within while keeping its spirit

The makers of the Rolls-Royce, like good Britons, have a fondness for ghosts. They have two models whose names are related to ghosts: the Phantom and its younger, more recent sibling, the Ghost. The latter was born just ten years ago, so it was already due for a renewal. The coming year 2021 has been chosen for Rolls-Royce’s most affordable model to reach the market in its new form.

Over those ten years the model has received several minor changes that have updated its look throughout its life cycle. Now it has been fully updated, from the foundations up to its exterior design. All of this while completely preserving its original character and demonstrating that a Rolls-Royce can also be novel.

Exterior and dimensions

The exterior has been updated but has kept its signature features, with rectangular headlights, a rear with curved lines, the traditional suicide-opening doors with hinges at the rear, and the grille crowned by the Spirit of Ecstasy. A clear commitment to tradition that nonetheless brings important innovations.

From a chassis standpoint, it has changed considerably. It has moved away from the platform used by the BMW 7 Series F01 and now rests on the same modular platform used by the Phantom and the Cullinan, called Architecture of Luxury. This allows greater versatility and more interior space, something passengers of this exclusive model will appreciate. It is also lighter and more resistant, which helps improve its performance.

The cabin has also been treated to reduce outside noise. For example, a quantity of insulating material weighing 100 kg has been added, so you can travel in great comfort inside the new Rolls-Royce Ghost. Its length is 5.55 metres, while its width is 1.9 metres. The wheelbase reaches 3.29 metres and offers an interior large enough to be very comfortable.

Interior and technology

The interior has everything a user of this type of vehicle needs to travel in total comfort. As far as lighting goes, the ceiling features a starlight-style lighting system. In addition, the dashboard has 850 lights on the passenger side. These are provided by 152 LEDs, complemented by a lighting system that distributes light evenly throughout the cabin.

The instrument panel is fully digital, with a head-up display featuring an infrared camera. The doors open automatically, and all the usual driver assistance features available to Rolls-Royce customers are included. The headlights use laser and LED technology to get the most out of road lighting.

Mechanically, it has a pneumatic system on the front axle that helps keep the car completely steady at speeds up to 100 km/h. The rear steering axle helps maintain control of the car and makes it much safer. The engine remains a 6.76-litre twin-turbo V12 producing 675 CV and a maximum torque of 850 Nm. The 8-speed automatic gearbox helps it go from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, with a top speed of 250 km/h.

A hybrid version was expected, but for the moment there is no further information on this, so we settle for this updated version of a new classic from the most popular luxury brand in the world.