Automotive magazine Road and Track had the opportunity to test drive the latest release from Rolls Royce, Ghost. The new Rolls which is built atop the most recent BMW 7 series platform and it is manufactured at the Goodwood plant. Ghost shares some interior and exterior materials with the Phantom and Drophead Coupe, but fit into a shorter wheelbase.
Rolls Royce Ghost measures 212.6 inches long, 83 inches wide and 61 inches tall, all of this sitting on seven-spoke 20 inch wheels wrapped in 285/40 and 255/45 tires. The engine used in the new “baby Rolls” is an all-new 6.6-liter V12 producing 507 horsepower.
While most of the technical and design details are already known, let’s take the time to read about the ride quality and handling.
Not only is the car swift, it is fluid in operation. The car’s steering is light and communicative and it drives much smaller than its dimensions would suggest. The Ghost is easy to hustle down the road quickly and yet at the same time, it handles and rides with a unique, almost inexplicable isolation from the world around you. It is extremely quiet inside and yet, with the steering wheel in hand, you don’t feel separated from the task before you. Looking down the massive hood ahead, it’s as if you’re seated at a finely tuned grand piano.
Turn-in is precise, there’s little body roll to speak of and the standard 19-in. wheels and tires offer plenty of grip. The brake pedal feel is also quite good, with a linear action that is easy to modulate. Again, the car’s BMW pedigree shines through when it comes to vehicle dynamics. And yet, when you sit in the passenger seat or in the back, the experience is eerily similar to being driven around in the Phantom. Obviously Rolls-Royce has its DNA down pat. This is a car you can equally enjoy driving or being driven in.
Author: Horatiu B.
Source: http://www.bmwblog.com/2010/01/28/road- ... yce-ghost/