By Andrew Peterson
After teasing us with images and specifications of the car, Rolls-Royce officially released pictures of its new baby model, the Ghost.
We knew a while ago that the Ghost would lose the Phantom's V-12, and would instead use a new 6.6-liter, twin-turbo direct-injection V-12 producing 563 hp. It may sound similar to BMW's new 6.0-liter twin-turbo V-12, but the Rolls' engine is its own design. Rolls-Royce also revealed engineering goodies such as the air-suspension that adjusts every 2.5 milliseconds and will even keep the car level if a passenger moves.
What we didn't know was how much of the Phantom and 200EX Concept would be translated into the final design of the baby Rolls. After seeing the final pictures, the production Ghost looks to be a dead ringer for the 200EX Concept that was unveiled three years ago in Geneva.
The car is instantly recognizable as a Rolls-Royce, but looks more modern than the Phantom. It features the same style grill as the Phantom, but on a smaller scale that is not so in your face. Instead of putting itself out there like the Phantom does, the Ghost seems to more subtly show the passenger's exquisite taste and wealth.
Once the passengers get inside via the traditional Rolls-Royce suicide doors, they are coddled in some of the finest leather available. The Ghost will seat five passengers, with seating for four passengers optional. In four-passenger configuration, the rear seats are equipped with massage and cooling functions. The center console is also carried back in 4-passenger configuration which allows for an optional refrigerator with integrated champagne glasses.
To help pass the time in the back, a "theater configuration" is optional with both seating arrangements offered. The theater configuration allows all settings that do not directly affect the driver to be controlled from the rear seats. The functions that can be changed are displayed on the rear-seat entertainment screens in the back of the headrests, which can also be used to play different movies for each rear-seat passenger (excluding the middle seat).
Rolls-Royce has not yet announced pricing for the Ghost, but it will come in at a significantly lower price point than the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Stick with Automobile Magazine as the Ghost makes its public debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show later this month.
2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost
