What does it cost?
Rolls-Royce Ghost Saloon full 9 point review
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Performance
The Ghost is powered by a 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 based on the one in the BMW 760Li and mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. With 563bhp, it's the most potent engine ever to grace a Rolls but, as befits the car, it goes about its business discreetly. What you sense is a vast linear surge rather than an undignified charge.
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Ride & Handling
The Ghost draws its chassis components and advanced electronic systems from the BMW 7 Series, although they've been given a unique Rolls-Royce flavour. It's billed as the drivers' Rolls-Royce and it lives up to that with wonderful poise and steering fluidity, but there's too much firmness to the low-speed ride.
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Refinement
With the Ghost, the outside world stays exactly that: outside. There's some wind noise around the vast door mirrors at high speed and you're not totally denied the aural pleasure of the V12 when accelerating hard, but a double bulkhead between the engine bay and passenger cell ensures it's never intrusive. Driveline smoothness is exemplary.
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Buying & Owning
This is probably the most pointless subject of all when discussing a Rolls-Royce. If you can even contemplate buying one you'll be so wealthy that the costs involved will be irrelevant, although for most of us the depreciation alone would be terrifying. It's worth mentioning the average fuel economy figure, though – almost 21mpg, which is impressive in the circumstances.
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Quality & Reliability
The Ghost might draw heavily on the BMW 7 Series for many of its features, but they're incorporated in that unique Rolls-Royce way. The functionality is BMW; the hardware is Rolls-Royce. From the chromed switches on the dashboard and doors to the beautifully polished wood and the gorgeous little art deco lights, the car oozes class.
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Safety & Security
Let's face it, if you hit something in a Ghost, that something is most likely going to come off second-best. It should never get to that stage, though. All the technology that BMW developed for the 7 Series – from perimeter cameras to automatic cruise control and a blind-spot warning system – are there to cover your every move, and it has highly advanced anti-theft protection, too.
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Behind The Wheel
The Ghost is 5.4 metres long, and you’re very aware of its size when manoeuvring. Big door mirrors block your sideways view at junctions, too. However, for a car that's packing so much equipment, it's remarkably intuitive to use, thanks to a version of BMW excellent driver interface, iDrive.
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Space & Practicality
It might be a driver's Rolls-Royce, but rear passengers aren’t forgotten. There's nearly as much space as in the Phantom , and more if you go for the extended wheelbase version. The rear pillars are shaped to give you extra privacy and rear passengers can even take control of all the entertainment and communications functions.
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Equipment
In its showroom form, the Ghost contains everything you need, and it's all crafted with loving attention to detail. Still, that's not to say that buyers won't want to add more; and, if what you desire isn't on the options list, Rolls-Royce designers will create it for you – for a suitable financial arrangement.
Ghost used rivals
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