“WITH 100KG OF ACOUSTIC DAMPING MATERIALS INCORPORATED IN THE ENTIRE BODY FRAME, INCLUDING WHEELS, IT KEEPS THE NVH LEVELS IN SUPREME CHECK.”
In the shadow of dreams lies the fire of imagination, imagination that has previewed attractions, attractions that have given birth to curiosity, and curiosity that has led its way for creation. That curiosity has led to one of the finest creations, which is hailed as Rolls-Royce Ghost - a statement, an address, a single introduction which puts you with the 0.01% of the world. Dubai Skyscrapers look pale in front of the demeanor of the Ghost, it owns the road, and there is no other rear seat which shouts aristocracy, success, or luxury such as that of any Rolls, and Ghost just extends that experience even more with its extended wheelbase version. Riding in the Ghost’s rear compartment is a sybaritic experience with a whisper-quiet interior crafted out of the finest materials. The Spirit of Ecstasy that sits at the prow of that vast bonnet, an elegant emissary from a distant postcode, and the umbrella that nestles within the B-pillars are the true signature in every Rolls-Royce and according to CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos, “everything else was designed, crafted and engineered from the ground up” in the 2023 Rolls-Royce Ghost.
I had this upper-crust luxury set of wheels with me in Dubai for a couple of days, and getting bored at the rear compartment and the petrolhead in me urged me to do something more exciting and pushed me to take the Rolls Royce Ghost to the Dubai Autodrome racetrack. No, it’s not meant for that, and it’s unusual to go to a racetrack suited up and pull over in a Rolls Royce Ghost and that too with an extended wheelbase. But wouldn’t a billionaire think and do things differently? That’s why they are ahead of the ‘Race’, and with so much power on your tap, it’s a 6.75-litre, twin-turbo, V12 producing 563hp and 850Nm of torque - ladies & gents, you can dash to the Mount Everest leave aside racetrack without a sweat. Moreover, if one can own a Ghost, he can book any race track and enjoy every turn in the safest manner without any other vehicle coming from either side!
Verdict
Whether you’re after business-class executive lifestyle or enthusiastic driving pleasure, it has got everything covered. Just like your dreams have no boundaries, why should your expensive-prized possession have one? This masterpiece on wheels is one such crazy celebration of ultimate creations. And this is the kind of Ghost you would like to see in your dreams every night and every day.
Photography: Sundesh Kumar
Camera used: Nikon Z8
Lens used: Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 & Nikkor Z 17-28mm f/2.8
There’s double wishbone suspension at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear, air springs all-round and adaptive dampers, although there’s only one set-up and nothing is configurable. Tyre noise is well suppressed, as if layers of soft cotton have been plastered all over it, and the engine’s presence is theoretical 90 percent of the time. At first, you think it’s an EV, and even on full throttle, there’s a distant but cultured roar. It gets mildly more exciting when you hit the ‘Low’ button on the gear-selector stalk. This amplifies the engine through an entirely new exhaust system, although if you’re expecting this to produce the pops and bangs of an Italian V12 soundtrack, then surely you will be disappointed. Cornering with an all-wheel steering and a turning radius of 6.7-metres, is a different experience altogether. But the Ghost isn’t slow by any margin as it dash from 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds, despite the fact that this 2.5-tonne behemoth spans over a length of 5.7-metres. This is perhaps the only car where the RPM can redline, and you can still maintain decent volume levels of conversation or sign a cheque and go about your business silently. With 100kg of acoustic damping materials incorporated in the entire body frame, including wheels, it keeps the NVH levels in supreme check, and the cabin cocooned from all the chaos of the outside world.
A bespoke audio system incorporates a resonance chamber into the body’s sills, effectively turning the car into a giant sub-woofer. A big amp controls 18 channels to provide a 1300W output, and the set-up uses magnesium-ceramic speaker cones. There are even active microphones to detect frequency imbalances which the amplifier automatically compensates for. Meanwhile, a Micro-Environment Purification System has ultra-sensitive impurity sensors to switch the air con to recirculation if it detects airborne contaminants. It filtrates the air and activates fresh air if the unaccepted quality of air quality is detected. The air passes through a nano-fleece filter that removes all the contaminations from inside the cabin in just 2 min.
It’s 170mm longer than the standard Ghost. At 5.7m, it is around 700mm longer than Range Rover Autobiography and around 400mm longer than S-class. So it’s really the most luxurious and comfortable back seat you can hop in. Reports suggest that all of the leather in a Rolls-Royce is sourced from cattle raised at high altitudes.
Then there is the attention to the finest details befitting the wonder of Rolls Royce, for example, its fridge- The optimum temperature for non-vintage champagne is 6 degrees, and vintage is 11 degrees. Hence, the refrigerator operates in two cooling modes to keep the quality of experience intact. The signature starlight headliner with over 1000 individual LEDs that are hand-woven into the custom roof liner. It can be toggled to give the cabin the ambience of a beautiful night sky. And upon request, it can even build custom star constellations that only appear on your birthday or shooting stars that cross the cabin at random intervals. It uses 152 top-mounted LEDs and 90,000 laser-etched dots across the surface to disperse the light evenly. The air vents are stainless steel and have a pleasing resonance. The climate control is by rotating red and blue discs, with beautifully damped rotary knobs to control the fan speed.
All said and experienced; you tend to fall in love with its exterior beauty. How could anyone manage to make something this big and not even rule with intimation? The appeal of the Ghost to me feels like a gentleman’s god who can go brutal when needed but charms the roads with its presence. The car’s hand-welded aluminium structure means that its body has a seamless flow to it, with windows popping out. It is built on the new aluminium space frame architecture that also underpins its flagship Phantom and SUV Cullinan, which has even more flexibility and versatility to cope with the new mechanical and aesthetic demands of the exclusive customer. The car’s outer body is made of one single frame running right from the A-pillar to the back doors. And, you don’t even need to stretch your arms to close this heavy door. Pressing a button is enough. Its obsessive attention to detail should be taught and made compulsory in all elementary schools in India. For example, if the spirit of ecstasy figuring on the bonnet only leans forward by seven degrees, then you have two newly crafted veneers to choose from. This is where each Ghost creates its own identity, with 82 percent of Ghosts having been bespoke, and each veneer is more unique, and no two are the same. It’s like a bespoke tailored suit with your signature, simply a masterstroke. Human hands do the outer paint line, and even a machine can’t find a flaw in it, and the brush used to draw it is also a special one.
Engine- 6.75-litre, twin-turbo, V12
Power- 563hp
Torque- 850Nm
