In 1906, Rolls-Royce started production of the Silver Ghost. Over a 20 year period, 7,874 Silver Ghosts were made. The Silver Ghost was the origin Rolls-Royce claim of making the "Best Cars in the World," a phrase that came from Autocar in 1907. In 2009, Rolls-Royce announce that it would be building a four-door luxury sedan that would be smaller than the flagship Rolls-Royce Phantom. The car was named the Rolls-Royce Ghost, named in honor of the Silver Ghost. Production for the Ghost started in 2010, and it would be the second Rolls-Royce built BMW ownership. The Ghost was built on a heavily modified platform shared with the BMW 7-Series.
I saw the Ghost at the 2012 Houston Auto Show. The car oozes style and luxury. The Ghost is a full-size car, yet it gets dwarfed by the Phantom. The Ghost has the iconic "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament. Unlike the Phantom, the iDrive user interface controls the ornament for the Ghost. Just like the Phantom, The Ghost has suicide rear doors. The Ghost has very sleek lines and the classic Rolls-Royce grill. The Ghost is just beautiful. The Ghost was roped off, so I was not allow to get into the car. The Ghost has a leather and wood dashboard and center console. There is a trey with a TV screen behind the driver and front passenger seat. There is an umbrella in the rear door. The Ghost has most of the luxurious features that come with the Phantom.
The Ghost is powered by a 6.6L twin-turbocharged V12, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, that produces 563 hp and 580 lb-ft of torque. The Ghost goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and has a electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. Prices for the Ghost start at $246,500. That is quite expensive for a car that tops out at 155 mph. Why the M5 and the Ghost top out at 155 mph, I have no idea. The Ghost is a smaller, slower version of the Phantom.
The Ghost was featured on Top Gear Series 16, Episode 3, where the guys compare the Ghost to the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG and a Yugo that was subbing in for the Bentley Mulsanne. The Ghost has also made a stop by Jay Leno's Garage. The Ghost has also been featured on Fifth Gear, Auto Esporte, The Car Show, Motorweek, Cars.TV, RTL Autowereld, Broom, and Clarkson: The Italian Job.
Final Thoughts: The Ghost is a beautiful luxury sedan. It has good acceleration but I do not like that the top speed is limited to 155 mph. For a $250,000 car, the top speed needs to be higher. I know it is suppose to be a smaller, cheaper version of the Phantom. But the problem with this fact is that you feel like you settled for the Ghost when you wanted the Phantom. The Ghost is an expensive BMW 7-Series. The BMW 760LI has similar performance and power as the Ghost, yet it cost $136,600. If you can afford the Phantom ($380,000), get the Phantom. If you cannot afford the Phantom, get the BMW 760LI. Pass on the Ghost since it is a BMW 7-Series dressed up as a Rolls-Royce.
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Rolls-Royce Ghost is the most powerful car that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has ever produced. However, Rolls-Royce power is delivered in a very different manner to other cars.
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