This is it: the new Rolls-Royce Ghost

Ah, we see you passed the bank balance background check to gain access to this news story. Congratulations, Rolls-Royce deems you worthy. 

Only, Rolls doesn’t actually want that sort of image for this – the new, second-generation Ghost saloon. In fact, it says the styling reflects a ‘post opulent’ philosophy that rejects superficial expressions of wealth. Riiight. This is what Rolls considers ‘minimalist’ and ‘unobtrusive’ design. 

There are 20 LEDs to light up that glorious grille though, plus a new illuminated fascia on the passenger side of the dashboard. Oh, and it’s 30mm wider than the previous generation thanks to its new aluminium platform – the same one used for the Phantom and the Cullinan. Minimalist, you say?

You’ll still need a bulging wallet to buy the thing, too. It’s £208,000 excluding taxes, and that’s before you go anywhere near the options list. But remember, it’s for those who don’t want to show off. 

Of course, the Ghost has been considered the baby Roller since it was introduced in 2009 – meaning it’s the saloon that owners actually want to drive. 

That’s certainly still the case here. The new Ghost gains all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering, as well as a new ‘Planar’ suspension system that incorporates an upper wishbone damper unit above the front suspension assembly. It’s a world-first and is brilliantly named after flat and level geometric planes. There’s plenty more tech to make things effortlessly comfortable too, including the ‘Flagbearer’ system that scans the road ahead and prepares the suspension, as well as the Satellite Aided Transmission that uses GPS data to pre-select gears in the 8spd auto ‘box for each upcoming corner. 

This is the most technologically advanced Rolls-Royce yet – but it still retains an iteration of the iconic 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 engine. Here it delivers 563bhp and an improved 623lb ft of torque, all of which is available from just 1,600rpm. Zero-62mph takes just 4.8 seconds too – a mightily impressive stat for a near 2.5-tonne car. 

Also impressive – Rolls CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös claims that the only components directly carried over from the first-generation Ghost are the Spirit of Ecstasy and the umbrellas. No wonder this thing took 11 years to arrive. 

What else can we tell you? Well, the Ghost now gets fully-electric doors, more than 100kg of sound proofing and a ‘Micro Environment Purification System’ that can remove nearly all ultra-fine particles from the interior in less than two minutes.

What do we reckon then folks? Has Rolls-Royce managed to make the Ghost minimalist?