An ordinary automaker produces cars by the masses for the masses with assembly lines, robots and other automated tools. While this process works well for producing large quantities of vehicles, the art of making an automobile is lost. Most of the cars are pretty vanilla too, they get you from A to B, and that’s about it. At Rolls-Royce, however, mere “car building” is almost an offensive idea. When they built the 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost, for instance, they weren’t constructing some 4-wheeled mechanical machine, but forging a glorious yet somehow subtle crucible of near automotive perfection.
Ghost: Subtly Beautiful Exterior
The 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost is true to its name, embodying a design spirit that is all about subtlety, quiet dignity; it’s a concept that Rolls-Royce designers like Henry Cloke called “Post-Opulence.” The design team wanted a car that had presence and could inspire awe, but in a way that didn’t shout at you through flourishes and that older more ostentatious sense of style.
You’ll notice that the exterior is somewhat wider, and the iconic Pantheon grille has been discreetly downlit in a way that helps to subtly radiate the minimalist beauty of the Ghost with the minimum of flourish. This is the Ghost for those who want the presence but without making grand and superficial expressions of wealth. The hand-finished body work creates the illusion that the Ghost has been lovingly crafted from a single piece of metal. The fine lines converge together almost like that of a luxury yacht.
An Interior Haven:
Three keywords have helped sculpt both the exterior and interior of this new Ghost — Refinement; Reduction; Simplicity. Besides the toned-down almost natural beauty of the exterior, the interior is also a calm and tempered space where one doesn’t just sit, but where one can truly escape from the outside world.
The design team went to extraordinary lengths to balance every aspect of the interior ambience. They started from the feel of the sumptuous leather seats, moving to the look of stunning illuminated fascia, and even tending to the harmony of every sound emitted by every component and moving part within the space of the Ghost.
When you are being driven, the peace and balance of the interior cabin is designed to help you unwind and to allow the complex strings of your stress and worry to be plucked away as you restore order to your own thoughts.
To Be Driven, or To Drive:
The 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost is a fine model in which to be driven. As we’ve described, the minimalist and well-balanced design creates exactly the right ambience for a truly relaxing experience. On the other hand, the Ghost is a Rolls-Royce that drivers will also love. First of all, it is powered by the simply stunning twin-turbocharged 6.7L V12 engine outputting 563 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, though the sound is so well damped you might never know such a behemoth lays under that long front hood.
This brings us neatly to the second engineering achievement that helps to make the Ghost name all the more appropriate for this quiet, almost stealthy sedan. The 2021 Ghost contains the world’s very first “Planar” suspension system that dampens the dampers. This Ghost is the one that truly delivers on the famous “Magic Carpet Ride” comfort that Rolls-Royce always promises; it is on-road flight.
The Most High-Tech Rolls-Royce Ever:
To finish, it should be remarked that this is a Rolls-Royce built for a more minimalist, balanced lifestyle, that is true. On the other hand, it does not mean that the company has stripped away any of its innovation. Besides the world-first planar suspension system, the Ghost also features Rolls-Royce’s Flagbearer system that uses sensors to read the road ahead and make millions of calculations every second to accordingly adjust the suspension in real time. Besides that, the gearbox is linked to the GPS navigation, which will adjust gears based on what navigation tells it is coming up on the road. When Rolls-Royce designed the new Ghost, they knew the process would be complex, even impossibly so at times. They knew however that what they wanted to deliver was divine simplicity and balance. We think they’ve done just that.
