Buyers of the entry model will still have to lay at least US$332,500 (RM1.4mil) on the table in order to call one of these 5.5-metre-long limousines their own. The longer-wheelbase version, which has been stretched by 17cm, costs more.
This is a substantial car based on the BMW-owned company's largely aluminium "Architecture of Luxury" platform which it shares with the new Phantom and Cullinan SUV.
Big format, restrained shape
It is also a rolling example of noblesse oblige which exercises a degree of restraint.
Rolls-Royce calls this "post-opulence" and the result is a monolithic shape shorn of much visual adornment apart from the signature grille. It is not only as big and glamorous as before but now illuminated from the inside.
The Ghost retains its authoritative looks and for a monolith it is remarkably quick.
Urge comes from one of the last 12-cylinder engines available in the luxury sector, all 571hp of it. Stab the throttle and this 4.8-tonne leviathan does 0 to 100 kph in just 4.8 seconds. Top speed is governed at 250 kph.
This is an engine without any form of hybridisation, which results in gas-guzzling fuel consumption of 15.2 litres (CO2 output at 347/gm).
Neither customers nor the factory seem to care much about that – plug-in technology is left to the less regal competition from the BMW 7 series.
Magic carpet ride
Thanks to swathes of sound-deadening material, the occupants of this lounge on wheels hear little or nothing from the huge engine or the standard eight-speed transmission as the power surges to all four wheels. Meanwhile all-wheel steering makes parking easier.
On the road, the ride is firm, thanks to adaptive dampers, and the car is surprisingly nimble for such a large machine. Helping it to maintain poise is a camera which links up to GPS data to read the road and feed the information to an anti-roll bar on the back.
Most owners will have a chauffeur to ferry them about and they can enjoy the serenity of the near-silent cabin as the landscape glides past, whether travelling through crowded city streets or cruising on the motorway.
Driving yourself today, sir?
The Ghost is arguably the best model in the Rolls-Royce range for self-drivers and owners can sink back into a throne-like leather armchair behind the wheel with an array of digitalised instruments at their disposal.
The rear seats are supremely comfortable too, with reclining and massage features. There are plenty of high-tech assistance systems to make piloting this liner easier and bizarre touches such as the hundreds of tiny stars which illuminate the front passenger side fascia
The sumptuous interior offers an ideal environment for quaffing the champagne contained in a refrigerated compartment between the rear seats, playing with the built-in tablet computers or adjusting the sophisticated air-conditioning.
When it is time to leave, the doors open themselves. They are fitted with electric motors and gyroscopes which regulate the amount of power assistance needed to suit the angle at which the car is parked on the road.
Understated pomp
Power and luxury as far as the eye can see and more cache that any other car on the road. The Ghost lives up to the Rolls-Royce image yet the makers have pulled off the impossible.
This is still a decadent car but it comes across as being less arrogant and in-your-face than its predecessor. Modern Rolls-Royce owners like their ride to ooze subtle understatement. After all, if you can afford one of these there is no need to shout about it.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine and drivetrain:
V12-petrol, fuel-injected engine with two turbochargers
Capacity: 6.592 cc
Maximum output: 571hp at 5000rpm
Maximum torque: 850Nm at 1,600rpm
Powertrain: Four-wheel drive
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Dimensions and weight
Length: 5,546mm
Width: 2,148mm
Height: 1,571mm
Wheelbase: 3,295mm
Kerb weight: 2,490kg
Performance
Top speed: 250kph
Acceleration: 0-100kph in 4.8 s
Average fuel consumption: 15.2 litres/100km
CO2-emissions: 347 g/km
