Wholly Ghost

The Ghost is currently the best-selling model from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost has been discreetly restyled to a modern interpretation of classic British opulence in the Series II. --

It has a rich heritage dating back to 1907, when a car by the same name established Rolls-Royce as manufacturer of the best cars in the world.

Engineered by co-founder Henry Royce (Charles Rolls was the marketing half), the Ghost was in essence a technical masterpiece with a quality of the highest order. The number of Rolls-Royce cars that have lasted beyond 100 years bears testimony to the incredible standards set by the company.

For reasons that need no elaboration, "Rolls-Royce" became the definitive label for all things superlative - from tractors to audio systems to kitchen appliances.

While the Phantom stays at the pinnacle of the RR hierarchy, the Ghost maintains its position as the indubitable favourite today because it blends stately presence and pampering luxury with something the traditional Roller owner would never have considered a priority: driving pleasure.

The lifestyle of the new-age tycoon is indeed a bit different to what it was half a decade ago.

For a start, the Ghost's 6.6-litre V12 is force-fed by two turbochargers to unleash 780Nm of torque, making it more powerful than Phantom, which is powered by a naturally aspirated V12.

The turbo V12 gets the 2,435kg Ghost going faster than some sports cars. It is an incredible sight to watch a Ghost hunker down and shoot from standstill to 100kmh in just 4.9 seconds.

After a successful five years, the Ghost is re-launched as the Series II, which in all aspects is intended to update rather than revamp the model. The original Ghost, it seems, was almost perfect from the start.

In its styling, the designers have left much of the handsome looks from before. In the context of Rolls-Royce cars, the Ghost is the sleek one, less upright, with a less ostentatious version of the famous RR grille and a swooping roofline.

What has been discreetly restyled on the Series II is all upfront, before the A-pillars. You would have to be a fervent RR enthusiast to notice the twin crease lines along the centre of the bonnet or the re-sized grille or the re-angled Sprit of Ecstasy.

Only the re-shaped headlamps would be obvious to anyone. Continuous strips of LED daytime- running lights surround the lamps, the main distinguishing feature of Ghost Series II. The headlights themselves are adaptive LEDs.

There are also new 21-inch alloy wheel options, obviously designed to give the car a sporty flavour. The rest of the exterior, including the rear lamps, has been left alone.

So what about the interior? There are redesigned seats that perhaps a Series I owner would immediately notice and some very subtle styling revisions to the clock and instruments. But then, the Ghost has that magical interior that needs few enhancements.

Everything is exquisitely crafted wood, leather or chrome, precisely padded and shaped to gratify the user. A vast options list offers a Ghost buyer the scope to customise the car to an exacting specification. However, while an extended wheelbase is available, there is no alternative engine specification on offer.

What goes with the luxury is a very unique blend of stylishness that can only be described as modern interpretations of classic British opulence. For example, the buttons below the central vents are transparent and blue lit - avant-garde with a classic theme, just like the uncluttered white-faced dials on the dashboard.

The control knob that sits between the front occupants is the latest version of BMW's iDrive system, and consists of a touch-pad which recognises finger-tip handwriting. Embedded on the pad is the silhouette of the Spirit of Ecstasy, the bonnet ornament on Rolls-Royce cars.

With the Series II, Rolls-Royce introduces the Dynamic Package as an option. There are no audacious badges to proclaim it, but twin trapezoidal chrome-plated tail pipes surely suffice.

Comprising a range of steering and suspension tweaks, the option makes the car far more agile and enjoyable to drive quickly on twisty roads. Even on highways, the keen steering response and controlled body movements manage to mask the car's 5.4m length and 1.95m width.

Strangely, the Dynamic Package asks for no compromise to refinement or ride comfort, and hence would actually make sense as the standard set-up for the Ghost. Perhaps the non-Dynamic Package really should be offered as the "Chauffeur" option.

On the other hand, for the Ghost owner who spends more time in the rear seat, the luxury, comfort, serenity and sense of occasion are things that cannot be experienced anywhere else but in another Rolls-Royce. Indeed, Henry Royce would be proud of this Ghost.