Rolls-Royce doesn’t facelift or revise its models quite like the rest of the world’s car manufacturers. Instead, mere mortal, you’re looking at the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II, and the company claims, quite seriously, that the launch of this revised über-saloon ‘consolidates the Ghost’s position as the most popular car in the €200,000+ class.’
And in case you’re not feeling suitably poor or unaccomplished this morning, Rolls would like to point out this car probably isn’t for you either. Customers who’ll buy the Ghost Series II, says Rolls, are ‘the captains of industry, entrepreneurs and successful businessmen and women who are the wealth and job creators in our economies.’
So what can’t I afford on the new Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II?
Unless you’re on first name terms with the PM, you’re probably not overly familiar with the Ghost, but those who party with ‘Dave’ should be able to spot the subtle revisions, including sleeker LED headlights with daytime running lights. A new ‘wake channel’ on the bonnet, emanating from the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, is claimed to evoke the wake of a luxury yacht, while tweaked bumpers feature new chromed air intakes that feed extra cooling air to the front brakes.
And inside, where these captain of industry rest between creating jobs for our economies?
There’s on-board wi-fi, a revised sat-nav, and the same satellite-aided transmission (SAT) that first appeared on the Wraith coupe in 2013 – it uses the GPS to adapt the eight-speed gearbox to the roads you’re on.
There’s no mention of chassis or engine tweaks, but with a twin-turbo 6.6-litre V12 producing 563bhp and 575lb ft of torque, the original Ghost was already capable of whisking itself to 62mph in calm-yet-stupidly-quick 4.7 seconds.
The Ghost Series II was unveiled this morning at the 2014 Geneva motor show. Sales start later in the year, and you won’t get much change from £200k if you’re wealthy enough to be in the market for a Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II.