Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XVIII

2 9 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Rolls-Royce says that over eighty percent of the cars it sells have completely unique bespoke touches. These range from the fairly basic, such as custompaint, all the way to including rare and remarkable woods, metals, and even gemstones. The point is, though, that no Rolls-Royce customer should ever have to feel that his personal car has any equal, even in a Rolls-Royce dealership. Peerless performance Lesser luxury automakers try and wow their customers with technology and neck-breaking performance. When it came to making the Ghost Series II, Rolls-Royce took a different approach, which reflects its understanding that true luxury is about delivering an exclusive sensation. Rolls-Royce is famous for building gentlemen’s yachts, and cars so smooth and quiet that the occupants never need experience a single moment of discomfort. Yet, in the Ghost, customers also receive more than a modicum of performance to complement the sublime ride. In the Ghost II, this sensation starts with the engine, which is a massive 6.6-litre V12 producing a titanic 563 brake horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque. In a German car, these numbers would translate into savage acceleration. In fact, the Ghost II is capable of making the spring to 60 miles per hour in just 4.8 seconds. This sprint happens, however, on a gentlemanly wave of acceleration. Even at full throttle, the Ghost II remains completely unperturbed, passing along only a faint, satisfying V12 growl to the cabin. The only real hint to the amazing turn of power is the blur of the scenery and the speedometer rapidly climbing to absurd levels. This pursuit of ultimate smoothness is aided by some truly unique and ingenious technology. The sublime eight-speed automatic transmission is linked to the car’s satellite navigation, allowing the car to predict shift points and power demand based on road the car is traveling. Rolls-Royce says that this innovation allows the transmission to shift thirty percent less often. The result is that neither driver nor passenger ever need know the transmission is even there. Likewise, the ride and handling seem intended to soothe a fevered brow, rather than generate adrenaline. The car flattens out bumps and straightens curves, as if it were a faithful servant saying to its master “let me handle that for you, sir.” Driving the Ghost II really isn’t like anything else, precisely because Rolls-Royce doesn’t aim to compete or compare with other brands, but rather to stand by itself. On this count the Ghost II succeeds admirably. Style and substance If all of this information sounds familiar, it’s because Rolls- Royce has taken a subtle, staid approach to refreshing the Ghost for its second production series. This, again, is more about the company’s views than it is lack of desire. For Rolls-Royce, design and production is about the steady pursuit of perfection. Each car’s design is honed through a thousand small touches, each carefully adjusting the car’s look and feel. To that end, the Ghost’s styling has been subtly adjusted for 2015. The most notable changes come to the grille, which has been raised and made more prominent. There have also been subtle changes to character lines that, with the grille, give the car a more imposing and even menacing presence. The basic shape, however, remains unchanged – and for good reason. It is the very definition of classic elegance. In and of itself, it is worth more than any Mercedes-Benz or BMW. The interior, too, gets some subtle adjustments. The infotainment, controlled by the Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller and touchpad, is improved dramatically from its BMW-sourced predecessor. The new system features a more attractive navigation screen with improved graphics, and even handwriting recognition. This cutting-edge system allows users to draw letters with their fingers on top of the system’s control wheel. Not only does handwriting recognition make it easier to enter information into the system, it also makes life easier for everyone who doesn’t use the Roman characters. The rest of the interior features dozens of small tweaks, improving materials and design. The culmination of all of these changes is a truly sublime interior that offers equal measures of both comfort and beauty. Conclusion In many ways, it is hard to sum up the Rolls-Royce Ghost II. How can mere words accurately describe the product of hundreds of hours of work by master craftsmen, thousands of hours by the best engineers in the world, and the best materials that can be had for love or money? The simple answer is in the name: the Ghost II is a true Rolls-Royce. The fact that the Ghost lives up to all of the promise and heritage of the Rolls-Royce brand is probably the highest praise that can be heaped upon a car. The Ghost II is more than just an exquisitely built luxury car; it is also a technological and engineering marvel. However, perhaps the best way to describe it is simply as the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’.