February 2012 Newsletter - KDA132

The Rolls-Royce Ghost - a Brief Acquaintanceship
A Rolls-Royce Ghost has just completed a South Island introductory
visit, driven by Neil D’Arcy-Brain, the Brand Manager of the
Rolls-Royce division of Team McMillan Ltd. Neil and the car
paused briefly in Christchurch on their way home to Auckland, and
your editor happened to be in the right place at the right time.
The first impression is the relatively compact size of the car when
compared to its larger brother, the Phantom. The Ghost is longer
than a Silver Shadow, but not by much, at 5399 mm, and is almost
exactly the same length as the Silver Cloud II. So are the height,
width, and weight, with a conscious effort to keep the weight low
by the use of light alloys. The wheelbase is about 20 mm longer
than a LWB Silver Shadow, with very little overhang at the front.
A look at the engine was essential, and there, under the apparently
mandatory sheathing which prevails these days, nestles a 48-
valve V12 engine of 6.6 litres, twin turbo-charged, to produce
“adequate” power, but defined as 420 kw at 5,250 rpm. That is
563 bhp in “old money” and will propel the car to a governed 250
kph, and from 0 to 100 kph in 4.9 seconds. The really startling
feature of the design is the maximum torque of 780 Nm, or 575 lb
ft, available at just 1,500 rpm.
The comfort is as expected, with the same level in front and rear
seats through a multitude of adjustments available. A sun-roof
can be specified, or the separate air conditioning system for rear
passengers which occupies the ceiling, as on the car which came
to the South Island. The colour is defined as English White, with
that tinge of green we may remember from the Austin-Healeys
and other BMC cars finished in their Old English White, but the
finish which Rolls-Royce Motors achieve is in another world from
BMC’s “once-over lightly” approach. The other eleven colours in
the standard range are dark hues, with some gorgeous blues and a
Sea Green, complemented by nine interior colour options. Your
reporter is partial to Sand over Sable, as illustrated across the page
in Rolls-Royce Motors’ illustration of the new two-tone options
for the Phantom, and would hope that such an option would be
available for the Ghost.
The designers’ objective has been simplicity for the driver; there
is not the confusing array of controls so often encountered, and
while there are enough options to keep the driver and front seat
passenger amused for the duration, a panel, veneered to perfection
of course, conceals the g.p.s. display. Instrumentation is by light
faced dials; there is no revolution counter, but instead an intriguing
“power reserve %” indicator. To see that gauge indicate that we
were using merely 1% of the engine’s capability while cruising at
80 kph helped us to understand why the car’s fuel consumption
figures are so good. Neil achieved an average of 24 or so miles per
gallon during the South Island trip; only once has your reporter
managed 20 mpg in a Mark VI on a trip, and it has been all
downhill from there, so to speak.
Cameras are always available, and those to the front pass speed
limit information to the Heads Up Display projected just below
the line of sight on the windscreen, but there are no annoying bells
and whistles to distract a transgressor, and the correct digital speed
reading on the windscreen is rather fun to maintain, helped by the
sensitivity of the controls. The ZF automatic gearbox is 8-speed,
so the ratios are close enough to make changes imperceptible.
We chose roads which were fun before the events of September
2010, and the ride and cornering capabilities of the Ghost were
enough to bring back the fun. It is a remarkable car, and there is
surely an argument for taking the EQC and/or insurance payout,
buying a Ghost, and living in it while taking a year to explore the
rest of the country.
Thank you, Neil D’Arcy-Brain and Team McMillan, for the
opportunity to drive the new Ghost. We wish you well.
NZRR&BC Issue 12-2 14