A classic car with exotic details

The Rolls Royce story is one of triumph over the ordinary and the everyday. Rolls-Royce founder Sir Henry Royce famously told his employees to, “Strive for perfection in everything we do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it.” It’s a mantra that is still taken seriously today at the company’s headquarters in Goodwood, England, where an army of engineers, technicians, carpenters, leather workers and other craftsmen work tirelessly to make the handmade vehicles for which the company is famous.

Taking the best that exists and making it better was exactly what was required when Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced that the time had come for a new version of the Rolls-Royce Ghost, a car launched in 2009 to present an alternative to the flagship Phantom range for affluent drivers and business leaders who were prepared to invest in a brand synonymous with luxury. This autumn, just five years after the first Ghost was handed over, the Series II was born.

At a launch event at One&Only The Palm Dubai resort, where six handmade Ghost Series II cars are on display, Sergio Landolt, the product manager for the Ghost range, presents his new creation like a father introducing a new child. The Series II is an evolution, not revolution, of the previous model, he explains, with a series of improvements and additions that are mostly technological and aesthetic rather than performance driven; enhancements based on consumer demand and feedback from owners. Many of the new additions are invisible, such as the satellite-aided transmission, which determines which gear you should be in based on the profile of the road ahead, so as not to disturb the equilibrium of the drive. A stable driving experience is the cornerstone of the Rolls-Royce proposition.

Luxury, technology, and prestige

There’s also an infrared animal detection system for night driving on country roads, and an optional theatre system with 18 individually-tuned speakers, created using proprietary technology developed for the Rolls-Royce Wraith by the company’s in-house sound engineering team. On the outside, the Ghost Series II has been fitted with new-look adaptive headlights with high beams that automatically move out of the line of sight of oncoming cars. The lights have been moved out slightly to either side, making the car appear wider, and there’s a new bumper with chrome inserts for a slightly more dynamic look. Wake channels on the bonnet look like vapour trails coming from the wings of the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy statuette, a nod to Rolls-Royce’s other core business: aviation.

Inside, the rotary controller for the computer console has a built-in touchpad so you can search for contacts or type an address into the navigation system by writing on the control with your finger in languages including Arabic and Mandarin. The in-car tech also includes a wireless hotspot function, mobile Office applications and a 10.25-inch screen. The bespoke features of each Rolls-Royce are what sets the brand apart from others. Continuing the company’s long coach-building tradition, nearly every Rolls-Royce that is handed over has some level of bespoke detailing — some 82 percent of worldwide sales — from the colour of the leather, stitching or veneers, to the material used for wheel centres, inlays and the dashboard. Each car uses 45 square metres of prime-aged bull hide leather (that’s around nine bulls per car) sourced from the best farms around the world.

Car of your dreams

The drive is, of course, fantastic. In a sometimes harmonious convoy, the guests set out in the five Ghost Series II cars, each unique in its colour scheme and fit-out, to experience a day in the life of a typical Rolls-Royce owner. They say that true quality lies in the details you cannot see, but the interior of my vehicle, a sophisticated black and burgundy model fitted out with matching leather and mahogany trim speaks for itself. The drive is unashamedly refined; you don’t so much drive the Ghost as lead it in the right direction and let it carry you to your destination. The comfortable ride doesn’t come at the cost of power; the car’s great 6.6-litre twin-turbo V12 is certainly not short of it, but it is delivered in a delicate manner and the noise from the engine is almost inaudible from inside the car, where tranquility reigns. After a spell behind the wheel, I experience the Ghost Series II as a passenger, and revel in the space and comfort while playing with the onboard computer and sound system.

As Sergio Landolt said earlier in the day, the Ghost Series II is not a revolutionary twist on its predecessor, but a natural evolution of a car that is already at the top of its game. With this new incarnation of the Ghost, Rolls-Royce has heeded its founder’s words: “take the best and make it better.”