Rolls-Royce reveals more about the Ghost

Rolls-Royce has revealed more details and pictures of its “entry-level” Ghost model to coincide with the Frankfurt Motor Show which runs until the end of this week.

The company explains how it has developed the styling of the Ghost, codenamed RR4, from its work on the 200EX concept car. Throughout, the aim has been to preserve the bold “Yacht Line” design direction set by the Phantom, the first Rolls-Royce to appear under BMW ownership, while adopting a sleeker, less formal look that will have broader appeal.

One reason behind this difference in approach seems to be that the company is emphasising the new car's abilities as a driving machine – the Phantom, by contrast, is a car in which to be driven. The Ghost's radiator grille, in particular, while unmistakably still that of a Rolls-Royce, has a lower, slightly less imposing look than that fitted to other cars sold under the same name.

Among the Ghost's technical features are air suspension, variable electronic damping and all of the usual electronic safety features such as stability control, traction control, and so on. The new twin-turbo 6.6 litre V12 engine, the most powerful ever fitted to a Rolls-Royce, delivers 563 horsepower and is paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, a combination that allows the Ghost to accelerate from rest to 60mph in 4.7 seconds. Top speed is artificially limited to 155mph.