Right here’s a useful TL;DR. The Rolls-Royce Ghost Sequence II isn’t just a luxurious automotive; view it solely by that lens, and also you’ll miss its true intentions. Developed alongside the growth of the marque’s customization arm, the aptly named “Bespoke,” the Ghost Sequence II has developed from an ultra-lux sedan right into a $500,000 platform for personalization and self-expression.
Opposite to the way it sounds, that final line isn’t the work of RR’s advertising and marketing division. Ask Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, and he’ll let you know that each automobile that rolls out of Goodwood incorporates work by his crew of specialised craftspeople and designers. On common, 10 p.c of the full buy worth goes to those distinctive touches. For a automotive that usually stickers effectively past $500,000, that’s no small feat. As demonstrated by the Phantom Syntopia, a extra elaborate fee can simply exceed seven figures.
This shift in not simply how ultra-luxury machines are made however what they symbolize informs the Sequence II’s driving spirit. It’s, in spite of everything, mechanically unchanged. All of it carries over, starting from its 6.75-liter V12 engine to its world-class suspension and geo-tracked gear shifts. Extra on that final one later. As an alternative, just like the Cullinan Sequence II, the brand new Ghost and its Black Badge twin incorporate an up to date tech suite, à la Spectre, styling that strays from RR’s old-timey aesthetic and, crucially, really limitless customization choices. This isn’t a refresh; it’s a philosophical shift.
The roads surrounding Aix-en-Provence within the South of France aren’t notably Rolls-Royce-friendly. Winding, slim countryside lanes snake by small cities with historical brick buildings simply millimeters off your mirrors. Sometimes, you’ll roll previous a historic vineyard beforehand occupied by the Romans, solely to duck out of a neighborhood’s means as they barrel in the direction of you, their arm hanging out the window with a lit cigarette in hand. Nonetheless, the surroundings is beautiful, with huge rock formations puncturing by a dense sea of luscious bushes. The Mediterranean sits a stone’s throw to the south, with Monaco intently to the east.
As counterintuitive because it sounds, this pre-set drive route’s deal with attractive views quite than serving up extra technical roads aligns with what the Rolls-Royce Ghost Sequence II is finally going for. Wanting a Phantom, it’s as refined and remoted as present applied sciences permit, and because the Spectre demonstrates, the subsequent step up requires batteries. As such, Goodwood’s determination to depart its oily bits alone is sensible. Its 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 develops the identical 563 horsepower and 627 pound-feet it has for the reason that 2020 introduction of the Ghost’s second era.
Its Black Badge twin pushes these figures as much as 591 hp and 664 lb-ft, though provided that they’re propelling a 5,628-pound physique, the ensuing 4.6-second dash to 60 mph is an identical to the “commonplace” mannequin’s. Nonetheless, the BB’s added sport mode, labeled on the column-mounted shifter merely as “Low,” sharpens its eight-speed auto’s shifts and reasonably quickens its throttle response. As such, it feels barely extra responsive than you’d historically anticipate from a Rolls, producing a stronger sensation of velocity, even when the stats show that you simply’re no faster off the road.
On condition that the Ghost rides on the Structure of a Luxurious platform just like the Cullinan and the Phantom, it advantages from the identical world-class suspension parts. Its Flagbearer system makes use of cameras that scan the highway forward. It then feeds that information to its Planar air suspension, which actively adjusts and self-levels to make sure no imperfections spoil the experience. Rolls even employs satellites to geo-locate its vehicles, supplying their eight-speed autos with details about any upcoming bends to arrange the right shift. The one change launched for the Sequence II is a suspension software program replace to account for bigger 22-inch wheels.
Wanting a Phantom, the Ghost is essentially the most snug and refined inside combustion automotive cash can purchase, however you already knew that. Right here’s the place its evolution begins to take form, and all of it revolves round Bespoke.
Since introducing the Phantom Sequence II in 2022, Goodwood’s customization arm has undertaken progressively extra elaborate commissions, starting from the Phantom Scintilla to hand-built restricted editions just like the $28 million Boat Tail. Just like the Cullinan Sequence II, the brand new Ghost advantages from an expanded checklist of accessible finishes and textures. Supplies like Duality Twill introduce a fabric inside possibility comprising over 2.2 million stitches and over 11 miles of Bamboo cloth. Positioned Perforation permits consumers to fee intricate designs consisting of over 100,000 tiny perforations for leather-wrapped cabins.
These extras, nevertheless, solely scratch the floor of what Bespoke can now do. I ended at Château La Coste for a automotive swap and a chat with de la Grange, during which he defined simply how customizable the Rolls-Royce Ghost Sequence II goals to be. Barring the automotive’s security parts, which might’t be modified for regulatory causes, there’s virtually no fee Bespoke received’t severely contemplate. As we chatted, he pointed to a hand-painted dashboard showcasing the ocean transitioning right into a full-on seaside. This single piece took round six months to develop and execute. Its value is someplace within the excessive five-figure vary.
Throughout the room, Audrey Fasquelle, a woodworking specialist within the Inside Floor Centre, slowly carved a flower right into a wood sprint. She defined that, like most intricate commissions, this piece will take her months to finish. This contains an intensive revision course of during which all seen flaws should be corrected. This degree of personalization and a focus to element could be utilized to virtually each element, leading to near-limitless choices. In accordance with de la Grange, that’s exactly what RR desires its clients to do: to make the most of these capabilities to fee really distinctive vehicles.
Nonetheless, the Sequence II’s extras transcend the bodily, because it now incorporates the digital cluster, a high-res central show, and a glass-paneled dashboard that debuted within the Spectre. As such, its digitized devices can now undertake a variable shade scheme that enhances the remainder of the automobile, whereas a small Spirit of Ecstacy statue sits enclosed beneath an analog clock. Its broadened tech suite now affords Bespoke Audio, which contains exciters positioned immediately within the headliner and is on the market alongside the Starlight possibility.
Again on the highway within the Black Badge, it’s clear that with the introduction of the Rolls-Royce Ghost Sequence II, the marque went to nice lengths to distinguish its sportier providing. Within the pre-facelift fashions, the BB needed to distinguish itself with its darkened trim and exposed-carbon wheelset.
Whereas this up to date model improves these parts with new wheel designs, it incorporates, for the primary time, black door handles. This performs alongside extra angular decrease entrance fascia trim, which, by missing any shiny chromework, additionally supplies a pleasant distinction in opposition to the physique shade. These updates work in tandem with the updates launched for the Sequence II, like its new headlights, grille, and tail lights. The result’s a automotive that’s barely modernized, deviating from RR’s old-timey aesthetic. This transfer coincides with a buyer base that will get youthful yearly.
Pricing for the Rolls-Royce Ghost Sequence II is difficult to pin down. Whereas it begins at $355,000, with the Black Badge leaping to $420,000, I’ve but to drive one which prices lower than $500,000 as soon as all choices are factored in.
This disparity is much less shocking when contemplating the Sequence II’s philosophical shift. Working from the robust base of the second-gen Ghost, Rolls-Royce has left the mechanicals untouched and centered on providing a virtually countless checklist of choices packing containers, because it sees a rising variety of clients keen to tick them.
Past Goodwood, the world of ultra-lux sedans has made appreciable leaps within the final decade, with a number of wonderful choices as this area of interest section continues to increase. Nonetheless, it’s shortly turning into obvious that batteries should come into play to succeed in the subsequent degree of refinement and isolation.
As such, the Ghost Sequence II evolves past an opulent sedan right into a platform for personalization and self-expression as a result of it has to. Whether or not its clients are traversing slim roads within the south of France or cruising wherever else on the planet, Rolls-Royce sees the way forward for the ultra-lux house characterised by experiences which might be really bespoke.
