Rolls Royce Ghost

Based on the BMW 7-Serie chassis, the Rolls-Royce Ghost first debuted at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show as a thinly veiled concept and later entered production as a 2010 model. Since then, Rolls Royce has added new content, colors and content to keep the Ghost fresh.

Rolls-Royce said the introduction of a new smaller and entry-level model increases annual output to roughly 1,600 cars. As noted, the new Roller shares a platform with the new BMW 7-Serie. Rolls-Royce utilized the BMW platform to build a less expensive luxury car. Of course, "less expensive" in this case means in the low-$300,000 range.

Despite the baby Rolls' close connection with the 7-Series, the two cars don't share any visible interior designs or parts. In fact, the two sedans only share about 20 percent of their components. The new Rolls-Royce model also has a 5,400 mm wheelbase and tip the scales at over 5,000 lbs.

Initial reports suggested the car would be powered by a BMW's 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, but the Ghost is actually be powered by a turbocharged V12. The 12-pot mill is all-new but is said to be based on BMW's V8 architecture.

According to Rolls-Royce, the new turbo V12 displaces 6.6-liters and cranks out 563 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque. Power is shifted via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Despite the Ghost's heft, the big Roller can make the sprint from zero-to-60 in just 4.7 seconds, on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost is built on its own dedicated production line at Goodwood, but shares paint, wood and leather workshops with the Phantom series of cars. Rolls-Royce has expanded all areas of its manufacturing facility to prepare for the introduction of the Ghost model.

Source: LeftLaneNews