The first generation of Rolls-Royce Ghost was the most successful car in the marque’s history, attracting a whole new younger clientele to the luxury automaker, says Matt Allan.
By 2020, however, it was a decade old and in need of more than a light refresh to keep attracting the young and beautiful. So Rolls-Royce replaced it with the all-new Ghost Series II. Declared at the time to be the most advanced V12 Rolls in history, it brought new levels of tech, comfort and driver involvement to the badge.
Five years later, even super-exclusive cars need a midlife facelift, so for 2025, Goodwood’s experts have given the Ghost a gentle going-over to keep it fresh.
Externally, subtle refinements soften the looks without detracting from the ‘monolithic’ design aesthetic. The rigidly rectangular headlights have been restyled with a softer, upturned shape. The lower apron has also been remodelled to give a softer edge and allow the illuminated Pantheon grille to stand out. At the rear, the horizontal tail lights have been replaced with vertical units like the Spectre’s.
Inside, the changes are even more subtle. There’s a new pattern on the illuminated fascia and a new clock cabinet with a tiny illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy. Most of the updates are about letting owners make the most of the Bespoke personalisation service. So there are more colours and materials, including a new ‘Duality Twill’ that uses bamboo fibres. Our car, however, was finished in the finest white leather with blue accents.
There’s a reason things are often referred to as “the Rolls-Royce of X”. It’s because Rolls-Royce really is a cut above anything else. From the driver’s seat, every control is weighted and damped to perfection, and only the highest quality materials will do. The Ghost’s interior blends technology, such as the 10.25-inch infotainment system, with traditional touches such as the organ stop vent controls and the Bakelite-style buttons.
Back-seat passengers behind the powered rear-hinged doors can sink into the reclining seats, stream their preferred shows to the twin rear screens, or revel in the new Bespoke Audio system, which uses the car’s entire headlining as part of its speaker setup.
If you prefer to travel in silence, you’re in luck. Allegedly, the prototype Ghost was so quiet that passengers felt unwell, so they had to engineer noise back in. But not too much. Even at autobahn speeds, the cabin remains virtually silent.
And the Ghost will comfortably keep up with most things on the autobahn. Unchanged is its silky smooth 6.75-litre V12 producing 571hp and 850Nm. That’s enough to get to 60mph in just 4.6 seconds, but that pace is delivered in a remarkably subtle way. Let the long-travel throttle sink into the carpet, and there’s a muted but muscular woofle from the engine, and you pick up pace remarkably quickly but smoothly.
It’s powerful enough to humble many sports cars but controlled enough that you won’t upset passengers. For a 5.5-metre, 2.5-tonne limo, it is also surprisingly neat on twisting country roads. The all-wheel-drive system marshalls the power well, and rear-wheel-steering helps the Ghost tuck into corners like a car half its size. Added to that, the Flagbearer suspension system scans the road ahead and primes the air suspension for any surface changes, ensuring that famous magic carpet ride at all times.
That care around the driving experience is in response to demand from customers who wanted a car they would drive themselves rather than be driven in — often the case with the larger Phantom. And that is central to the Ghost’s raison d’etre and appeal. The first generation helped attract a younger audience to Rolls-Royce, and the second generation aims to cement that appeal.
What’s impressive is that the Ghost manages to do this, meeting the demands of a more youthful, dynamic clientele whilst maintaining the luxury and exclusivity that have been hallmarks of the brand for more than a century.
Tested: Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II
Price: From £270,000
Web: Rolls-RoyceMotorCars.com
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