Right here’s a useful TL;DR. The Rolls-Royce Ghost Sequence II is not only a luxurious automotive; view it solely by that lens, and also you’ll miss its true intentions. Developed alongside the enlargement 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 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 staff of specialised craftspeople and designers. On common, 10 p.c of the entire buy worth goes to those distinctive touches. For a automotive that always 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 signify 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 a substitute, 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, actually 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, slender countryside lanes snake by small cities with historic 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 manner as they barrel in 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 timber. 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 relatively than serving up extra technical roads aligns with what the Rolls-Royce Ghost Sequence II is finally going for. In need of a Phantom, it’s as refined and remoted as present applied sciences enable, and because the Spectre demonstrates, the subsequent step up requires batteries. As such, Goodwood’s resolution to go away its oily bits alone is smart. Its 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 develops the identical 563 horsepower and 627 pound-feet it has because the 2020 introduction of the Ghost’s second technology.
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 “normal” 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 pace, even when the stats exhibit that you simply’re no faster off the road.
Provided 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 trip. Rolls even employs satellites to geo-locate its vehicles, supplying their eight-speed autos with details about any upcoming bends to organize the proper shift. The one change launched for the Sequence II is a suspension software program replace to account for bigger 22-inch wheels.
In need of a Phantom, the Ghost is probably the most comfy 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 record of obtainable finishes and textures. Supplies like Duality Twill introduce a material inside choice 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 finished 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 components, which may’t be modified for regulatory causes, there’s virtually no fee Bespoke gained’t critically think about. As we chatted, he pointed to a hand-painted dashboard showcasing the ocean transitioning right into a full-on seashore. This single piece took round six months to develop and execute. Its price 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 have to be corrected. This degree of personalization and a focus to element will be utilized to virtually each part, leading to near-limitless choices. In keeping with de la Grange, that’s exactly what RR needs its clients to do: to make the most of these capabilities to fee actually 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 coloration 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 gives Bespoke Audio, which contains exciters positioned instantly within the headliner and is out there alongside the Starlight choice.
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 components 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 brilliant chromework, additionally supplies a pleasant distinction in opposition to the physique coloration. 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 sturdy base of the second-gen Ghost, Rolls-Royce has left the mechanicals untouched and centered on providing a virtually countless record of choices containers, because it sees a rising variety of clients prepared to tick them.
Past Goodwood, the world of ultra-lux sedans has made appreciable leaps within the final decade, with a number of glorious 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 slender roads within the south of France or cruising anyplace else on this planet, Rolls-Royce sees the way forward for the ultra-lux house characterised by experiences which might be actually bespoke.
