A large part of the lore associated with opulence stems from fancy labels fluffed up by the marketing people. In the refreshed Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II, that list includes the likes of Duality Twill and Placed Perforation, the latter of which is as ridiculous as it sounds.
Before ripping into comical naming schemes, let’s appreciate the subtility of the changes made to the exterior. The Ghost is a suave machine and oozed presence, therefore not needing much fettling. The designers went with slimmer headlights with an upward curvature at the bottom, replacing the ageing rectangular pieces.
Below that, the bumper has been brushed with smaller vents and two flowing chrome elements. At the rear, the new taillights derive inspiration directly from the new Spectre. Wheel options comprise two new 22-inch, nine-spoke designs.
To showcase the new design, there’s a new exterior shade, Mustique Blue. The press release explains the metallic hue emulates the Caribbean island of the same name that is part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, undoubtedly one of the many playgrounds of the wealthy owners of this new Roller.
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Achieving the metallic finish saw the painters mix in glass and mica flakes for that shimmering effect, mimicking the sun’s rays reflecting off the tranquil ocean. It pays homage to a 1929 Phantom II Continental prototype with a similar colour belonging to co-founder Henry Royce.
Inside, the biggest upgrade is the latest Spirit infotainment system. It is displayed on a central screen housed behind a glass panel stretching the entire dashboard. There’s a new clock cabinet nestled in the dashboard with both an analogue timepiece and an illuminated stainless-steel Spirit of Ecstasy ornament.
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For the owners seated behind, they can now link two devices separately to the two rear screens and stream content independently and listen via the new 18-speaker sound system with a 1400-watt amplifier. The screens also display the control interface for entertainment, massage seats and heated/ventilated seat functions.
Now onto fancily named features. The fabric is a new rayon material made from bamboo named Duality Twill. Why? Nobody knows. We do know Duality Twill can be had in three colours, Lilac, Chocolate and Black. The stitching though has 51 colours.
The trim inside is a new open-pore wood called Grey Stained Ash. It has microscopic metallic particles for a sparkling look. Next on the silly names list is the upholstery look. That’s called Placed Perforation and uses 107,000 perforations in the Duality Twill to emulate the shapes of clouds over their Goodwood headquarters.
You might have missed it but that’s the real engineering marvel with the new Ghost; finding a way to lock in the same cloud shapes permanently over their HQ. Maybe the next car will be able to control the weather?
Powering this luxobarge is the same twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V12 engine with 563 hp and sufficient torque. An eight-speed automatic sends it to all four wheels. Refinement in the drive is improved by the Satellite Aided Transmission system that relies on GPS data to select the ideal gear. It is further supported by the Flagbearer system that scans the road ahead with cameras to adjust the suspension accordingly.
If you need a little more to stand out, there is the Black Badge Ghost Series II. Upgrades include the prolific use of dark chrome and carbon fibre as well as a new seven-spoke 22-inch wheel design.
Pricing? Well as they say, if you have to ask…
