The Rolls Royce development team have been busy bees of late. Their programme of limited edition models for country-specific markets continues apace, with the latest version unveiled at the Chengdu Motor Show at the end of August. The most striking thing about this special edition Ghost is its theme – the panda.
It’s not a subtle theme, either: this Chinese Ghost has pandas embroidered on the brown headrests in incredible detail. All the work at Rolls Royce is done by hand, and this exquisite stitching must have taken days if not weeks to produce. Other design details include an exclusive bronze-like metallic wrap colour, with a bamboo leaf design trailing up the car’s bonnet along the beltline.
The Ghost remains untouched in the drivetrain, retaining the same 6.6 litre V12 that gets you to 0-60MPH in less than 5 seconds – not bad for this long weighty beast of a car. The engine produces 563BHP and 575 ft-lb of torque, while the transmission is a ZF, eight-speed automatic.
These special editions, however, haven’t stopped Rolls Royce from focusing on their core offering too. They recently unveiled their Ghost Series II at the Geneva Motor Show, which is the first time that this core model has had a makeover. Again, the engine remains unchanged, but exterior enhancements have been added to make the Ghost look wider and more imposing, the air intake has been enhanced, and the LED headlamps have been remodelled.
Inside, a variety of new trim materials are now available, including timber and aluminium inlays, while the front seats have been resculpted. The technology has also been enhanced, including wi-fi, better speakers and a touch pad controller. The Spirit of Ecstasy also appears on the iDrive controller for the first time.
Stay tuned for more details of the Ghost II, or contact us for the opportunity to drive the original Rolls Royce Ghost.
