2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost SII Review

There is something to be said about a car(with Car DVD Player) that is beautiful to drive and blissful to be driven in. The Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II aims to be that car, offering the driver a hallowed twin-turbocharged V12 engine and passengers a sumptuous and luxurious interior, jam-packed with tricks and treats.

We ventured north to Sydney to put the Rolls-Royce Ghost to the ultimate test. The plan was to travel a loop from the Sydney CBD to scenic Bowral and then inland through to Wollongong, settling in for the evening at Sydney’s only five-star luxury hotel outside the CBD, the Intercontinental Double Bay.

The latest iteration of the Rolls-Royce Ghost brings with it minor exterior styling changes, redesigned seats, extra interior technology and a satellite aided transmission. The Ghost’s asking price has also been revised to a still scary $545,000 for the standard wheelbase edition, placing it more in line with some of the competition in this segment.

Built to cater for a driver that also likes to be driven on occasion, the Ghost is powered by a bone-chilling 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine that produces 420kW of power and 780Nm of torque. This engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission that makes it good for a 0-100km/h time of less than 5 seconds, which is pretty impressive for a 2305kg car.

As we set off for Bowral, a quaint town around 1.5 hours outside of Sydney, it was impossible to miss the incredible fit and finish around the cabin. Everything has a solid and perfect feel to it. Lashings of wood grain are surrounded by leather, while the carpets in our test vehicle were made from lamb’s wool.

It’s hard to explain, but sitting inside a Rolls-Royce is quite a unique experience. Every single surface and material feels handcrafted, purpose-built and at the highest level of luxury possible for an automobile. You feel there’s almost a need to take your shoes off as you sit inside the car to complete the experience.

The Ghost comes with almost every feature you could think of. The infotainment system may look familiar, as it’s been resurrected from the BMW‘s iDrive system. The tailored unit comes with a Rolls-Royce colour scheme and features items unique to Rolls-Royce, such as the Spirit of Ecstasy controller.

A 10.2 inch colour screen sits behind a veneer panel that can be retracted at the push of a button. The incredible 18-speaker stereo has been expertly tuned by Rolls-Royce and includes two coffin-thumping subwoofers in the boot and a number of speakers scattered throughout the cabin.

Supplementing the audio system is a 20.5GB hard disk that can store music stored via the Android Car Stereo. Drivers can also connect their iPod or music device directly into the car or use Gracenote functionality to play similar music items.

The sumptuous seats are finished with three-level heating, chilling and massage functionality. It’s the perfect match to a hard day in the office, or on the boat. The seats are incredibly soft and literally feel like a big armchair to sit in.

Customisation options are almost endless. Rolls-Royce ensures that every customer’s needs are met and exceeded when it comes to personalising their vehicle. Wood, paint and even leather can be matched to a buyer’s needs, even if they request some fairly horrific tones. But, we’re not ones to judge style.

Leg and head room in the second row is excellent. The ‘suicide’ doors open normally at the front and open in reverse for the second row, allowing easy access to the back pews. It’s also the storage area for the trademark Rolls-Royce umbrellas, which sit in the door cavity and are secured by a spring-loaded latch. If installing an Android Car Gps in your car, that would be great!