Behold the New 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost

The all-new 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost made its global debut today, a little more than a decade after the original. As expected, this second generation elevates the luxurious driving experience to remarkable heights.

It’s all part of a reinvention of the brand’s image that involves new colours and visuals along with a stronger identity in both the digital and physical worlds to hopefully attract younger customers. Now more than ever, the maker of the “Best Car in the World” wants to be known simply as the “House of Luxury.”

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Of course, the exterior design of the 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost is just a subtle departure from the outgoing model. Once again, it’s the details that matter. Up front, the Pantheon grille is a bit wider and taller with 20 LEDs underneath the top that gently illuminate the vertical slats. The slightly redesigned headlights (with available laser technology) have a more modern look, while tweaks to the lower front fascia give the car an extra dose of attitude. The sides and rear evolve discreetly, too, including the wheels, trunk lid and taillights.

From a technical standpoint, the 2021 Ghost is similar to the latest Phantom and all-new Cullinan SUV in that it features a new aluminum spaceframe exclusive to Rolls-Royce instead of a chassis derived from the old BMW 7 Series. Longer (+89 mm) and wider (+30 mm), it also gets a revised air suspension that incorporates a world-first Upper Wishbone Damper unit above the front suspension assembly, creating an even more stable and effortless ride, according to the company.

This “Magic Carpet Ride” suspension as well as the eight-speed automatic transmission are governed by the navigation system to anticipate road conditions and produce a smoother drive. The twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V12 engine under the long hood still generates 563 horsepower, but peak torque is now rated at 627 pound-feet. Two major additions for 2021 are all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering.

Then there’s the so-called “post-opulent” new interior. Inspired by the Phantom, the full-width dashboard magnificently combines the digital instruments, large centre display, analogue clock and a new black panel that comes alive with a glowing Ghost nameplate surrounded by more than 850 stars when you start the car. These stars are echoed in the available starlight headliner. Below is a gorgeous wood surface punctuated by a few air vents and buttons. By the way, the doors now electrically open as well as close, with sensors that detect incline to apply the proper opening/closing motion.

Rolls-Royce engineers also paid special attention to noise reduction. Some 200 pounds of noise insulation material wrap the cabin, and efforts to achieve superior levels of quietness even extend to the HVAC ducts and driveshaft. Plus, the seats receive new dampers to get noise frequencies closer to the car body. On the other hand, if you like music, an 18-speaker, 1,300W premium audio system is included.

We don’t know yet when the 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost will hit the Canadian market or how much it will cost. As always, look for a myriad of customization options.