Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has declared that it is planning to roll out its new global model “Ghost” in the Indian market by the end of this year. This announcement comes just as Tata Motors has launched Jaguar and Land Rover models in India. The car will be showcased at the
company’s showrooms in India, in November or December.
Commonly referred to as the ‘baby’ Rolls-Royce, Rolls-Royce Ghost is a new, smaller ultra-luxury saloon automobile, designed by Ian Cameron and engineered by Helmut Riedl, who played leading role in the development of the fifth-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom.
The 2010 Ghost is actually a massive car as it measures 5399mm in length, 3295mm in wheelbase, 1948mm in width, and 1550 mm in height. It will be powered by a 500bhp 6.6-litre turbocharged V12 engine mated to a ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic gearbox, which was tuned to deliver unparalleled shift comfort and responsiveness. In order to keep this beast under control, Rolls-Royce has equipped the Ghost with an advanced air suspension system that offers dynamic handling while preserving a luxurious ride quality.
The car will use what Rolls-Royce describes as a ‘state-of-the-art chassis’. One of the trademark traits of a Rolls-Royce is its ability to move gracefully and make acceleration, braking, handling all look effortless. The driver simply has to point the car in the preferred direction of travel and press the accelerator. Behind the scenes, a dual Integrated Chassis Management system will be working to ensure this latest sedan is every bit as graceful as a Rolls should be. At the heart of the system is an intelligent four-corner air suspension and multi-link aluminum front and rear axles.
Active roll stabilisation, four-corner air springs and variable damping control will make up the suspension system.The air suspension is tuned to be so sensitive that it can detect the movement of a rear passenger from one side of the seat to the other and compensate
accordingly. The air suspension can also lift or kneel to raise or lower the car by 25mm.
An onboard computer is constantly monitoring various sensors around the car to ensure the best comfort and optimal steering and handling dynamics. The on-board computer will read sensors around the car to give the best possible ride – the dampers alone making individual load calculations every 2.5 milliseconds.
Rolls-Royce has launched a dedicated website for its upcoming Ghost, with a number of interesting features to keep potential customers and the curious interested in the car.With the launnch of “The Ghost,” RR put together an online “dream machine” to give everyone a chance to create and customize the Rolls that best suits their discriminating taste. The site showcases the design and engineering elements what went into creating the concept version of the Ghost, the 200EX concept car, and even includes a ‘visualizer’ that allows users to select different color combinations for both the exterior and cabin of the original show car.
Already 10,000 customers have expressed an interest for “The Ghost”. The 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost will make its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Series production will begin sometime before the end of the year. The international price of Rolls-Royce Ghost will be around £170,000, or between between $250,000 and $270,000 (Rs1.2-1.3 crore). The price of Ghost in India will be further high because of taxes and import duties.