First Drive: 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost

“The launch of a new Rolls-Royce is an historic event,” says CEO Tom Purves as we sit down to dinner at West Stoke House in bucolic West Sussex, only a few miles from the Rolls-Royce factory on the Earl of March’s estate at Goodwood, and in the very room where design chief Ian Cameron and team spent three months working on the Phantom back in 2000. Not as historic event as it perhaps once was, though: The 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost sedan is the fourth new Rolls-Royce to appear since the imperious Phantom rewrote the rulebook for super-luxury cars in 2003. Or, to put it another way, Rolls-Royce has now launched as many new cars in the 11 years since BMW snatched the storied marque from under the nose of VW Group boss Ferdinand Piech as it had in the previous 50.
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theoptimisticpessimist - 12/12/2009 8:38:34 PM

+1 Boost

Wow, cool, bitchin, more superlatives,etc....

lexusrox123 - 12/12/2009 9:40:09 PM

+1 Boost

" Tom Purves" How would you like to have the last name of that CEO? lol. Ghost looks great, by the way.

WorldofLuxury - 12/13/2009 1:54:00 AM

+4 Boost

Man you got it all wrong. I'm not even gonna bother to provide you with an analogy (mainly 'cause I can't think of a good one at the moment).

M53R - 12/13/2009 2:12:10 AM

+4 Boost

The phantom came out in 2003.

Agent00R - 12/13/2009 8:17:27 AM

+5 Boost

Considering Hyundai has always taken influences in design from other vehicles, I would not exactly say the Ghost derived any look from a XG350.

That's like saying a Chinatown Folex inspired a brand new Rolex.

WorldofLuxury - 12/13/2009 2:11:33 PM

+3 Boost

I was hoping you guys would provide him with better reasons like... small taillamps that complement the swooped back look is a British thing, something still evident (kinda) in the new XJ.

B7FAN - 12/14/2009 7:51:14 AM

+3 Boost

You possibly may have a point that the backend looks similar to the ghost but thats an insult to me and all BMW owners for you to even think that BMW ACTUALLY STOLE a design from Hyundai......whatever your smoking before you posted that comment must be realllllllllllllllllly strong...

Agent63 - 12/13/2009 6:09:58 AM

+6 Boost

I don't know what the bickering is about but I think this Rolls Royce is gorgeous. It's much nicer than that Bentley Mulsanne (at least the front end is). The rear on the Mulsanne is nice but overall the winner would have to go to this RR Ghost.

enthusiastx11 - 12/13/2009 12:43:24 PM

+4 Boost

STUNNING CAR. bmw continues to do an amazing job running rolls royce--introducing more cars in 11 years than rolls was able to do in the previous 50.

Deutschland - 12/13/2009 4:56:42 PM

+2 Boost

Agent 63: I agree it is far superior to the Bentley

Volkswagen has done a very mediocre job with Bentley in my opinion, from the Mulsanne to making cheaper models that become more reachable through a lease.

Agent63 - 12/13/2009 5:52:24 PM

+3 Boost

Yep,

Bentley's quality and everything is still world class. However the pricing and the exclusiveness for RR's is just a notch higher. Bentley's are more for the celebrity, rich boy whereas the RR's are for the more mature crowd. I guess you can't lose on the quality for either one but in this scenario as I said Mulsanne vs Ghost the new ultra british barge trophy goes to the Ghost.