Rolls-Royce has revealed the performance figures of its new Ghost a few weeks out from its official reveal at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The actual weight of the car is yet to be officially confirmed, but you can be sure the latest Roller will be no featherweight. So, then, that the car can propel itself to 100km/h in under five seconds is quite astonishing. That’s BMW M3 and Audi RS4 territory.
The actual figure claimed by Rolls is 4.9 seconds, courtesy of a 420kW (563bhp) 6.6 litre turbocharged V12. Torque from that beast of an engine is an enormous 780Nm. That puts most high powered diesels to shame!
Helmut Riedl, Rolls-Royce Director of Engineering, says “First and foremost Ghost is a Rolls-Royce. This means that despite its extraordinary performance figures it has been engineered for effortless composure and refined power delivery. This is illustrated by the significant levels of low down torque available which makes pulling away very smooth and for an exceptionally relaxed driving experience.”
Well, that’s as may be, but if sir mashes his foot to the floor from rest there’ll be nothing all that relaxing about propelling around 2500kg of Goodwood’s finest from a standstill to the legal speed limit in the time it takes to read this sentence. But, give Riedl his due, he is quite persistent.
“Rolls-Royce power is entirely different to anything else in the automotive world. It is delivered free from stress and exertion but at the same time must engage the driver. Ghost is about fingertip control while still enjoying a dynamic connection with the road. Equally passengers need to be cosseted from the physical sensations of acceleration, braking and cornering. Our chassis set up keeps Ghost stable and flat, preventing it from wallowing or pitching in the corners or imposing undesirable forces on those inside.”
Assisting Rolls-Royce maintain Riedl’s claims are an 8 speed automatic transmission and sophisticated air suspension. A shame, then, than some hip hop nutjob will inevitably ruin all this good work with an ostentatious display of bling.
Customer deliveries start in Europe and the UK late this year, and those buying are being asked to fork out €213,000 and £165,000 respectively, before taxes. Other markets, including Australia will see the Ghost some time after April 2010.
