Luxury Lives on in All-New Rolls-Royce Ghost

Rolls-Royce doesn’t debut new vehicles often, but when it does there’s plenty to talk about. The company’s “smaller” sedan, the Ghost, has received a significant overhaul for 2021, including a new platform, available all-wheel drive and a host of exclusive options.

While the previous Ghost rode on a platform shared with the BMW 7-Series, the ’21 model will sit atop Rolls-Royce’s modular Architecture of Luxury platform. The car’s new foundation is said to be stronger and stiffer but lighter than the BMW setup.

That move makes the Ghost the third vehicle in Rolls-Royce’s lineup to sport the new platform, joining the Phantom and Cullinan. The company says the new platform and updates under the sheet metal help improve cabin refinement.

Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy.jpg

The Ghost has grown, now measuring 218.3 ins. (5,545 mm) in overall length, which is a 3.5-in. (89-mm) increase from the year before. The car also is over an inch (25 mm) wider, but the wheelbase remains identical at 129.7 ins. (3,294 mm).

The ’21 Ghost is so different from its predecessor that just two components have been carried over from the ’20 model year.

The famous Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament and signature in-door umbrellas were the only two parts that made the cut for the model-year changeover. That adds up to a thorough update for the Ghost, but the company hasn’t betrayed its heritage just to create a new car.

The ’21 Ghost still will be powered by the 6.8L V-12, which is found in the Cullinan SUV. It produces 563 hp and 627 lb.-ft. (850 Nm) of torque – good enough to push the 5,628-lb. (2,553-kg) car to 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standstill in 4.6 seconds.

All of the exceptionally pricey and over-the-top options will be available for 2021 as well, but a few are brand-new to the Rolls-Royce catalog.

One new feature is called “Illuminated Fascia (below, left),” which is an extension of the Starlight headliners that have been available for some time now.

Light comes from 152 LEDs mounted in the passenger side of the instrument panel to form constellations that emulate twinkling stars in the night sky. Rolls-Royce says the technology took two years and over 10,000 hours to develop.

Rolls-Royce Ghost illuminated fascia 21

Pricing and release details are not yet available for the Ghost, but its MSRP should land close to where it was for the previous year, when it retailed for just over $310,000.

The new model is expected to be priced near that mark, but the new features and updates may push the numbers a bit further north. As the old saying goes, “If you have to ask…”