With awd, Rolls aims to grow market for Ghost

AUSTIN, Texas — In the world of Rolls-Royce, redesigns don't occur all that often.

For the Ghost sedan, it's about once a decade.

With its first redesign, the sedan touts a list of new benefits: It rides on Rolls-Royce's aluminum architecture, features all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering and is designed under the brand's new Post-Opulence language.

The Ghost, which doubled the number of Rolls nameplates from one to two when it debuted in 2009, follows the addition of the Cullinan crossover in 2018 and the redesigned Phantom in 2017 in what has been a busy period for the ultraluxury brand.

The connection among the Ghost, Cullinan and Phantom is critical. They share the same architecture, called the Architecture of Luxury, which debuted with the Phantom.

For the 2021 Ghost, using an existing architecture allowed its designers and engineers to focus on other aspects of the vehicle.

"All of our efforts [have] been directed into value-add for the design and for the client, rather than having to put so much effort into the core engineering of the car," Jonathan Simms, lead engineer for the Ghost, said during a virtual roundtable with reporters at the vehicle's media introduction here. "From that point of view, the architecture has allowed us to continually refine, rather than each time having to start again from scratch."

Inside, there's now a starlight headliner and a feature Rolls calls an illuminated fascia. With 152 LED lights mounted above and beneath the dash, the word "Ghost" and more than 850 stars — as the name implies — illuminate.

The Ghost continues to be powered by a 6.75-liter V-12 engine with 563 hp and 627 pound-feet of torque. It starts at $332,500, not including shipping.

For the Ghost, the switch to awd and the addition of all-wheel steering means not only an improved driving experience, but also a chance to expand the nameplate's customer base, said Kelly Wolf, CEO of IndiGO Auto Group, which includes Rolls-Royce Rancho Mirage in California and Rolls-Royce North Houston. Wolf also is chairman of Rolls-Royce's dealer advisory board.

"The fact that all-wheel drive is now available for the first time in a Ghost, that way opens up the market and the number of customers, especially in the northern parts of the United States and Canada," Wolf said in a phone interview.

"That's a significant change for those guys. Even here in Houston for us, we get tons of rain and an all-wheel-drive sedan is very, very attractive. It's a big difference. I've driven the car. Personally, I think it's absolutely fantastic. I was surprised at the all-wheel steering and how noticeable it is and how much more nimble that car drives than the previous Ghost. I'm pleased and I think our customers are as well."