2023 Rolls-royce Phantom on 2040-cars

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2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost makes its debut with fresh styling and a real Rolls platform

After just over 10 years, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is getting its second generation. This is an important moment, since the Ghost has been the luxury brand's bestseller. The result is a car that has changed significantly underneath to refine the things owners will see and experience. The exterior styling doesn't look drastically different at first, but looking closer reveals many significant changes. The trademark Rolls-Royce grille is wider and taller, and doesn't have a thick arcing border around it. The headlights are larger with sharper corners and angled slightly to sweep up towards the corners of the fascia. Moving along the sides show a similar profile to the old car, but the tail's trunk lid leans forward, as do the taillights. There's not a distinct ledge to the rear bumper, either, giving this new Ghost a sportier appearance. An extra bit of flair Rolls-Royce added is the illuminated grille. There are 20 LED lights in the top part that shine down onto the grille slats, which in turn reflect light outward. Under this new skin is a chassis that's exclusive to Rolls-Royce, unlike the old Ghost's BMW 7 Series-derived chassis. This new frame uses the flexible all-aluminum platform that underpins the new Phantom and the Cullinan. The car is also larger than its predecessor with 3.5 more inches of length and 1.2 inches of width. It all sits on independent air suspension at all four corners featuring some upper wishbone dampers at the front that Rolls-Royce says helps improve ride quality, though hasn't revealed detailed information on how it does so. It's supported by software that coordinates the reactions dictated by the suspension sensors, drive settings, all-wheel drive, four-wheel-steering (both new features for the Ghost), and even the navigation-controlled transmission to optimize driving performance and comfort. Powering the Ghost is Rolls-Royce's twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V12. It makes 563 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. Obviously only an automatic transmission is available, and power goes to all four wheels as previously mentioned. The Ghost's interior takes cues from the Phantom, with a full-width section encompassing the instruments, infotainment and an artistic dash panel, which we'll talk more about in a moment. Below that is a wood-finished panel incorporating some air vents and controls. Open-pore woods are available, including one that features aluminum in the wood grain.

The Silver Spectre is a custom shooting brake based on the Rolls Wraith

The Rolls-Royce Wraith coupe undergoes a long-roof transformation in this custom by Niels Van Roij Design, and the result takes the name Silver Spectre Shooting Brake. It turns out the Wraith looks particularly fetching as a shooting brake, as these pictures attest. The Dutch-based automotive designer's firm previously built a Tesla Model S shooting brake for a wealthy Dutch collector and also built a spate of two-door Range Rovers, the Adventum Coupe, after the factory canceled the project. Aristocratic long-roofs seem to be their speciality. The Silver Spectre is custom-bodied from the A-pillars rearward. The roof is constructed from a single piece of carbon-fiber composite. The elongated custom side glass is accentuated with silver trim. The bustle-back liftgate is claimed to take its inspiration from "Anglian limousines of the 1950s and 1960s" and features inset glass. The sculpted forms are set off by the deeply metallic brown paint, which has nearly the level of metal flake used in bass boats. Inside, there are individual rear seats, and the available fiber-optic starlight headliner extends fully rearward. The leather-lined rear compartment is the perfect perch for the most pampered pooch — purebred Corgis, perhaps? Under the hood, the 6.6-liter V12 is massaged to deliver 700 horsepower (up from 624) and 664 pound-feet of torque (compared to 605). Each Silver Spectre will be individually kitted out with a unique exterior paint treatment (single color or two-tone), leather or silk upholstery, and a special custom interior element specific to that vehicle (such as a matching picnic hamper). If you like what you see, best get your order in soon, since only seven will be built. Related Video:

Rolls-Royce's next bespoke project is a Dawn-based two-seater roadster

After the Sweptail, a customer-commissioned one-off coupe unveiled in 2017 and priced at $13 million, Rolls-Royce is transforming the Dawn into a two-seater roadster inspired by some of the opulent cars it made during the 1920s. The BMW-owned company released a quartet of early design sketches to preview the model. It's visibly based on the Dawn, which is a topless evolution of the Wraith, but it gains a tonneau cover that Rolls-Royce refers to as an Aero Cowling. Dark trim on both ends and a model-specific shade of silver add a finishing touch to the look. Although the interior images reveal little, Rolls-Royce noted every Silver Bullet will feature an open-pore carbon fiber insert and a quilted transmission tunnel whose design is inspired by leather jackets. All told, the company promised its next limited-edition car will "meld the nostalgia of the past with the sophisticated innovation of the future." Needless to say the Silver Bullet will be made almost entirely by hand in Goodwood, England. The firm made no mention of mechanical modifications. Power will likely come from the Dawn's 6.6-liter V12, which is twin-turbocharged to 563 horsepower and 605 pound-feet of torque in its standard configuration. We expect the Silver Bullet will benefit from the 593-horsepower, 620-pound-feet evolution of the V12 found in the Black Badge model, because the extra power would suit the model's touring pretensions rather well. Just 50 units of the Dawn Silver Bullet will be available worldwide. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but keep in mind the standard model carries a base price of approximately $350,000. The company will encourage owners not to stash their roadster in a heated garage as an investment by organizing road trips they can participate in. Related Video: