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Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II rolls in with some subtle updates [w/video]

Downsizing is a relative term - especially when it comes to a Rolls-Royce. But that's just what the British luxury automaker did with the release of the Ghost in 2010. Sure, it's over seventeen and a half feet long (over eighteen in Extended Wheelbase form), but that's still shorter than the 19 feet the standard Phantom stretches, and that much shorter than the twenty-foot-long Phantom EWB.
The Ghost has now been on the market for four years, high time Rolls gave it a little refresh - and that's just what it's done here in Geneva with the release of the Ghost Series II. It's essentially the same vehicle as the outgoing model, but the Ghost Series II (like the Phantom Series II released in 2012) benefits from a host of minor updates. The styling has been subtly revised, and the sumptuous cabin space has been updated with such features as a new infotainment display, rotary controller and trim.
Although Goodwood hasn't released official output figures, the 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 (only the second twelve-cylinder engine in Rolls-Royce history) carries over from the existing model. We might hope for some of the power upgrades released for the Wraith or the Ghost V-Specification, but what we know for sure is that it's mated to a Satellite Aided Transmission that uses GPS data to 'read' the road ahead and choose the right gear for the turns coming up. It's a nifty technology pioneered by parent company BMW, and along with the other updates rolled out for the Series II, promises to make the hyper-luxurious driving experience that much more so.

Artists reinterpret Rolls-Royce scale models for charity

Everyone loves toy cars. Even artists, apparently. And even if they toys in question are higher-end "scale models" of high-end cars like Rolls-Royces. The British automaker recently assembled a dozen contemporary artists to render their individual creative interpretations based on 1:18 scale models of the Rolls-Royce Ghost. They'll be displayed at a showroom in the center of London before being auctioned off to raise funds for breast cancer. The resulting creations came out pretty interesting, ranging from a Rolls-based, Back to the Future-style time machine to another grown over with moss and mushrooms. One of the artists, Charming Baker, suspended his model in a resin block and drilled it through fourteen times to represent how breast cancer can affect us all. If you happen to wander by Berkeley Square in the British capital any time before the end of June, it may be worth stopping in to have a look. But if your plans won't be taking you to London this summer, you can check them out in the slideshow above. Maybe you'll see something you like a place a bid. It's all for a good cause. Related Video: ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST TRANSFORMED BY LEADING ARTISTS FOR BREAST CANCER CARE Twelve leading artists have created unique artworks, each featuring a 1:18 scale replica of the iconic Rolls-Royce Ghost, for a one-of-a-kind collection. These spectacular artworks, donated by some of the biggest names in contemporary art, will be on show from 20-25 May 2015 at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London in Berkeley Square to raise valuable funds for Breast Cancer Care. The model motor car has been transformed to create an extraordinary collection of one-off art pieces, created by artists including: Maggi Hambling, Richard Wentworth, Gavin Turk, Mark Wallinger, JJ Adams, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Charming Baker, Natasha Law, Angela Palmer, Andrew Salgado, Stuart Semple and Yinka Shonibare. London artist Charming Baker, known for his emotionally charged work, explains the thinking behind his artwork, 'One in Eight'. "It is important to me that the work I produce for this brief is relevant to the subject matter we're dealing with. One in eight women in the UK will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. So I have set the car in a clear block of resin, suspended in the middle of the block – floating, pristine. The block has been drilled 16 times, in a very orderly and simple grid pattern.

Rolls-Royce developing new convertible

Rolls-Royce is not a company that makes a lot of different vehicles, but of the ones it does, it tends to offer several versions. That's how we end up with sedan, long-wheelbase, coupe and (in the former's case) convertible versions of the Phantom and Ghost. And now Goodwood has confirmed development of another model.
Although details in the press release below are few and far between, it does promise to "deliver effortless, open-top touring... with an engaging and exhilarating driving experience." CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös added: "We are currently developing an exciting and thoroughly contemporary interpretation of a pinnacle drophead tourer which will introduce even more discerning men and women to Rolls-Royce ownership."
What that tells us is that the new model - set to reach showrooms "by mid-2016" - will be a convertible that's exciting to drive and more youthful than the Phantom Drophead Coupe. In other words, and in all likelihood, we're looking at the convertible version of the Ghost-based Wraith fastback (like the one we recently spotted undergoing testing, pictured above). Expect it, then, to carry the same 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12, but with the added rush of wind in your hair.