If you are having a debate about highbrow motoring, the mention of a single hyphenated title will bring proceedings to a close. Those who chirped "Mercedes-Benz", calling to mind that boastful "Best or nothing" tagline, would be wrong.
No, friends, we are talking about loftier superlatives. The kind of tier that can only be attained by wealth that extends far, far, far beyond a microeconomic level. To successfully partake in the sheer brilliance of the Rolls-Royce experience, you cannot merely own the store. You should have the entire franchise and the listed holding company.
That chap in the Volkswagen Golf R thinks he wields serious social currency. The lady in the BMW 330i M Sport behaves as if she is the only one paying tax. But observe how the hierarchy of things is quickly enforced when that shiny black Ghost pulls up.
SA distributor Daytona offered an example to us for closer inspection last week. Not a new model in entirety, but it is not often such a chance crops up. Demonstration units do not exactly lie around the place.
Lest we forget, the brand offers even more assertive ways to showcase superiority, in the form of the larger Phantom and more recently, the fearsome Cullinan. Include the edgier, two-door wares such as the Wraith, as well as its roofless Dawn counterpart and one realises that the product portfolio is fairly diverse.
0 of 2
An amusing traffic experiment affirmed the clout afforded by the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot. It is common practice for Johannesburg motorists to turn a single lane into a dual lane at most freeway off-ramps in the morning. Had we been driving anything else, we would have been victimised for obeying the rules, not straddling the solid lines.
The V12 four-door stood confidently like an immovable bastion for on-road propriety - the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 in the rear view seemed to second-guess its initial decision to tailgate.
A VANGUARD FOR TIME-HONOURED TRADITION
Launched in 2009, the Ghost was treated to a slight refresh in 2014, dubbed Series II. Sure, that was five years ago - a lifetime by current automotive development standards. But one cannot forget that the Rolls-Royce customer treasures different virtues. The firm is strongly perceived as a vanguard for the time-honoured and traditional attributes of what constitutes ultra-luxurious road transport.
That said, company CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös was quoted in 2018 discussing the certainty of electric propulsion. However, he did state that the beloved arrangement of a dozen cylinders in the prow would be clung to for as long as possible. So you can revel for now in the might and indulgence of its 6.6-litre, twin-turbocharged engine paired with an eight-speed automatic.
Figures are not usually a germane talking point in a Rolls-Royce. Just be comforted in the knowledge that bountiful reserves of momentum are on standby, to be summoned at whim. It will probably knock the breeches off those two lighter machines mentioned at the start of this piece, in a robot-to-robot grand prix. Not that the double-R demographic engages in such frivolous pastimes.
0 of 2
Piloting the Ghost proved less intimidating than expected. Sightlines from behind the wheel are clear. The large-diameter steering wheel boasts enough assistance to require fingertip input when manoeuvring through the cityscape.
After a quick coffee stop my frame opts to bask in the business quarters. Engulfed by the finest leather and stargazing in broad daylight, thanks to that trick headliner, the Ghost is a true sanctuary.
Yes, the model traces its roots to the BMW 7-Series of the previous F01 generation. Though it was appropriately reworked for this application and its last life-cycle enhancement saw re-engineered front and rear struts, with improved dampers and bearings for the hydraulic rear axle.
The new car will, of course, be underpinned by more contemporary running gear. Expectedly, it is purported to weigh less while delivering even greater levels of comfort.
The eyelids grow heavy as the Ghost gently noses through the suburban byways, en route back to its custodians. My mind is cast to a scene in a documentary about quit-nicotine guru Allen Carr, in which he showed off his Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit. A car he said he never imagined owning as a smoking urchin.
The sums related to my own journey in the shunning of cigarettes will fall way short of a suitable deposit, this is for sure.
To answer your next question: "We never quote price because every single vehicle is bespoke."
FAST FACTS
- The Ghost Series II features a satellite-aided transmission that anticipates shifts according to road layout.
- Buyers can have an extended wheelbase version as well as a Black Badge derivative with a performance-orientated slant.
- In 2018 Rolls-Royce released 35 Silver Ghost special edition models, commemorating the eponymous 1907 original.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.