Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced the Rolls-Royce “Ghost” nameplate in 2009. It was named so in honor of the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, a luxury car produced between 1906 and 1926. The design was intended to introduce a more measured, more realistic automobile to Rolls-Royce’s lineup than the Phantom.

In other words, designers were endeavoring to create a cheaper model of Rolls-Royce from previous models. In March 2009, the Rolls-Royce 200EX concept car was officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, indicating the ultimate style future buyers should expect from the production model. Designed by Andreas Thurner, the original design of the Ghost hasn’t changed much since.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost is for people “too cool to be chauffeured around”

It states in a review published by MotorTrend that the Rolls-Royce Ghost is the perfect car “for the globetrotting ultra-capitalist too cool to be chauffeured around town.” The 2021 Ghost has been fully redesigned, with most of the changes made in response to customer feedback from the previous generation. As stated by MotorTrend, “the Ghost’s re-imagination is clearly more evolutionary than revolutionary.” Either way, reviewers are pleased with the changes that have been made to this otherwise magnificent car.

A sign that something is truly expensive is there not being a price listed on the company’s website. If you want to know the price of the Ghost from Rolls-Royce, you’ll have to submit a request for information—to list the price on its site might increase its visitor bounce rate. However, most sites like MotorTrend have the Rolls-Royce Ghost listed with an MSRP of $311,900 and a “fair market” price of $336,341. Weren’t designers endeavoring to create a cheaper model?

The kind of luxury only $330,000 can get you

There aren’t many cars that cost you as much as a house or two. But if you were to ask people to name the top three luxurious cars priced as much as an entry-level yacht, chances are Rolls-Royce would be among them. With the extravagance found within the 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost, one couldn’t claim its price centers around brand authority.

For one thing, unlike the monocoque construction used by mass-manufacturers and some mass-luxury brands, Rolls-Royce underpins its vehicles on the “Architecture of Luxury,” an all-aluminum spaceframe architecture designed by Rolls-Royce engineers.

As would be expected of a Rolls-Royce cabin, the 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost takes opulence to a whole other level. Everything inside, from its surfaces, knobs, switches, and levers are carefully handcrafted from only top-shelf materials. Rolls-Royce has gone to lengths to set itself apart from its competitors like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the Bentley Flying Spur. That means thick, soft carpet, finely grained leather upholstery, real wood and metal accents, as well as an available headliner with tiny integrated LEDs meant to imitate a twinkling starlit sky.

Adding to the starry-night ambiance Rolls-Royce was going for, a dashboard inlay glows whenever the driver turns their Ghost on. While most car manufacturers design cars to be driver-centric, the best seats are found in the rear. Rear passengers will enjoy luxuries that include their own entertainment system, acres of room to stretch their legs while getting a massage from their seats, among other luxuries. So much for not wanting to be chauffeured around.

Behind a folding panel finished to match the interior veneer, you’ll find a 10.3-inch infotainment display—admittedly not the largest screen in the industry. But the Ghost does provide a Wi-Fi hotspot, in-dash navigation, as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay interfaces. A 1,300 watt 18-speaker Bespoke stereo system featuring magnesium-ceramic speaker cones comes standard.

It weighs as much as a full-size pickup but handles like a dream

The 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost weighs as much as a full-size pickup truck. To put that into perspective, the maximum curb weight of the Ford F-150 is around 5,684 pounds. The 2021 Ghost weighs 200 pounds less. But Rolls-Royce proves that weight is just a number.

The chassis is built on a front-mid layout which positions the Ghost’s enormous 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine behind its front axle. This design enhances the weight distribution of this 5,445-lb land yacht, which in turn improves its handling. To accomplish this, designers pushed the front suspension forward a bit.

The added benefit of this is a reduction in a front overhang, the length of a vehicle which extends beyond the wheelbase. The engine produces 563 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque, which is a lot more than a Ford F-150. According to the MotorTrend review, it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in around 4.6 seconds with a top speed governed at 155 mph.