This is the NEW Rolls-Royce Ghost – and it’s less BMW 7 Series than the old Ghost

The new Rolls-Royce Ghost is revealed as Rolls-Royce’s new entry-level model, with new underpinnings from the Phantom, 4WD and lots of tech.

This the new Rolls-Royce Ghost, revealed after a series of Ghost teases, which, say Rolls-Royce, features ‘Post Opulant’ design rejecting ostentatious expressions of wealth. But don’t believe a word of it; the new Ghost is as opulent as anything you can buy, and everyone will know you are seriously wealthy if you pull up in one for a MacDonald’s drive-through. Wealthy enough to drop £250,000 on RR’s entry-level model rich.

Very un-superficial stuff RR wants you to believe are instead necessities include a grille which needs a score of LEDs to light it and a new fascia in front of the passenger with more lights than even the wealthiest have in their home.

Underpinning the Ghost this time round is the same Platform as the Phantom and Cullinan – no borrowed 7 Series underpinnings – which make the Ghost bigger this time around. Which, of course, makes it less opulent.

Sitting within that platform is a 4WD and four-wheel steering setup, and the suspension gets clever with a ‘Planar’ system which keeps everything nicely flat and comfy, with ‘Flagbearer’ camera system scanning the road ahead and tweaking the suspension as needed and aided by Satellite Aided Transmission to pick the right gear too.

Under the bonnet there’s still the 6.75 litre twin-turbo V12 good for 563bhp and 623lb/ft of torque, enough to hustle in (almost) silence in a scant 4.8 seconds. Not absolute silence, you’ll note, because RR has made the Ghost ‘Whisper’ as absolute silence would be disconcerting.

Inside is, as you would expect, far from opulent, with only 20 half-hides needed to swathe the Ghost in leather, just 338 trim panels building the cabin and the continuation of the low-key ‘Starlight’ headliner which can now be one big speaker too. And, because the new Ghost is minimalist, the stitching goes in long straight lines and there’s 100kg of sound proofing and a Micro Environment Purification System.

So, no signs of opulence or vulgar displays of wealth.