August 10, 2020, Goodwood – embargoed until 7 a.m. EDT
Third of four animated films offer insight into the substance of new Ghost
Provides highly advanced Planar chassis system with world-first suspension technology
New episode of Podcast series exploring new Ghost now
The first Goodwood Ghost reflected a layer of clients using their Rolls-Royce in a completely unique way. These men and women demand a car that could offer an impeccable driver-driven experience, as well as a vibrant dynamic personality when they chose to drive it themselves. In 2009, when the first Ghosts entered the market, this collective of business leaders, founders and entrepreneurs were unanimous in their feedback that the brand had created a product that perfectly balanced their applications.
When these clients were informed that Rolls-Royce would start developing a new Ghost, their request was simple: provide an engine they could use even more; something even more refined to ride in and even more fun to ride.
To accomplish this challenging short, Rolls-Royce’s engineering experts refused to use an existing platform. Instead, they configured the brand’s own space architecture to incorporate elements from the brand’s existing model portfolio, such as all-wheel drive and all-wheel-steering, while adapting the structure to meet significant advances in Rolls -Royce’s hallmark magic carpet ride and dynamic capabilities.
An important development was the Planar system, which consists of three elements. The first is an Upper Wishbone Damper unit, which is hung on top of the front mounting and makes for an even more stable and easy ride. The result of three years of development, this is a world-first technology. The second is the Flagbearer system, which uses cameras to read the road ahead and prepare the suspension system for any changes in the road. The third is Satellite Aided Transmission, which pulls GPS data to pre-select the optimal gear for selected angles. The Planar system lets new Ghost anticipate and respond to even the highest traffic.
During the engineering design process, new Ghost chassis and suspension specialists were given the task of regularly presenting the technical advances they had made to other departments, as well as showing how these remarkable developments could benefit the client’s client. Rolls-Royce has chosen to share elements of these internal briefings to demonstrate the technical substance that underpins this extraordinary new motor vehicle ahead of its official unveiling this fall.
New lead for Ghost Engineering, Jonathan Simms, says: ‘Ghost customers told us that it was the car in their collection that attracted them the most. They love his unusual caution. It’s not trying to be a sports car, it’s not trying to be a grandiose statement – it’s just exceptional and exceptionally simple. When it came to creating a new Ghost – one that outsiders its incredibly capable predecessor – the engineering team had to start from scratch. We pushed our architecture even further and made a car even more dynamic, even more luxurious and, most importantly, even effortlessly usable. ”
The brand chose the popular and aesthetically pleasing medium of animated illustrations to convey these insights. They were first handed down by renowned illustrator, Charlie Davis, and were animated to represent these findings coherently and beautifully in a way that fits the very progressive new Ghost.
In addition to these insights presented in animated form, a series of five podcasts have been launched that reveal the brand’s findings, as well as insights into the underlying material and technical substance of new Ghost in long form. Hosted by Johanna Agerman Ross, curator of the twentieth century and contemporary furniture and product designer at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the podcasts are available on Apple, Google, Spotify and Deezer.
