Rolls-Royce Ghost further details released - advanced air suspension

Rolls-Royce Ghost will deliver impeccable poise

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will ensure that the new Ghost model delivers peerless riding dynamics by making use of the very latest developments in chassis engineering.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO, Tom Purves, says, "The Ghost will be as refined and as cosseting as anything that this marque has ever produced. But it will have a dynamic vitality afforded to it due to the latest technology and engineering techniques. These have been bestowed on this car with the same care and attention as the more traditional materials within."

Rolls-Royce Engineering Director, Helmut Riedl, says, "A Rolls-Royce should be effortless in every way: the way it accelerates, brakes and handles. It should do all of these functions with apparent ease regardless of the complex mechanicals that are working out of sight of the driver and passengers. The driver simply has to point the car in the preferred direction of travel and press the accelerator."

He continues, "The individual technologies determining handling and safety work together controlled by dual Integrated Chassis Management systems meaning that even under vigorous testing the Ghost remains perfectly poised. We are very proud of our engineering team's achievements with Ghost. The balance of refinement and dynamic ability is astonishing."

At the heart of the Rolls-Royce Ghost's magic carpet ride will be a state-of-the-art chassis which uses an intelligent four corner air suspension system and multi link aluminium front and rear axles.

Designed to be fully integrated, each of the cars dynamic handling and safety systems has been engineered to work together in harmony. Systems such as Active Roll Stabilisation, four corner air springs and Variable Damping Control operate as one, imperceptibly to the driver and passengers to provide the best possible comfort for occupants and to ensure that the tyres maintain optimum contact with the road, even on rough surfaces for driving safety.

The new air suspension system is so sensitive that it can detect even the smallest of changes; for example the movement of a single rear passenger from one side of the seat to the other, and will compensate accordingly. The complex on-board computer system reads multiple inputs from sensors around the car - the dampers alone making individual load calculations every 2.5 milliseconds. This ensures not only perfect comfort but also precise steering and dynamics for the driver. The air suspension system also incorporates a lift and kneel function, raising or lowering the Ghost by 25mm. This can either assist with entry and exit or allow the Ghost to travel over uneven ground.

In engineering the Ghost, Rolls-Royce has delivered poise, precision and unrivaled comfort. The Ghost will be built on its own dedicated production line at Goodwood and will share paint, wood and leather workshops with the Phantom series of cars. Series production will begin later in 2009.

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Notes to Editors:

1. From quarter four 2009, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will offer five models: Phantom, Phantom Extended Wheelbase, Phantom Drophead Coupé, Phantom Coupé and Ghost. The Rolls-Royce Phantom range of cars is powered by a naturally aspirated direct injection 6.75 litre V12 engine that produces 453bhp at 5350 rpm (338kw/460ps) and 720Nm of torque at 3500rpm.
2. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars retailed 1212 cars around the world in 2008, a record result and a 20 per cent increase over the previous year. It marked five years of continued growth since the Phantom was first launched in 2003.
3. Ghost technical specification:

No. of doors/seats: 4/5
Vehicle length: 5399mm
Vehicle width 1948mm
Vehicle height: 1550mm
Wheelbase: 3295mm
Engine: new 6.6 litre turbocharged V12
Gearbox: 8-speed ZF
Power: Upwards of 500bhp (upwards of 373kW/507PS)