Together with the AWD setup, the new Ghost has all-wheel steering too. The superior new aluminum body used for that Cullinan and the marvelous new Phantom underpins Ghost Mk2. According to Rolls Royce, it also features suspension trickery. This is called the ‘Planar’ system. How does this system work? Essentially it involves an “upper wishbone” damper which, according to the official release, is mounted above the front suspension assembly. This results in a more stable ride.
Then we have ‘Flagbearer’, an optical road-reading suspension system. The Flagbearer works in conjunction with these dampers and the results are incredible. The name Flagbearer was possibly inspired by the memory of the rare occurrence a servant would walk before any car with a red flag while traveling the English Highway. While this thankfully fell away, the name must have stuck.
Lastly, there’s a satellite-aided transmission, which as we’ve seen elsewhere functions with the use of GPS data to pre-select the best setting for each particular corner. This is of course all part of how the Ghost is “even more enjoyable to ride,” as if at this point it was at all possible. It looks as if they’ve pulled out all the stops on this one because clearly, luxury driving is not just about comfy seats and good suspension, it’s about not having to worry about damper settings when you’re on the road. According to the Ghost’s leading engineer, Jonathan Sims, “it’s not trying to be a sports car” and “it’s not trying to be a grand statement – it’s simply exceptional and exceptionally simple”. Of course, RR drivers (or their chaffers) around the world are waiting with bated breath for any new model to be released.