563 hp, 575 lb-ft: Previously, the only figures we heard about the all-new twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V-12 is that power would be near 600 hp. That proved to be a good estimate--the new 12 clocks in at 563 hp, which makes it more powerful than the Phantom’s aging 6.75-liter V-12…
4.8 seconds: Although the Ghost won’t be a lithe limo, the combination of power and an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission means the new Rolls can reach 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds--1 second faster than the “base” Phantom, and a tenth of a second faster than the Bentley Continental Flying Spur. For what it’s worth, European-spec cars shave a tenth of a second from the time, but all Ghost models will have a governed top end of 155 mph.
212.6 inches: It may be colloquially deemed as the “Baby Rolls,” but the Ghost certainly isn’t small by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, at 212.6 inches long, it’s only a foot shorter than the Phantom itself, and nearly 8 inches longer than the Continental Flying Spur. The wheelbase--129.7 inches--also eclipses the Bentley’s figure by a whole 9 inches.
$245,000: If you’d like to see a Ghost in your garage, be prepared to plunk down nearly a quarter of a million dollars. Although it undercuts the Phantom’s starting price by $130,000, a Ghost does cost nearly $70,000 more than the Bentley Flying Spur.
2009: Yes, it’s a 2010 model, but Rolls-Royce expects European deliveries to begin later this year. U.S.-spec Ghosts won’t arrive on our shores until the second quarter of 2010.