Previously, I had never thought I wanted to be a captain of industry.
You’re not a real captain, no-one will salute you. But, when the chaps at Rolls-Royce unveiled their new motor and said it was designed for captains of industry, suddenly I was wondering where to take the exam.
The Ghost Series II was unveiled simultaneously at the Geneva Motor Show and at the firm’s Goodwood factory on Tuesday (March 4).
Go ahead and ogle now, because this big beauty is unlikely to be ubiquitous in south east London.
Prices start at around £160,000 but most customers want theirs bespoke and are willing to pay up to a £1.5million.
But that cash is hardly a waste. The Ghost series is Rolls’ less formal and more driver oriented model and the series two has been ‘carefully refreshed’.
As you would expect, it has been crafted to the highest standards but you want to know about the WTF features, right?
It’s got night vision. And computers to spot people in the road. And it can slow you down or speed you up depending on what the car in front is doing.
The gearbox is linked to the sat nav so the car will adapt to your driving and what’s coming up in the road.
It practically drives itself and has a cool jet-style head-up display with all the info.
Of course, you won’t necessarily want to be behind the wheel.
With five or six bulls-worth of leather and a tree’s wood, the interior is wonderfully crafted. There are TV screens and little tables and all of the tech you could ever want.
You can even set up your own wifi or 4G hotspot in the car.
The carpets are so thick and soft I nearly lost my shoe and there are umbrellas secreted in the doors.
The good people at Rolls-Royce realise you’re likely to want to chat to the person you’re sitting next to, so they have curved the seats slightly so they angle towards each other.
The vital statistics (and how it compares to News Shopper’s pool car)
Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II/ Ford Fiesta 2004
6.6 litre, V12 twin turbo engine / 1.25 litre, four cylinder engine
563 bhp / 73 bhp
Torque - 780 Nm / 110 Nm
0-60mph - 4.8s/ 13.6s
Top speed – 155mph (limited) / 101mph
Gears – Eight speed ZF auto, connected up to the Sat Nav/ Five - if you can’t find it, grind it.
Weight - 2.36 tonnes / 1.1 tonnes
Boot size – 490 litres / 268 litres
CO2 emissions – 327g/km / 147g/km (ha, finally a winner!)
In the doors – A Teflon coated, ventilated umbrella / empty crisp packets]
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