Next Rolls-Royce Ghost gets 100kg of sound insulation

Rolls-Royce has detailed the incredible lengths to which it has gone to ensure the cabin of the next-generation Rolls-Royce Ghost is as quiet as possible ahead of its launch later this year.

Releasing a short video that also teases the side profile of the production Rolls-Royce limousine, the luxury British car-maker explains how the Ghost’s all aluminium space-frame architecture is less susceptible to vibrations than a steel construction, with less road, wind, tyre and engine noise permeating the cabin.

That said, the Ghost has still undergone extensive acoustic tuning and sound-reduction development, resulting in twin-skinned bulkheads, double glazing and an incredible 100kg of sound-deadening material used in the roof, boot and floor.

The attention to detail even extends to venting the rear boot to allow troublesome sound waves to escape, enlarging and stiffening of the prop-shaft and even smoothing out the inside of the pipework that feeds cool air to the cabin.

In fact, so quiet was the Ghost’s cabin the Rolls-Royce realised it had gone too far.

The silence was judged by passengers as disorientating, so engineers had to resort to piping noise back into the Ghost’s leather-lined cabin.

The result will set new standards of refinement for the luxury limousine class, says Rolls-Royce, and should make the new Ghost one of, if not the, most comfortable car money can buy.

Earlier this month Rolls-Royce revealed that the Ghost would switch from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive.

New suspension technology like the ‘Planer’ system, meanwhile, is said to use an array of cameras and sensors that scan the road ahead and then pre-arm the suspension for what’s to come, including nasty bumps.

Ensuring it is better to drive than ever before, Rolls-Royce engineers have added four-wheel steering that boosts both high-speed stability and agility in slow corners and car parks.

The British luxury car maker has also refined its satnav-aided transmission, which is claimed to accurately select the right gear for upcoming corners, hills or mountainous roads.

Under the bonnet it’s thought the new Ghost will come powered by the same 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 as the Cullinan SUV, combined with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Power should peak at around 450kW while torque should match the 900Nm output offered by the big SUV.

Externally, the animated teases prove, the new Rolls-Royce should be instantly recognisable as the Ghost.

Look closer though and its designers claim the sequel to its most popular limo has a more minimal, less fussy design that shuns excessive chrome for elegant lines.

Expect the limo’s trademark suicide rear doors to carry over, providing access to an interior that will blend cutting-edge technology with an analogue, old-school design, with most of the many touch-screens the Ghost will employ hidden away from sight when not in use.