First look: the new Rolls-Royce Ghost glides on to the world stage


Simon Wilgress-Pipe
  • English
  • Arabic

Rolls-Royce has just pulled the covers off the new Ghost to much clamour from the luxury car community. General fanciness aside, the latest arrival is worth a second look for motoring enthusiasts unlikely to be potential customers, though, as the manufacturer says this is the most technologically advanced car the marque has ever produced.

The opulence is evidently still there, but the spec has been upgraded, with access to the cabin now being provided by power-operated doors. The car also has an upgraded infotainment system, and a host of new safety and driver assistance features.

Power-wise, it has a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 engine, which will allow anyone behind the wheel to hit 100 kilometres per hour in about 4.6 seconds. It is also now blessed with an all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering system that is likely to further improve an already impossibly serene driving experience, as well as significantly upgraded suspension.

So far, so impressive, but this latest model has some sizeable tyre tracks to fill – its predecessor was the manufacturer’s most successful vehicle in its 116-year-history. Also bear in mind that the Ghost is Rolls-Royce’s entry-level model.

Company chief executive Torsten Muller-Otvos speaks highly of the new arrival, perhaps unsurprisingly.

“It distills the pillars of our brand into a beautiful, minimalist, yet highly complex product that is perfectly in harmony with our Ghost clients’ needs and perfectly in tune with the times," he said.

With cars like this, they’re often coy about price, but a standard spec, previous generation Ghost costs in the region of Dh1,250,000. Nothing is ever standard spec with a Rolls-Royce, though, so the issue of what you could potentially spend will remain a mystery. Until you actually put an order in, of course.

While you're here
The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13 

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife 

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents. 

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

Who is Tim-Berners Lee?

Sir Tim Berners-Lee was born in London in a household of mathematicians and computer scientists. Both his mother, Mary Lee, and father, Conway, were early computer scientists who worked on the Ferranti 1 - the world's first commercially-available, general purpose digital computer. Sir Tim studied Physics at the University of Oxford and held a series of roles developing code and building software before moving to Switzerland to work for Cern, the European Particle Physics laboratory. He developed the worldwide web code as a side project in 1989 as a global information-sharing system. After releasing the first web code in 1991, Cern made it open and free for all to use. Sir Tim now campaigns for initiatives to make sure the web remains open and accessible to all.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA

Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600

Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder

Transmission Seven-speed automatic

Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm

Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km

Concrete and Gold
Foo Fighters
RCA records

THE SPECS

      

 

Engine: 1.5-litre

 

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

 

Power: 110 horsepower 

 

Torque: 147Nm 

 

Price: From Dh59,700 

 

On sale: now  

 
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