76 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost has a fascinating new part to make it one of the most comfortable cars in the world

One of the neat things about Rolls-Royce is the extraordinary lengths the company will go to for maximum comfort. It's like how supercar builders will look for every little advantage to make their cars a tenth of a second faster. On the 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost, the company is employing something called the Planar Suspension System, a nebulous designation for the collection of systems and parts employed. Some are straight forward, such as the four-wheel independent air suspension, and the way the GPS and forward cameras inform what level of firmness should be employed on the road. But one part left us perplexed: the upper control arm damper. We spoke to Jon Simms, lead engineer for the Ghost, for more information, and now we have a better grasp on what it is and what it does. As for what it is, it's the roughly horseshoe-shaped object highlighted in purple in the above photo. The yellow parts are bumpstops, and it's mounted on the same joint as the upper control arm. And it turns out it's a pretty simple piece of equipment. It works very much like the harmonic balancer on the end of an engine. It's a weight with a rubber-y flexible hinge, and going over smaller bumps, it absorbs some of the extra vibration and movement from the suspension. Those bumpstops in yellow give the damper some extra purchase on the control arm, and they absorb impacts from larger bumps that may move the control arm suddenly so that the arm and damper don't bang into each other. This may seem like a pretty minor thing, but remember, Rolls-Royce and its buyers are out for maximum comfort, so there's reason to invest in ironing out every possible ride quality issue, no matter the size. And even if it's a minor improvement, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Simms told us that existing Ghost customers they talked to during development had one key request about the driving experience: "don't break it." So making sure that the new car was basically like the last one, but a bit better, would seem to be what customers would want. 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost View 29 Photos The Ghost is the first Rolls-Royce to adopt this full suite of Planar Suspension System parts, though other Rolls-Royce models have had pieces of the system. And considering the fact the Ghost shares its platform with the Phantom and Cullinan, now, we wouldn't be surprised if later versions of those models pick-up parts like this damper. Related Video:

2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance: It's all in the details

It's no secret that Pebble Beach is an ode to gorgeous, and mostly, classic cars. The car show may be a place for automakers to showcase extremely expensive cars to wealthy buyers, but it's also one of the go-to places for enthusiasts that love automobiles and culture. While it's easy to be overwhelmed by the overall beauty of a car, the real magic often needs closer inspection to be realized. Every car at Pebble Beach is a work of art, but the true beauty of the vehicles lies in the details. And Autoblog's photographer, Drew Phillips, managed to capture the details on some gorgeous cars. From the Lamborghini Miura's exquisite steering wheel to Rolls-Royce's Spirit of Ecstasy, it's all at Pebble Beach. We think the details on some of the cars are prettier than the cars themselves, but don't take our word for it. Check out the beautiful gallery above and enjoy the tiny bits and pieces behind some of the prettiest cars in the world. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Details View 75 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Misc. Auto Shows Aston Martin BMW Ferrari Lamborghini Rolls-Royce Pebble Beach

Rolls-Royce developing new convertible

Rolls-Royce is not a company that makes a lot of different vehicles, but of the ones it does, it tends to offer several versions. That's how we end up with sedan, long-wheelbase, coupe and (in the former's case) convertible versions of the Phantom and Ghost. And now Goodwood has confirmed development of another model.
Although details in the press release below are few and far between, it does promise to "deliver effortless, open-top touring... with an engaging and exhilarating driving experience." CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös added: "We are currently developing an exciting and thoroughly contemporary interpretation of a pinnacle drophead tourer which will introduce even more discerning men and women to Rolls-Royce ownership."
What that tells us is that the new model - set to reach showrooms "by mid-2016" - will be a convertible that's exciting to drive and more youthful than the Phantom Drophead Coupe. In other words, and in all likelihood, we're looking at the convertible version of the Ghost-based Wraith fastback (like the one we recently spotted undergoing testing, pictured above). Expect it, then, to carry the same 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12, but with the added rush of wind in your hair.