Ghost

Segment
Sedan

You could try to argue that the Roll-Royce Ghost is nothing more than a fancier and far more expensive BMW 7 Series (it's built on the previous 7 Series platform), but that would be inaccurate. There's honestly no comparison between the two because the Rolls-Royce appeals to a different type of buyer, one who prefers to be pampered in fine hide and lovely wood trim instead of driver-focused technology and Teutonic styling. What's our preference?

Well, after spending some time with the 2017 Rolls-Royce Ghost, we gotta admit that our once reliable German luxury leanings is now in doubt; old school English coachbuilding is wicked. Everything – and we mean everything – inside and out of this heavy hunk of steel is of the finest quality.

Real wood, lots of chrome and so many other fine tidbits make the Ghost one of the most luxurious rides on the planet. Powered by a twin-turbo 6.6-liter V12 with 563 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque, power is distributed to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic. Our tester came painted in Diamond Black, and its optional 21-inch five twin-spoke alloy wheels alone cost $8,325. Rolls-Royce is proud to claim that about 85 percent of all of its orders feature bespoke options, but our Ghost seems to have little of this, and yet it's still far and beyond more luxurious than just about any other car we've ever experienced (with the exception of the Rolls-Royce Dawn, go figure). Special thanks to Los Gatos Luxury Cars for letting us film the car.