Rolls Royce Ghost: A 2nd opinion on the most expensive car we’ve ever driven

This is the new Ghost, the 'baby' Rolls as it were, the one to take when the chauffeur's got the day off or you're headed to a place where parking is tight. Or, if you're a bit mental, you could describe it as the one for our economically challenging times. No matter how you look at it, it's bloody marvellous.

The evolution over Ghost 1 is slight, measured, but obsessively attentive to even the smallest detail. 'Wake channels' have been added to the bonnet; a line emanating from the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament that resembles a jet's vapour trail. New LED headlights and daytime running lights sit on the completely new face, from which 'waft lines' flow down the Ghost's flanks.

Then there's the interior. Rolls Royce developed their own sound system for the Ghost, because why lower the tone (excuse the pun) with a system from an external supplier? Umbrella's pop out of the front doors, the back doors are rear hinged for ease of access, of course.

The seats are described by Rolls Royce as their best ever. They are simply remarkable, in fact I'd buy a set for my lounge if I could afford them. The leather is soft as you'd like, fashioned from bull hide because cow hide is often blemished by stretch marks. Yes, they're that pedantic.

As for the kit, well that's up to you. There's an almost infinite level of customisation available, from a completely unique dashboard (its finger-print unique), to lamb's wool carpets, to a champagne fridge, to custom door sill inlays.

But honestly that's all fluff around the edges of what Rolls Royce do best. Real luxury. Not this modern day nonsense of throwing technology at customer, allowing for a million suspension settings, and infinitesimal adjustment to throttle response.

No, proper luxury means everything is just taken care of, out of sight, without fuss. A prime example being the GPS controlled automatic gearbox, which monitors the road ahead, selecting the appropriate gear for the terrain. No flappy paddles here.

It's a system that can be asked to work exceptionally quickly because should one decide to use all available power in the Ghost you'll be getting along the road at quite a lick. The figures are staggering for a car which tips the scales at two and a half tons, but it seems a little undignified to mention 0-100km/h times for a Rolls, don't you think?

What can be said is that the Ghost feels no different whether you'll tootling about town, peering out the window at the commoners, or hurtling along the motorway at warp speed. The suspension soaks up even the worst of South Africa's roads without transferring so much as a ripple through the cabin, while the sound insulation is such that you could put a baby to bed while parked in the middle of a PSL soccer match.

I could go on for pages and pages, underlying all the exceptional details and special nuances that put the Ghost in a class of its own. But I think I've made my point.

The question I was asked most after returning the Ghost to the Rolls Royce showroom in Sandton was this, "Is it worth the money?" Well, at the price of two and a half Mercedes S65's, it's a tough question. The thing is though, it wipes the floor with every other luxury vehicle, to the point where there's just no comparison. On that basis, the Rolls is worth every penny.