The English coach builders from Rolls Royce have just revealed a few more details about their upcoming Ghost luxury saloon that is set to make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The smallest model in Rolls Royce line-up will feature a state-of-the-art chassis which uses an intelligent air suspension system at all four corners along with a multi link layout made up of lightweight aluminum pieces, that can adjust spring rates and dampening in order to produce a ride that combines the best in handling from a performance machine and a the feel of a luxury limousine.

The air bag setup readjusts itself every 2.5 milliseconds, and is so precise that even a rear seat passenger moving from the left to the right side of the car will cause the on board computer to soften up one side and stiffen up the other. This system goes a long way to improve the feel behind the wheel and eliminates unnecessary adjustments by the driver.

The air suspension system also works to raise and lower the Ghost to ease entering and exiting the vehicle. Like a public bus, the new Rolls will kneel and lift, raising or lowering the Ghost’s ride height by up to 25mm, and can also assist when traversing uneven terrain.

Press release after the jump.

Press release

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will ensure that the new Ghost model delivers peerless riding dynamics by making use of the very latest developments in chassis engineering.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO, Tom Purves, says, “The Ghost will be as refined and as cosseting as anything that this marque has ever produced. But it will have a dynamic vitality afforded to it due to the latest technology and engineering techniques. These have been bestowed on this car with the same care and attention as the more traditional materials within.”

Rolls-Royce Engineering Director, Helmut Riedl, says, “A Rolls-Royce should be effortless in every way: the way it accelerates, brakes and handles. It should do all of these functions with apparent ease regardless of the complex mechanicals that are working out of sight of the driver and passengers. The driver simply has to point the car in the preferred direction of travel and press the accelerator.”

He continues, “The individual technologies determining handling and safety work together controlled by dual Integrated Chassis Management systems meaning that even under vigorous testing the Ghost remains perfectly poised. We are very proud of our engineering team’s achievements with Ghost. The balance of refinement and dynamic ability is astonishing.”

At the heart of the Rolls-Royce Ghost’s magic carpet ride will be a state-of-the-art chassis which uses an intelligent four corner air suspension system and multi link aluminium front and rear axles.
Designed to be fully integrated, each of the cars dynamic handling and safety systems has been engineered to work together in harmony. Systems such as Active Roll Stabilisation, four corner air springs and Variable Damping Control operate as one, imperceptibly to the driver and passengers to provide the best possible comfort for occupants and to ensure that the tyres maintain optimum contact with the road, even on rough surfaces for driving safety.

The new air suspension system is so sensitive that it can detect even the smallest of changes; for example the movement of a single rear passenger from one side of the seat to the other, and will compensate accordingly. The complex on-board computer system reads multiple inputs from sensors around the car - the dampers alone making individual load calculations every 2.5 milliseconds. This ensures not only perfect comfort but also precise steering and dynamics for the driver. The air suspension system also incorporates a lift and kneel function, raising or lowering the Ghost by 25mm. This can either assist with entry and exit or allow the Ghost to travel over uneven ground.

In engineering the Ghost, Rolls-Royce has delivered poise, precision and unrivaled comfort. The Ghost will be built on its own dedicated production line at Goodwood and will share paint, wood and leather workshops with the Phantom series of cars. Series production will begin later in 2009.