The next-generation Rolls-Royce Ghost is scheduled to arrive later this year, and Rolls-Royce is pulling out all the stops to ensure that it lives up to all the hype of being a completely new model from the ground up.

Part of that challenge involves creating new features to improve the ownership experience of the Ghost, including ensuring complete serenity in the luxury ride’s interior. On that end, Rolls-Royce is fitting more than 220 pounds (100 kilos) of sound-absorbing materials throughout the body of the all-new Ghost.

What’s so important about a soundproof interior?

Soundproofing reduces the transmission of unwanted direct sound waves to an involuntary listener. If you’re sitting inside your car — and your car happens to be a Rolls-Royce Ghost — you’re going to want to bask in the serenity and tranquility of that cabin. Soundproofing the interior goes a long way in creating the kind of cabin tranquility that Rolls-Royce owners look for. These owners don’t spend more than $300,000 to buy a Ghost for nothing.

How did Rolls-Royce address sound-proofing the all-new Ghost?

Soundproofing a car as big and as sophisticated as the Rolls-Royce Ghost can be a complicated task. You don’t just plug the open spaces in the vehicle and call it a day. Rolls-Royce’s promise to create the next-generation Ghost from the ground up contributed to this task, in large part due to the all-new proprietary aluminum-rich architecture that already helps a great deal in absorbing outside noise.

This also goes a long way in minimizing the amount of engine noise that reaches the interior. Cavities in the roof, doors, trunk, and floor of the Ghost were also plugged using more than 220 pounds (100 kilos) of sound-absorbing materials. Even the Ghost’s double-glazed windows were fitted with a clear composite center sheet while the luxury sedan’s tires were lined with lightweight acoustic insulation foam.

While the extra weight may compromise the Ghost’s performance capabilities, it also shows how far Rolls-Royce will go to achieve its goal in the name of customer satisfaction. The goal, after all, is to create a sound-proof cabin that Ghost owners can relax in without worrying about unnecessary outside noise disrupting their proverbial “me-time.”

So the Rolls-Royce’s interior is completely sound-proof?

Not necessarily. During the early part of testing, the acoustics team discovered that while removing all noise coming into the interior was the intended goal, it also had its drawbacks, specifically the disorienting feeling of essentially sitting in a vacuum.

Acoustically tuned damping units for the seat frames were created and a suite of ports was placed between the cabin and the Ghost’s trunk to ensure that the low and resonant frequency that Rolls-Royce created that's consistent with Rolls-Royce’s new “whisper.”

What else do we know about the new Rolls-Royce Ghost?

Rolls-Royce has been tight-lipped about its development of the all-new Ghost. Fortunately, we have the benefit of spy shots of the new Ghost doing test runs on the road. At the very least, it gives us an idea of what the model is going to look like, swirly wraps and all.

From the looks of it, the Ghost’s signature large front grille remains in place, even if a lot of the design around has been updated. The hood, for example, looks smoother than the old model. The bumpers also look sportier, and while it’s hard to make out with all the wraps covering them, the headlights appear to be larger than they used to be. The rear-hinged back doors will also remain, though there are new brake lights on either side of the sedan’s rear section.

We didn’t get a good look at the interior of the test mule, but rest assured, it’s going to be tricked out in ways that only Rolls-Royce can pull off.

An output of around 580 horsepower should be expected given that it’s replacing a model whose twin-turbo V-12 unit already produces 563 horsepower.

We know that even with the global coronavirus pandemic, Rolls-Royce remains keen on launching the all-new Ghost later this year. All shall be revealed then.