How Rolls-Royce is making the next-generation Ghost sedan whisper quiet
It takes obsessive engineering, not just piles of sound deadener, to create a vehicle that's as silent as a shadow.
No other automaker builds vehicles quite like Rolls-Royce. The iconic manufacturer's ultra-luxury motorcars have always been known for their unfathomable refinement, and that's still true today, thanks to the firm's Formula for Serenity.
The upcoming Ghost sedan, which will wear a minimalist, "post-opulence" design theme, should be one of the most hushed cars in the world, with a sumptuous interior that's likely quieter inside at triple-digit speeds than leafing through a newspaper at breakfast.
Such silence begins with this vehicle's very foundation. The Ghost will be built around a rigid spaceframe, one made of aluminum. Not only is this material lighter than steel, which has a host of obvious benefits when it comes to driving dynamics and fuel efficiency, it transmits less noise, too. Portions of this structure are specially designed to avoid having large, flat sections that are more likely to resonate. Beyond all that, both the floor and bulkheads of this car will be double skinned, further keeping unwanted racket at bay.
Laminated window glass blocks even more noise, plus the new Ghost will be stuffed, practically like a down comforter, loaded with more than 220 pounds of sound deadener, liberally applied to the roof, doors and elsewhere in the body. Even the tires will feature noise-abating materials.
Today's Ghost is already supremely luxurious, so it will be interesting to see how Rolls-Royce improves the breed going forward.
For an extra level of silence, Rolls-Royce engineers also investigated every vehicle component to see if it makes any noise. For instance, the HVAC ducts in the upcoming Ghost were found to be a source of unwanted racket and consequently got redesigned. Even this car's driveshaft was scrutinized, with its diameter and stiffness altered to eliminate unwanted ruckus.
This obsessive quest to quell noise is admirable, but, believe it or not, you can take things too far. According to Rolls-Royce, a vehicle that's totally silent inside can be disorienting, so in the Ghost they added a slight bit of background sound. This so-called "whisper" is a soft undertone that passengers experience as "a single, subtle note" according to a release by the manufacturer. To achieve this, the trunk and even the seat frames were tuned to harmonize.
Aside from impeccable over-the-road refinement, this next-generation Rolls-Royce Ghost is expected to feature all-wheel drive and four-corner steering, among many other features that are sure to please business magnates and royalty, oligarchs and mafioso the world over. We can't wait to see what this new ultra-luxury sedan looks like, and more importantly, experience its world-beating refinement.
