The Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II is old-school and over-the-top, but it's the finest car I've ever driven

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

When imperious Rolls-Royce introduced an "entry level" model five years ago, the automotive aristocracy simply didn't know what to expect. Some feared that BMW - Rolls-Royce's parent company - had simply gone off its rocker.

But fortunately for fans and customers of the brand, that car turned out to be the well received Ghost - a car that became a sales leader for the company. Last year, Rolls-Royce decided to make the Ghost even better by releasing an updated version, dubbed the "Series II."

I recently spent a weekend with a claret red example. Would it be as good as its reputation suggests?