The Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II is the finest car I've ever driven

When imperious Rolls-Royce introduced an "entry level" model over six years ago, the automotive aristocracy simply didn't know what to expect. Some feared that BMW, Rolls-Royce's parent company, had 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. In 2014, Rolls-Royce decided to make the Ghost even better by releasing an updated version, dubbed the Series II.

Last year, I spent a weekend with a claret-red example. And it was every bit as good as it reputation suggested. So I thought a flashback was in order this summer, just as a reminder of how good a car can be.