BLACK BADGE GHOST: THE DARKER SIDE OF POST-OPULENCE
The Ultimate Rolls-Royce Driving Car
If Ghost is the ‘post opulent' poster child for the Rolls-Royce brand, then Black-Badge Ghost is the ‘bad-boy' of the family. With a darker, edgier persona, Black Badge Ghost is not just a ‘murdered out' adaptation, it has real design and engineering credentials that put it in a class all its own.
You cannot miss the fact that for the first time, RollsRoyce has darkened the bright work on Black Badge Ghost. According to Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive of the luxury brand, the decision to offer a blackened Spirit of Ecstasy had to be approved at the Board level of parent BMW AG. And this is not just a paint job, each piece of chrome is treated in a process called physical vapor deposition. The bottom line is you will not see fading, chipping, or discoloration. Other exterior features unique to Black Badge Ghost are the custom carbon fiber wheels and bright contrast brake calipers.
Once you open the coach doors, you find the Black Badge logo placed discreetly throughout on the hand-sewn leather, dark veneer, and metal trim. A specially designed technical fiber constructed of aluminum thread and high gloss finish are reserved exclusively for Black Badge as well.
Black Badge Ghost does not just bring a dark beauty to the party, engineering enhancements give it more brawn. Goodwood engineers have tuned the 6.75-liter twin-turbo V-12 to deliver more torque and horsepower than the ‘postopulent' Ghost. Combined with a quicker and more aggressive shift algorithm for the 8-speed transmission, Black Badge Ghost propels you from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds of luxurious thrust, shaving 0.3 seconds off its sibling.
Engineering enhancements also include tighter steering, stiffer ride suspension and of course, beefier brakes. The standard all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering are tuned a bit tighter and are more responsive as well. A final addition gives Black Badge Ghost a tougher ‘aural' image. With a touch of the ‘low' button, the exhaust emits a befitting low rumble audio signature in a very ‘Rolls-Royce manner'.
Do not be misled that Black Badge Ghost has to be black. We have seen some of the most aggressive colorways in RollsRoyce history on this model. From Cobalto Blue, Tailor Purple and even pink and orange hues. Regardless of the color, it is still a Black Badge Ghost.