Rolls-Royce

Black Badge Ghost

Despite Darth Vader’s protestations, the dark side has rarely seemed entirely appetising. Until now. RollsRoyce has given that phrase a positive (if moody) spin with the new Black Badge Ghost, which the marque’s CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös calls the “alter ego” of the completely redesigned Ghost that was named Robb Report’s 2021 Luxury Car of the Year.

The stygian treatment extends beyond the exterior’s standard 45kg of atomised black paint, 22-layer carbon fibre wheels and chrome-electrolyte plated Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament and Pantheon Grille – that edgier persona carries through to performance, as well, with its 591hp, 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 delivering an additional 28hp and 50Nm of torque compared to the base version. Most noteworthy is the Black Badge– exclusive Low mode, which dispenses the full 900Nm of torque at just 1,700rpm, cuts shift times by half when the throttle is at least 90 per cent deployed and elicits a decidedly more ominous exhaust note. The power plant and satellite-assisted eight-speed transmission allow the 2,490kg four-door to cover zero to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds, while four-wheel steering gives it remarkable agility for its size. When we were considering this year’s top sedan, the Rolls-Royce Ghost’s dark side showed us the light.