Night rider
FOR Improved handling, still sublime refinement
AGAINST Costs more than a three-bed semi in Rotherham
Black Badge Rollers now account for more than 27 per cent of all sales, and the idea is still in its infancy. Wraith and last-gen Ghost were the first models to get Black Badge variants in 2016, followed by Dawn in 2017 and Cullinan in 2019. In layman terms it’s a trim level that adds more luxury, more power, improved handling and a darkened aesthetic, but really it’s all about appealing to a younger multimillionaire.
The Spirit of Ecstasy and Pantheon grille are present and correct, but get a darker chrome plating, while the 21-inch wheels are made up from a carbon-fibre ‘barrel’ with a forged aluminium hub bonded to the rim. On the inside there’s a new carbon weave with metallic fibres picking out the diamond pattern and an aluminium infinity symbol between the back seats.
“The twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V12 engine was deemed sufficient,” but the power output wasn’t. So a bump of 29bhp to 592bhp and an extra 37lb ft of torque for a total of 664lb ft. “More voluminous air springs help to reduce body roll under more assertive cornering,” while the braking bite point has been raised slightly and pedal travel decreased.
Hitting the ‘Low’ button on the gear selector stalk amplifies the engine through an entirely new exhaust system, although if you’re expecting a crackling V12 soundtrack... sorry, the difference is subtle. It also unlocks the full 664lb ft of torque from 1,600rpm, increases gearshift speeds from the eightspeed ZF auto by 50 per cent, and sharpens up the throttle response.
This is a gentle massage to the Ghost’s character, rather than a full organ transplant, but bury the throttle down a short runway... and it hauls, hitting 135mph by the time we had to squeeze the brakes. Secondly, a slalom course where it actually resisted body roll better the faster you went – the air suspension recognising that you were keen on some more “assertive” cornering and reacting accordingly.
If you absolutely must have the most opulent of the opulent, there’s always the Phantom, but the Ghost does the same things just as well, and the Black Badge is the one to go for – a bit of marketing genius from Rolls that gently erodes the old-man image of old and points the Spirit of Ecstasy in a more future-proofed direction. Now, bring on the Spectre.