In 2016 Rolls Royce unveiled the Ghost Black Badge family of cars that represents a bolder interpretation of their ultra-luxurious line-up. Five years on Black Badge products account for more than one in every four Rolls Royces sold, and the Ghost. Immediately, it became a runaway success and now represents 27% of Rolls-Royce’s product commissions. Rolls-Royce has now added a new model to its Black Badge family that is being touted as the purest Black Badge motor car in the marque’s history, Black Badge Ghost.
Conceived in response to a group of clients who requested a Rolls-Royce that was agile, discreet, highly connected and free of any superfluous design, that’s exactly what it delivers. You can choose any of the company’s staggering 44,000 existing colours or choose your own, but most buyers will go for the model-specific black paint. However, according to the British marque, the majority of the clients order their Black Badge cars in signature black.
To create what is the motor car industry’s darkest black, 100lbs (45kg) of paint is atomised and applied to an electrostatically charged body in white before being oven dried and ends with hand-polishing by a team of four craftsmen to produce the signature high-gloss piano finish. A beautiful high-contrast, hand-painted coachline further augments the deep finish of the Black Badge Ghost.
The Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, radiator grille and interior brightwork all feature a dark finish, and there are multiple appearances for the Black Badge’s Leminscate symbol, including on the illuminated fascia, where it appears next to 850 stars only available in darkness. Another highlight of the new Black Badge Ghost is its Bespoke 21-inch composite wheelset. The rim of each wheel is made out of 22 layers of carbon fiber that are double folded, forming a total of 44 layers of carbon fiber for greater strength. A 3D-forged aluminium hub is bonded to the rim using aerospace-grade titanium fasteners and finished with the marque’s hallmark Floating Hubcap, ensuring the Double R monogram remains upright at all times.
The interior of the Black Badge Ghost gets the same minimalistic treatment as the exterior, but the material choices and the cabin design are simply droolsome true to Ghost’s Post Opulent design philosophy – one defined by authenticity and material substance rather than overt statement. In this spirit, a complex but subtle weave that incorporates a deep diamond pattern rendered in carbon and metallic fibres has been created by the marque’s craftspeople.
Black Bolivar veneer is used for the uppermost base layer onto which leaves woven from resin-coated carbon and contrasting metal-coated thread are laid in a diamond pattern by hand, creating a stunning 3D effect. The Black Badge infinity logo is etched into the trim above the rear seat champagne cooler, and, of course, there’s the starlit headliner, a Rolls-Royce staple.
For 2021, standard Ghost models are powered by a 563-hp 6.7-liter V-12. The Black Badge increases output to 592 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. The ZF eight-speed transmission and throttle were also specifically tuned for the Black Badge models to enhance the increased power from the 12-cylinder engine, Rolls says.
Ghost Black Badge pricing is expect to start around $400,000, as the 2021 Rolls Royce Ghost starts at $314,400. Discover Opulent Club on Apple News.