Rolls-Royce has revealed the latest model in its Black Badge series: the Ghost. The new Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge is a more powerful and more individual version of the luxury sedan introduced last year and, like other Black Badge models, is aimed at bringing younger buyers into Rolls-Royce’s fold.
- Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge gets a power bump of around 29hp, 50Nm
- The Ghost Black Badge gets many dynamic tweaks over donor car
- Black Badge series popular with younger Rolls customers
The Black Badge gets a 29hp bump in power over the standard version, to 592hp from the twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V12 engine. Torque has also increased by around 50Nm to around 906Nm, all of which is available from just 1,700rpm.
The all-wheel-drive Ghost Black Badge adds a new ‘Low’ driving mode, which sharpens up driving functions, including gearshifts from the eight-speed automatic gearbox, that are made 50 percent quicker along with a tweaked exhaust note.
Other dynamic tweaks over the donor car include more voluminous air springs that are designed to reduce body roll under hard cornering, a bespoke throttle map, revised tuning for the all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering systems and the raising of the brake pedal’s biting point while reducing its travel, although the standard braking system has been retained from the Ghost despite the increase in power.
Styling-wise, the exterior of the Ghost Black Badge borrows many flourishes from its Black Badge siblings – the Dawn, Wraith and Cullinan. These include a darker chrome shade for the exterior brightwork, grille, the Spirit of Ecstasy and the 21-inch alloy wheel design.
Inside, there are black wood veneers and technical fabrics along with a more subdued tone for the interior trim, alongside a bespoke, minimalist interior clock that’s flanked by a new design for the Ghost’s LED illuminated fascia.
The Black Badge series has been crucial in reducing the average age of Rolls-Royce buyers, which has dropped from 56 to 43 – for the brand to have the youngest average age of buyer in the BMW Group. CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös said Black Badge is now “such an integral part of the brand”, for Rolls-Royce.
Such is their popularity that Black Badge models account for up 40 percent of all Rolls-Royces sold, far greater than the 15 percent that Rolls originally envisaged when it was first introduced it on the Wraith in 2016.