Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost



There's a lot to be said for always looking on the bright side of life. It's likely that life is generally fairly bright for most modern Rolls-Royce owners, but in the interests of a bit of balance, a bit of yin and yang, in recent years the luxury automaker switched its attention to the dark side. No, you can't yet drive a Rolls-Royce using The Force and we're not going all Marvel Comics villains in the shadows here either, instead we are talking about the Black Badge series.

Actually maybe we are talking villains because let's be honest, some slightly dubious characters have owned a Rolls over the past 112 years of the company's history. Even founder Charles Rolls was a bit of a rebel, wearing an oil-stained tie to Cambridge University functions and eventually earning the nickname of 'Dirty Rolls'.

Introduced in 2016, the Black Badge models have been designed to appeal to the non-conformists, the disruptors and frankly, a younger crowd than have traditionally driven a car with the famous double-R. Initially available on the Wraith, Dawn, Cullinan and previous generation Ghost, the Black Badge models now account for 27 per cent of Rolls' global sales, probably one reason why the average age of the Rolls buyer is now just 43, the youngest of any brand in the BMW Group.

Test Car Specifications

Model tested: Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost
Pricing: POA
Engine: 6.75-litre V12 petrol
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Body style: four-door saloon
CO₂ emissions: 359g/km (VED Band 255g+: £2,245 in year one, £490 years 2-5)
Combined economy: 17.9 mpg
Top speed: 155mph
0-62km/h: 4.7 seconds
Power: 600hp at 5,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm at 1,700-4,250rpm
Boot space: 500 litres

What's this?

This is the Black Badge Ghost, based on the latest generation Ghost that launched in 2020. Like other Black Badge models, it's darker, or as its designer Henry Cloke calls it; "more urban, more streetwise," although not in the same way as a Rover crossover once was.

The Ghost gets similar treatment to other Black Badge models, which means dark chrome for the famous Spirit of Ecstasy and around the famous pantheon grille. The grille is interesting because it too looks dark, but Cloke explained to us that it's exactly the same on any other Ghost, but because the surround is dark, the grille appears to be dark.

Coloured brake calipers hint at a more dynamic character and theres the option of wheels made with 22 layers of carbon fibre. As with any Rolls, there are lots of exterior choices and an almost endless list of colours and here's a thing, it takes four people five hours to polish the bodywork, by hand. You won't find anyone doing that over at BMW or Mercedes-Maybach.

Inside it's all sumptuous leather, deep shag-pile carpets and the option of a new trim made up from black bolivar veneer, resin-coated carbon and metal-coated thread. Then there are the hundreds of LEDs in the headlining to create your own night sky and the inclusion of the infinity symbol, otherwise known as lemniscate, which Rolls' people were quick to point out sounds nothing like Illuminati, although it does.

How does it drive?

Our experience with the Black Badge Ghost was a little different. Picked up by a chauffeur driving a Cullinan SUV we were taken to a secret location in the darkness of night. It turned out to be the Turweston airfield near Silverstone, the kind of place where the world's wealthiest F1 fans fly discreetly into in their private jets and helicopters.

There were no planes involved though, which is a good thing because the runway was ours to play with. We can confirm that the V12 in the Black Badge Ghost provides impressive acceleration, especially when you switch to Low mode (Rolls doesn't call it Sport) where not only does this nearly 2.5 tonne piece of luxury hustle, but it does so without fuss. It brakes hard too, again without throwing the occupants around as the clever Planar suspension keeps everything reasonably level.

Then there's nothing like a slalom between the lines down the centre of a runway to really put that suspension to the test. Again, it maintained its poise well, although the steering lacks the kind of communication with the road that you really want when performing a series of rapid changes in direction in a Roller.

That lack of direct feedback was evident on a drive through the countryside too, but even so, the agility that we found in the new Ghost when it was launched last year is definitely there. It feels more nimble, more driver-focused than the previous generation, making it easier to pilot through narrow country roads. There's no denying that it can be a little stressful though and there were the occasional sharp intakes of breath when other vehicles approached.

It was much more relaxing on wider A-roads where we headed to the village of West Wycombe and the car park above the Hellfire Caves. If anywhere signifies that Rolls is accepting that not all its clients are squeaky clean it's here. The caves were famously used by gentry in the 1700s for gambling and debauchery and as we waited to be driven into Londinium, it was clear that the car park still attracts some nocturnal activities.

From that den of iniquity we were chauffeured into London town. The car had not yet been revealed so our driver had to push a button to drop the Spirit of Ecstasy into her hiding place because apparently no-one in London would notice another darkened Rolls-Royce in the West End. They might notice three though as we all pulled up outside the the Mandrake Hotel. Even this trendy spot has its dark side, with pictures of naked people, lots of intriguing sculptures and the idea that things happen behind closed doors. It's not a family place.

Now we know that the Ghost appeals to those who like to drive themselves, in the same way as a Bentley Flying Spur does, but it's not as engaging to drive as its Crewe rival. It still felt like the best place to be was sat in the back seat enjoying the relaxation of being driven into London. It veritably wafted down the M40 and barely a bump could be felt while our driver dealt with the stress of London driving. The Black Badge life is very comfortable.

Verdict

The Black Badge treatment takes everything that's great about the new Ghost and gives it a darker vibe. It's easy to see why many owners thought that Rolls-Royce would not allow such a treatment, but it's worked really well for the luxury automaker. It's a subtle combination of a hint of performance, ultimate luxury and a sinister character, an acknowledgment that a Rolls-Royce can be as disruptive as some of those who choose to roll in one.

Exterior Design

Interior Ambience

Passenger Space

Luggage Space

Safety

Comfort

Driving Dynamics

Powertrain