Rolls-Royce has whipped the covers off the new Ghost Black Badge, with the British luxury car manufacturer saying the new model is the “purest” of its kind in the marque’s history. The Black Badge Ghost “characterises” the alter ego of Rolls-Royce – assertive, dynamic, and potent – and “reflects” the “dark side” of the firm’s Post Opulence design language.
According to Rolls-Royce, although 44 000 “ready-to-wear” exterior colour options are on offer, the majority of clients opt for the signature Black paintwork. The process of creating the latter hue – the darkest of its kind in the car industry, according to the company – takes between three and five hours.
During the first stage of the process, 45 kg of paint is atomised and applied to an electrostatically charged body in white before being oven dried. This is followed by two layers of clear coat. During the final phase of the process these layers are hand-polished by a team of four craftspeople to produce a high-gloss piano finish.
For the Spirit of Ecstasy and Pantheon Grille, a specific chrome electrolyte is introduced to the traditional plating process to darken the finish. Each item is polished by hand to achieve a mirror-black chrome finish.
The Black Badge Ghost is fitted with a set of bespoke 21-inch wheels. Each unit is made up of 22 layers of carbon fibre. A 3D-forged aluminium hub is bonded to the rim by aerospace-grade titanium fasteners.
Inside, multiple layers of wood are pressed onto the component substrates, using black Bolivar veneer for the uppermost base layer. This forms a dark foundation for the technical fibre layers that follow. Leaves woven from resin-coated carbon and contrasting metal-coated thread are laid in a diamond pattern by hand.
Based on the new Ghost, which was unveiled in 2020, the model donning the “Black Badge” moniker is powered by Rolls-Royce’s 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine. However, for this derivative, the company has increased power and torque by 21 kW and 50 N.m respectively. The Black Badge Ghost is endowed with 441 kW and 900 N.m, the latter available from a lowly 1 700 r/min for “dramatic” immediacy.
The powertrain has also received bespoke transmission and throttle enhancements “to further enhance the engine’s increased power reserves”. Working in collaboration, the ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox and fore and aft steering axles adjust levels of feedback to the driver.
The braking system has been enhanced “to bolster confidence when exploiting the Black Badge Ghost”. The braking bite point has been raised and the pedal travel has been decreased. Amplifying the engine note, a new exhaust system “subtly” announces the V12 motor’s “potency” when “Low” mode is activated.