The Rolls-Royce Ghost Gets More Potent With A Black Badge Iteration

When we hear the Black Badge mentioned alongside Rolls-Royce, our thoughts go to a current model getting more thrills and a splash of black inside and out. After the Wraith, Dawn, Cullinan, and the first-gen Ghost, it's now time for the most recent iteration of the luxury sedan to get the Black Badge treatment. Sure the carmaker claims the Black Badge is meant to attract younger audiences, but we think this blacked-out luxury sedan could tempt Batman to consider ditching his trusty Batmobile. 

The big change in the Ghost Black Badge is under the hood. While it retains the 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 engine from the standard model it now makes 600PS and 900Nm, a jump of 29PS and 50Nm. The ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox has also been tweaked to now accommodate a ‘Low’ mode that makes gearshifts up to 50 percent quicker. 

That's not all, as the exhaust has been reworked to produce a throatier note, and the carmaker has fitted the suspension with more voluminous air springs to reduce body roll while attacking a corner. It’s all-wheel drive, and four-wheel steering have also been tweaked to offer more handling prowess.

Getting the performance upgrades out of the way, the Ghost Black Badge adds a bespoke black body shade, and adds blacked-out inserts to the grille as well as the Spirit of Ecstacy. Even the 21-inch wheels are coated with 22 layers of carbon. 

While we still have the ‘Shooting Star’ headliner inside, the cabin  comes finished with black inserts on the veneers and fabrics, and comes with a unique interior clock. The LED illuminated dashboard design is also different,with the ‘Ghost’ lettering being replaced by a ‘Black Badge’ infinity logo. You can also specify the colours of the seats and cabin trims in a variety of combinations including neon teal which you can see here.

 Back home, we’ve already got the second-gen Rolls-Royce Ghost that retails at Rs 6.95 crore (standard) and Rs 7.95 crore (extended wheelbase) (ex-showroom). It is yet to be seen whether the carmaker introduces the Black Badge, but we think it could show up around 2022.