When it comes to ultra-luxury automobiles, there is one brand that is preferred by luxury living magazines around the globe and that is Rolls-Royce. But even the hallowed British maker has had a time of it recently when it comes to staying relevant. It is not that the tastes of luxury lifestyle magazines have changed per se; it is that the luxury lifestyle publications of today, especially those catering to an audience that wants to know how to live luxury lifestyle, tastes are as varied and faster changing than ever before.
And when it comes to the millennial cohort, fast-rising in purchasing power and consumer influence, Rolls-Royce thinks they might have hit on the right combination of staid luxury and cutting-edge fashion with the new Black Badge Ghost.
The Ghost is a mainstay of the Rolls-Royce brand and the new Black Badge interpretation recognizes this. It also acknowledges that Rolls-Royce clientele – existing and future – prefer to have an air of exclusivity and individuality about their cars. In other words, they like to customize them to their own tastes which beg the question, “just what does the Black Badge edition mean?”
After all, if nearly everything is customizable, then what does Black Badge bring to the table that the regular Ghost does not? In a word, it brings “everything” and to the next level. All of the expected accouterments of the regular Ghost plus the Black Badge additions make this variant aggressive, edgy, and, above all, modern. It all starts with a backlit front fascia grill that caps off a starlit black magma body paint wrapped around four carbon fiber and aluminum spoke 21-inch wheels. This immediately gives the already-large car an intimidating street presence that is accented by a ghostly white, ethereal LED backlighting that is reminiscent of electric cars and more futuristic models.
Weighing in at 5500 pounds or more, the Ghost Black Badge isn’t a sports car nor is it meant to be. Nonetheless, equipped with a V12 engine kicking out 591 HP and turning in 0-60 mph times of just 4.5 seconds, it is more than capable of burning rubber if the situation requires it. Inside, the Ghost Black Badge is swaddled in sumptuous dark leather with client choice of color contrast throughout as well as the quintessential crystal starlight headliner, wool carpets, and a champagne chest.
There is also exclusive Black Badge insignia throughout and 152 LED lights that give drivers the ability to construct the perfect ambiance for their grand touring sessions. Aimed at affluent drivers that want the cachet of a Rolls-Royce without being chauffered, the Black Badge Ghost straddles the line between tradition and sports-car fun. Capable of tearing down the road at high speed or arriving at the opera house for a night out on the town, the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost is the perfect marriage of old-world luxury and the modern luxury consumer’s desire for sleek, high-end technology.