The Black Badge version brings out the sportier and more rebellious side of the new Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II

A few days ago Rolls-Royce presented the facelift it has given the Ghost, a saloon that had long been crying out for aesthetic and, of course, technological changes, which, incidentally, suit it perfectly. With the arrival of the new Ghost, the Black Badge variant also follows, giving it a more sporty look along with slight tweaks to its engine to increase power.

It won’t be hard to tell a Ghost Series II from a Black Badge version. First of all, because, as the name suggests, black will be the star of the exterior, with elements that receive this mirror black tone, such as the Spirit of Ecstasy badge, the Pantheon grille, the side badges and, for the first time on this version, even the door handles. Another change is found in the lower front air intake, which you will have to look closely to notice, now featuring two dark chrome strips running lengthwise along it.

The exterior styling of the Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Series II is completed with new 22-inch wheels featuring a seven-spoke design combined with a geometric pattern, all crafted as slim and thin as possible to leave as much of the braking system exposed as possible. It should be said that the wheels also feature black combined with the chrome of the partially polished finish they receive.

Moving inside, black is also the main colour, although to highlight its sporty character it features surfaces finished in technical carbon. This complex fabric was developed by Rolls-Royce craftsmen using carbon and metallic fibres on a black Bolívar wood base, arranged in such a way as to achieve a three-dimensional effect. Notably, both the metal of all the speaker grilles and the frames of all the air vents have been subjected to physical vapour deposition, a treatment that, in addition to darkening the metal, also prevents it from discolouring or tarnishing with continued use, exposure to high temperatures or the passage of time.

We must not forget the dashboard’s “Clock Cabinet” either or, put another way, the housing for the analogue clock, which comes in black chrome instead of the usual mirror-polished finish, and a Spirit of Ecstasy figure illuminated from above. In addition, if the customer chooses the immersive seating system with a centre console, it can be specified with the infinity symbol characteristic of the Black Badge family, made from aerospace aluminium and placed between the third and fourth of six layers of tinted lacquer, thus making the symbol appear to float.

In the mechanical section, the star remains the 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12, but its power increases by 29 CV while the torque rises by 50 Nm, thus reaching 600 CV. This power increase is accompanied by a gearshift 50% faster and a subtly improved exhaust sound, simply by pressing the “Low” button next to the gear selector. The car also features the Black Badge flat suspension system with continuously variable electronically controlled dampers, as well as a more powerful brake bite and a shorter pedal travel.