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The Ghost has gone to the dark side. Influenced by what it calls "subversive clients", Rolls-Royce debuted Ghost Black Badge this week showing off a minimalist approach to design that pairs discreet looks with high-tech engineering.
Using the traditional Ghost as a base, Rolls-Royce has created Ghost Black Badge to be customized to a buyer's specifications. There's 44,000 colorways already available, or a client can create their own bespoke hue. However, the company says that most Black Badge customers historically choose the company's signature Black paint job, the industry's darkest paint.
Paint is applied to an electrostatically charged body in white then oven dried. Two layers of clear coat go on top of that, dry, and then are hand polished by a team of four craftsmen. The process takes three to five hours from start to finish.
Clients can add a hand-painted coachline to their model.
The chroming process for the Spirit of Ecstasy and Pantheon Grille allows for a final thickness that is just one micrometer thick - about one hundredth the width of a human hair. The elements are then polished to achieve a mirror-black chrome finish.
From the factory, the Ghost Black Badge rolls on 21-inch composite wheels that have been designed exclusively for the model. Each wheel has 22 layers of carbon fiber that are laid on three axes and folded, resulting in a total of 44 layers of the material.
Like the traditional Ghost, the model wears the company's hallmark floating hubcaps, which ensure that the Double R monogram is upright at all times.
A black Bolivar veneer has been formed of multiple wood layers, laying the foundation for the Technical Fiber that tops it inside the Ghost Black Badge cabin. The fiber leaves are woven from resin-coated carbon and contrasting metal-coated thread that is laid in a diamond pattern creating three-dimensional effect. Each component is cured for one hour under pressure at 100°C then sandblasted, hand-sanded and polished. There are six layers in total.
Buyers can add the Black Badge family motif to the Waterfall section of the rear seats. That motif, the mathematical symbol for infinity known as Lemniscate, also features elsewhere throughout the vehicle. On the aerospace-grade aluminum lid of the model's champagne cooler, it's featured between the third and fourth layer of lacquer to create the illusion that the symbol is floating.
Instead of glistening brightwork, Rolls-Royce offers the Ghost Black Badge with a more subdued tone. Air vent surrounds have been darkened using physical vapor deposition, a process that ensures that colored metal does not discolor or tarnish over time or through repeated use.
The timepiece has been paired back as well with only the tips of the hands and 12, three, six and nine o'clock markers picked out in standard configuration.
The feature attraction of the interior is the car's Illuminated Fascia, which features a glowing Lemniscate surrounded by over 850 stars. The constellation and motif are completely invisible when the interior lights are not in operation but when turned on, 152 LEDs get to work. Over 90,000 laser-etched dots guide the light to its proper location on the fascia.
The Ghost Black Badge isn't just a different pretty face. It gets a power and handling boost. The car's twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V12 engine gains an additional 28 horsepower, moving the needle close to 600 total. There's also another 37 pound-feet of torque, giving the car a total of 664 to use.
Drivers can press the 'Low' button on the car's gear selection stalk to unlock the car's full engineering potential. This amplifies the engine noise via a new exhaust system, gives access to full torque at just 1,700 rpm and increases gear shifts by 50 percent when the throttle is depressed to 90 percent.
A more robust braking package has been introduced in the Ghost Black Badge allowing for better performance under heavy use. A new suite of brake caliper colors is available.
The company has increased the braking point and decreased the car's pedal travel to allow for a more connected drive experience.
Black Badge Ghost is available to commission now.
About the writer
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull leads the Autos team at Newsweek. She has written extensively about the auto industry for U.S. News & ... Read more