rolls-royce cloaks black badge ghost in 1micrometer shadow of darkness

rolls-royce embraces the dark side

it’s about the character, not the color; the rolls-royce black badge ghost might be dressed in the darkest shades of the shadows, but its transformative personality represents the alter-egos of a growing number of the british marque’s clients. it reveals the dark side of the post-opulent styling of the new, most technologically advanced ghost using new codes of luxury. from its dramatic powerful performance to star-lit interior, the car is darker in aesthetic, assertive in character and bold in design.

all images courtesy of rolls-royce motoring cars

rolls-royce has always challenged conventions in the aim of continuously extending the possibilities of luxury, aesthetic and culture – just reminisce on the famous clients they have attracted over a 117-year history. the rolls-royce black badge represents the alter-ego; it is uncompromising in its lifestyle. the story goes that, back in 2014, torsten müller-ötvös, CEO of rolls-royce motor cars, noticed a triple blacked-out plantom pull up outside his hotel in hollywood, LA. he approached the car inquisitively, speaking to the owner, and learning how the styling emphasized a tendency to break rules, take risks and challenge conventions. two years later, the british marque accentuated this character by launching the black badge, firstly, with the wraith and original ghost in 2016, dawn in 2017 and then the cullinan in 2019.

rolls-royce’s relentless pursuit of minimalism and purity meets darkness

the rolls-royce black badge ghost cloaks a minimal, pure design in a shade of darkness. the motor car industry’s darkest black, 45kg of paint is atomized, electrostatically applied, coated and then hand-polished for between three to five hours to create a deep canvas of black for clients to then add high-contrast details, like the pin-stripe coachline. the stainless steel of both the spirit of ecstasy and pantheon grille are darkened, rather than painted, to preserve sharpness with a final coat thickness of just one micrometer – around one hundredth of the width of a human hair. an all-black bespoke 21-inch composite wheelset accentuates the play of contrast against the brightly hued brake callipers.

the boldness of black and contrasting textures, layers and hues create a unique interior. for the first time, the fascia is illuminated with more than 850 stars to continue the constellation from the shooting star starlight headliner, where 90,000 laser-etched dots create a twinkling, space-like effect. despite its dark shades, the layering of highly textured, authentic materials announces an overt statement throughout. 100C pressurized wood veneers and carbon and metallic fibers adorn the surfaces. even the air vents on the dashboard and rear cabin are darkened to add to the mood. black badge’s mathematical symbol of infinity is rendered across the design, including the fascia, ‘waterfall’ section of rear seats, and even on the aerospace-grade aluminum on the lid of the champagne cooler.

darker in aesthetic, assertive in character and bold in design, the black badge clients wanted this philosophy to be matched by the engineering too. to start, the all-aluminum spaceframe architecture – first enhanced in the 2017 phantom – delivers the extraordinary body stiffness for comfort, but it also enabled the car to be equipped with all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering and their famed planar suspension system. the ghost’s 6.75-liter V12 engine increases power to 600PS and torque to 900Nm – 29PS and 50Nm more than normal. in ‘low’ mode, the performance reaches higher heights as gearshift speeds are sped up by 50%.

the stainless steel spirit of ecstasy and pantheon grille are darkened with a final coat thickness of just one micrometer – around one hundredth of the width of a human hair