For those of us who aren’t wildly successful, it’s not every day you get to drive around in a Rolls Royce. However, I’ve been lucky enough to hop into the front and back of a Ghost on several occasions. My most recent jaunt involved a Ghost Black Badge edition — which involves a lot of cosmetic touches and a small boost in horsepower.
The Rolls Royce Black Badge Ghost also contains what, for me, is one of the most impressive features of a Rolls Royce. Under the hood is a substantial 6.7 liter V-12. The sort of thing that could probably roar loud enough to make windows shake half a mile away. It’s essentially an upmarket truck engine. But if you press the start button and hit the accelerator pedal, you can’t really hear it. Rolls prides itself in stuffing an incredible amount of soundproofing into its engine bay. The engine in the Black Badge is very slightly larger and a touch more powerful than the one you’ll find in a Silver Badge Ghost, but the difference isn’t huge enough to justify the choice on its own. To be honest, it’s the styling elements that are the main selling points of this premium trim.
The Ghost is almost like an EV in terms of volume levels, and it’s quirks like that which make a vehicle unique. Add in the ridiculous amount of power, top-level suspension, and feather-light handling and you could probably fool someone into thinking it was electric.
The styling is exquisite
The Rolls Royce Ghost isn’t overly different from the “standard” version of the luxury sedan. Many of the differences are purely stylistic, for example the chrome trim that usually lines a Rolls is blackened. The same applies to the Spirit of Ecstacy, which has also been darkened for the Black Badge edition. The interior also comes with a few tweaks, most notably the inclusion of a good amount of carbon fiber — though dark wood is also an option. The interior of the particular Ghost I was in consisted of a black and orange color scheme, something I felt stood out. But if that’s not your thing, then there is plenty of wiggle room in terms of styling.
The back of a Ghost, be it a Black or a Silver Badge, is also a very pleasant space to be. You’ll get plenty of legroom, you can have access to a screen which will allow you to control the media playing in the vehicle, a champagne cooler is an option in certain areas, you have a great view of the star-spackled headliner, and overall it’s a very comfortable experience. There are higher-end options. Some of the Phantoms seem akin to being transported around in the lounge of a high-class hotel. But considering the price difference, the Ghost does not disappoint.
This may be the best Rolls Royce driving experience
When I say light and agile, I don’t mean it feels like a Miata or a Mini. That would just be silly. However, the Rolls Royce Ghost feels extremely light and agile for a Rolls Royce. You still get that smooth gliding feeling, even if you end up on a hilly gravel track like I did (thank you Google) then the ride won’t really suffer. Some people like to feel the road, but the all-wheel drive system that comes as standard means you’d have to do something really silly before something like grip becomes a concern. So you don’t really need to feel it anyway. It’s also remarkably easy to place for its size, and the turning circle seems a lot tighter than it should be. Yes, you have all manner of driver aids there to hold your hand, but keeping it centered in the lane on your own isn’t too much trouble despite the fact that it’s still a pretty huge vehicle.
The acceleration is also robust, with that big V-12 rocketing the Ghost from 0-60 in around 4.5 seconds. You’re not meant to drive it like that. It’s a Rolls Royce. You should be sat in the back while a gentleman named Winston, Jeeves, or Chives does everything very smoothly up front. But Rolls Royce is all about options, and the option to drive like a hooligan is likely appreciated by many. Keith Moon would likely approve.
Overall, I preferred it to the Spectre. The EV may edge it out in the looks department, But in terms of pure driving experience, there’s still a lot to be said for a hefty V12, a short delay before the torque kicks in, and an all-round solid piece of engineering.
