Rolls-Royce Goes Dark with Black Badge

It may not be the same as owning a Batmobile but Rolls-Royce’s new bespoke range of Wraiths and Ghosts, displayed at the Geneva Motor Show, is probably the next best choice of automobile for the brooding dark soul who wants a ride that’s ‘blacker than black’. The “Black Badge” series is what happens when you mix luxury with the bold and edgy. Seriously, how can all that purple not make you think of The Joker…

Company CEO Torsten Müller-Otvos described the series as “the alter ego of Rolls-Royce Wraith and Ghost: darker, more assertive, more confident and powerful, and more demanding. The first thing that you may take note of is that even the famous silver Spirit of Ecstasy normally donning the hood has been finished up with black gloss. A darker palette of blacks and purples has been used for the interior. In terms of materials, the sensuous wooden interiors have been swapped out for carbon fiber.

The tweaks extend under the hood. The Ghost gets an extra 39 horses while its more sporting relation, the Wraith coupé gets increased torque, a new suspension and transmission set up to make it even more of a driver’s car. All this in a bid to expand to “a group of young, driven, self-made people”.

Such changes make this perfect for the gothic-ly affluent. Put on that black eyeliner and set Burzum on the speakers and you’re more than set to face the night.

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