Rolls-Royce Unleashes Enhanced 2020 Edition Of Edgy Black Badge Series
On Thursday, January 23, 2020, Haute Living spent an evening under a clear, black sky test driving Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ Black Badge Series model vehicles at an event hosted by Prestige Auto. A permanent Bespoke Series, Black Badge is an edgy interpretation of the Rolls-Royce luxury car. Three of the car models in this menacing and stylish series—the Black Badge Ghost, Wraith, and Dawn—come with the same customizable interior style, exterior structure, and high-speed, yet smooth manufacturing features that make this series daring enough to be called a Rolls-Royce Black Badge. It possesses unique features, making each one stand out.
Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce
Continuing with the darker interpretation of a Rolls-Royce car in the Black Badge Series, a “Black Starlight” headliner reflects mood lighting throughout the cabin of each model and creates a dark ambiance. Hinting at the speed this car can climb to, aluminum-threaded carbon fiber composite, a material used on the exteriors of stealth aircraft, makes up the surface of the cabin’s interior. A surfacing technique known as Physical Vapor Depositing ensures that the darkened air vents on the fascia panel will not discolor over time. The “Unlimited” infinity logo, symbolizing the infinite power of these luxury cars, is the icon of Black Badge and Rolls-Royce newly invented a clock with orange-tipped hands rotating around the infinity logo for the fascia panels in each model. Finally, the same infinity logo is embroidered on the black leather interior in the driver’s chosen bright color.
Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce
The confident design of the Bespoke Black Badge Series merges with iconic Rolls-Royce style on the exterior of each car. This beautiful combination begins with the carbon fiber composite wheels that frame the globally recognized Rolls-Royce “Double R” emblem, an icon also placed on the front and rear badges in a modern way by inverting the colors of the dark car and light letters. Consistently the perfect final touch to each Black Badge exterior structure, the “Spirit of Ecstasy” ornament on the hood is finished in black chrome, an aesthetic element that is incorporated into other exterior features of the vehicle including the framing of the front grill and the entire composition of both exhaust pipes.
Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce
Black Badge Ghost was initially revealed by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in 2009 and refurbished in 2014. The new 2020 model has more power, with a 6.6-liter V12 engine under the hood. The famous Rolls-Royce “Magic Carpet Ride” sense of floating is unaffected by the Ghost’s maximum power at engine speed of 603 bhp at 5,250 rpm and maximum torque of 620 lb-ft at 1,550-5,000 rpm. The most defining characteristic in the design of the Black Badge Ghost is its entirely new exhaust system, that, when deployed by the press of a button, makes an intimidating bass-baritone sound. According to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the starting MSRP, or Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price, for the model year 2020 Black Badge Ghost is $352,000.
Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce debuted the Black Badge Wraith, the grand tourer of the Bespoke series, in 2013. When building this fastback coupé, Rolls-Royce engineers put their main focus on the driver. Featuring an extra 40 lb-ft torque wave and high power output and an upgraded eight-speed transmission with Intuitive Throttle Response, or ITR, that allows the gears to hold longer, the Wraith is the most powerful Rolls-Royce in the world bringing its maximum power at engine speed to 624 bhp at 5,600 rpm. The allure of this Black Badge model is elicited by the same daring aesthetics as well as how the car drives. Engineers designed the downshift of this vehicle to require 20-percent less pressure on the throttle, allowing the Wraith to rev up to 6,000 rpm and have a maximum torque at engine speed of 642 lb-ft at 1,700-4500 rpm. The starting MSRP for the model year 2020 Black Badge Wraith is $380,000.
Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce
Debuting in 2016, the Black Badge Dawn is the convertible of this sleek approach to the iconic Bespoke collection, designed with a steel, monocoque body, which is a structural system where the object’s external skin supports the object as a whole, and an aluminum hood. Often, when riding in a convertible, a phenomenon called “cowl shake” occurs when passengers feel a noticeable vibration from the front. With the Dawn, the structural ski cancel of the vehicle increases the bracing to ensure a smoother ride. There is also an option for the vehicle to feature an “Aero Cowling” cover over the back seat, which will come in handy when reaching this car’s maximum power at engine speed of 593 bhp at 5,600 rpm. The Dawn also has a maximum torque of 620 lb-ft at 1,500-5,000 rpm, extra sonic power is needed to pipe clear audio through the cabin. To solve this predicament, Rolls-Royce offers the Bespoke Audio option developed by engineers, providing an active 18-channel amplifier with a maximum power at 1300 Watts that pipes seamlessly through 16 loudspeakers with the two exciters in the headliner. The Black Badge Dawn, model year 2020, has a starting MSRP of $406,500.
Photo Credit: Rolls-Royce
All in all, with the 2020 Black Badge Series, a Bespoke collection, Rolls-Royce has produced a Ghost with more power, created an agile Wraith that gives the driver more control than ever before, and added superior audio options to the Dawn convertible. Looking for a remedy to power cravings and dreams of being a risk-taker? Maybe one of these Rolls-Royce Black Badge models will be the solution. If so, don’t forget the #RollsRoyceBlackBadge @RollsRoyceCarsNA.
