It might not have been on the auto show floor, but an unveiling of the latest Rolls Royce during last week’s New York International Auto Show week was quite the dark horse.
President of Rolls Royce Motor Cars NA Pedro Mota and Fintan Knight, Rolls Royce Global Head of Sales and Marketing were on hand to host an exclusive after hours event at Canoe Studios where the all new Black Badge, part of the brand’s permanent bespoke series, was on preview.
Black Badge is the second new offering from Rolls Royce in as many years. Targeted toward goal-oriented and self-made younger affluent consumers, this one is inspired by some extra ambitious notables: Sir Malcolm Campbell, aviator Howard Hughes, Keith Moon, Yves Saint Laurent, Muhammed Ali, and brand co-founder Charles Rolls were cited as examples.
Among the most strikingly noticeable modifications to the Black Badge are an altered Spirit of Ecstasy (a black Flying Lady!) and changed double R logo (now silver on black) as well as black chrome surfaces.
Performance changes accompany the new design. Ghost Black Badge has moved from 563 to 603 hp and from 780Nm of torque to 840Nm. Wraith, meanwhile, has 70Nm more of torque and a new transmission: Now it goes 0-60 mph even faster, and has better handling! Safety modifications were made as well.
