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2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge | Ecstasy in the shadows

Every now and again, something hits my driveway that absolutely stumps me. It can be tricky enough to come up with something to write about the fifth Hyundai Sonata or third Jeep Wrangler I’ve driven in the space of 18 months, but something like the 2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge presents a very different conundrum: What can I possibly say to the person who has a half million dollars to spend on their next ride? I rounded up there but not by much. Before tax, tags and your driverÂ’s salary, this Ghost checks in at $484,950. Of that, $43,850 goes to Black Badge, which, when boiled down to its purest essence, is an enthusiastÂ’s equipment package with some rather dramatic aesthetic components. Rolls-RoyceÂ’s reputation is that of a builder of cars meant to be driven in rather than driven, but Ghost is the de facto “driverÂ’s” four-door in the lineup, and Black Badge is as close to an antidote to that cliche as youÂ’ll find in the company's portfolio. While it is a performance model, Black Badge doesn't completely blow the doors off the Ghost's already-impressive baseline performance. It benefits from an additional 29 horsepower and 57 pound-feet of torque (for a total of 583 hp and 663 lb-ft, respectively) and retuned air springs that “alleviate body roll under more assertive cornering.” The brakes were also tweaked for more immediate response and shorter pedal travel, but the clamps themselves are identical to a standard GhostÂ’s. Put another way, Black Badge is a performance package that happens to cost more than some performance cars. Welcome to tier 0 of car ownership. ThatÂ’s a hollow greeting, of course. Rolls-Royce sold a grand total of 5,586 (ahem) motor cars in 2021, and not one of them is among my permanent collection. YouÂ’re shocked, I know. Statistically, weÂ’re quite likely to be in the same boat. IÂ’m living vicariously through the Rolls-Royce marketing budget and youÂ’re living vicariously through me. Too bad. IÂ’m pretty boring. So boring that the best outing I could come up with was a jaunt to a lake cottage just 30 miles or so north of Detroit proper. Given this carÂ’s price point, youÂ’d be forgiven for insisting that the Ghost had better be able to do just about anything one might expect from modern four-wheeled transportation, but realistically, the person who can afford to be chauffeured in a Black Badge can likely call on other forms of transit should the weather take a turn for the worse.

Upcoming Rolls-Royce Ghost wears evolutionary design in spy photos

The wow factor of a Rolls-Royce does not come from wild, outlandish design. Its cars and SUV are stately, mature, handsome and do not change looks with a shift of the wind like many vehicles in the auto industry. Those who know model cycles know that Rolls-Royce follows a slightly longer timeline than most, and for the current Ghost, its time is nearly up. These spy shots give us an early glimpse of what the updated model will look like. Even with a ton of camo on the car, the photos confirm what we already know about Rolls-Royce: It's a company that does not stray from what its designers deem to be a classic look. The new Phantom looks like the old Phantom, the Wraith looks like the Ghost, and the Cullinan looks like the Phantom. And thus, the new Ghost is pretty much going to look like the current Ghost, just with a few modernizations that will help the model age as well as Pierce Brosnan. What the spy shots show is evolutionary. It retains its traditional three-box sedan design, if slightly smoothed over. It retains the long hood with the blunt snout and vertical bar grille, it has a high belt line that extends the length of the car, the same coach door handles, and even the exact same wheels (though that is typical of a test car). The changes we notice are minor. The car will likely have updated front and rear lighting, the side mirrors appear to have slightly more aerodynamic designs with cameras embedded, and the small third window appears to have a slight change in shape. Following in the footsteps of the Phantom, the new Ghost will likely ride on Rolls-Royce's new Architecture of Luxury platform for an improved ride and drive. We expect the Ghost will take on the Phantom's new 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 powertrain, and it's possible it could also gain four-wheel steering technology. There are rumors about Rolls-Royce producing an EV in the future, but there's no indication which vehicle it would be, or if that's real at all. Check back in the future, as we'll update details on the upcoming Ghost as we see more photos and learn more information. Related Video:

Rolls-Royce Cullinan's Viewing Suite seats are its tailgate party trick

It's one thing to flip down the rear bench of a Chrysler Town & Country parked at a scenic spot, sit on the folded-down backrest and look at the sunset. It's another thing to park a Rolls-Royce Cullinan on a similarly scenic spot and utilize the, ahem, Rolls-Royce Viewing Suite. Deployed at a touch of a button, the Viewing Suite is formed by two rear-facing leather chairs that emerge from the Cullinan's trunk. As well as the chairs, a cocktail table is fitted on the "luxuriously comfortable viewing platform" that enables a Cullinan owner to "take in the world's most breath-taking vistas or view a sports event or even watch their children take part in their school sports day," as Rolls-Royce suggests. While not explicitly mentioned, it's probably also perfectly suitable for a tailgate party with a couple cold ones fetched from a cooler while a ballgame plays on a portable TV. But as Rolls-Royce says, "Wherever one ventures, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Viewing Suite guarantees the best seat in the house." The Cullinan is likely to cast aside its camoflage come Geneva time next month. Recent spy shots have depicted the luxury SUV with suicide rear doors, a feature that most large SUVs do not have. Related Video: Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce Cullinan Viewing Platform Image Credit: Rolls-Royce Auto News Rolls-Royce SUV Luxury rolls-royce cullinan