2021 Rolls Royce Ghost Black Badge review

You may like this, you may not, but Rolls loves it and to the extent that, in 2016, it created its Black Badge sub-brand to satisfy demand. And no wonder: over a quarter of all Royces to roll out of Goodwood are now to Black Badge specification. Indeed with the arrival of this Black Badge Ghost with its 45kg (really) of paint (which can actually be any one of 44,000 colours, only one of which is black), there’s a BB option for all models save the Phantom.

It’s not just the visuals either, which include a darkened grille, darkened carbon fibre and aluminium wheels and endless options to darken down your interior. There’s a bit more power and torque, sharper gearshifts in ‘low’ mode (i.e. ‘sport’), a more responsive brake pedal, and while officially the suspension is unchanged, someone who should know told me it also had reprogrammed dampers.

In truth the car is not very different in the way it drives. But it does provide a moment for us to remember that Rolls-Royce is operating on a different level and at a different price point to any other manufacturer. And when a car is as good as this, long may it continue.