SHARP Drives: The 2025 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II — A Provocatrix
What do you conjure when you think of a Rolls-Royce? Stately elegance, grace, sophistication, a well-bred luxury saloon that glides through life and its surroundings. Spoiled for choice? Certainly, anyone confronted with the myriad variations and options for customization of a Rolls-Royce would feel so. A literal world within the world of possibilities, wants, desires, and imagination. Hardly a bad problem to have, and now, this same problem extends to the Ghost in more ways than ever before — but with a twist. You see, the 2025 Ghost Series II Rolls-Royce not only offers standard wheelbase, extended wheelbase, a profoundly deeper pool of bespoke swimming, previously only available to Phantom, but it’s also one of the most provocative Black Badge versions yet.
Before we get into that, however, let’s look at what’s changed with Series II of the second-generation Ghost. The interior is reimagined with a pillar-to-pillar glass panel, incorporating the marque’s advanced new Spirit operating system with its refined and elegant graphics. Digital instrument dials and gauges can now be tailored to complement the interior palette or exterior finish, as they should be. Spirit also integrates Whispers, the private Rolls-Royce members platform for concierge service and connecting to fellow Rolls-Royce owners. Likely worth the price of admission alone.
Impressively, the bespoke audio system (no co-branding here) is a stunning 1400 watts powering a peerless speaker configuration, wherein cavities within the motor car’s aluminum sill sections are used as resonance chambers for low-frequency speakers. Essentially, the system transforms the lower section of the motorcar into a generous floor-standing speaker placed on its side. Just think about that for a second.
Most obviously, however, the exterior has been evolved to ever-more-gracefully cut through the air. It’s a bit jauntier, with an illuminated pantheon grille at the front and rear taillights inspired by Spectre, as well as an edge here and there — and more focused headlights that pierce the road like fiery, intense eyes. Ghost Series II is lither and more slipstream in its countenance, yet more athletic and coiled. The suspension is revised for even smoother ride… now, you can’t tell you’re on earth. That’s welcome these days.
Even so, the aesthetic refinements might go unnoticed by anyone other than a true admirer, but what likely won’t is the swagger of the Black Badge Ghost Series II. Rubber band tires, blackout trim, and at-ti-tude in spades. The sober choice is an elegant, very Phantom-like silhouette of grace and posture. Chrome and brightwork, contrasted against a tastefully elegant hue of which there are a literal 44,000 to choose from. That would be tasteful, reserved, classic, and indisputably correct Rolls-Royce. But the temptress remains. She’s hot, a bit wild, volatile… in a composed way, of course. She’s the Black Badge, and you know you want her. Unlike the Ghost, the Ghost Black Badge will make you do things, and do things to you, like no Rolls-Royce before.
It’s gauche, but let’s talk performance because this car can make your heart race and — if you’re not shopping a Phantom — you’re probably interested in it. There was a time when Rolls-Royce need only list its engines’ potentials as “adequate”. This was good. There was no need to go further. But, alas, times have changed and now, a Rolls-Royce’s power is not “adequate” but rather a substantially more-than-adequate 563-hp and 591-hp in the aforementioned temptress, the Black Badge, from a 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine.
But what does she tempt? What is it that a Black Badge Rolls-Royce does to you? Well, simply stated, the Black Badge is arousing — arousing your inescapable delight and euphoria that comes from effortless speed and the accumulation of energy. Dip your toes into that buttery, cream-filled throttle and the power and presence of three tons of Rolls-Royce rocketing into the horizon. It’s both sinful and resplendent in a way no other motor vehicle can remotely aspire to be.
There’s much more, however, as this Rolls-Royce can elegantly glide through the tight twists and bends of the south of France (in this case) at an astonishing pace, one previously reserved for sport sedans. You know, those obnoxious things that car geeks go on and on about. Stiff suspensions, gaudy exhausts, flared fenders, and tacky spoilers. The Ghost honours its appellation. Driven properly, the Ghost will glide through esses and switchbacks, undulating with elevation changes, with the silken flow of a spirit, a spectre. Push the throttle deep into the soft wool carpets: breathe, brake, push deeper still, breathe, brake, push… the Ghost can be set into a rhythmic pulse of power, pace, and grace like no other vehicle can. It is, simply put, ethereal. It should be, given that the Planar Suspension System — which took engineers ten collective years to perfect — does indeed produce the sensation of flight on land.
This is magnificence in a way intended for potentates and kleptocrats, but available to anyone with the will and determination to get themselves a Rolls-Royce. With nearly 600-hp clawing at the earth through all four wheels, it’s unseemly to say but, the Ghost Series II Black Badge is scintillatingly rapid.
All that said, there’s nowhere to drive fast here and having your Ghost in impounded is not ideal, to say the least. So, for most North American owners, pleasure will be found in the details — and this is where Rolls-Royce shines; the Ghost can deliver like never before. With an expansion of Rolls-Royce’s truly bespoke offerings to the new Ghost, the vehicle is more Phantom than not. Bespoke marquetry, paint, trim, etc… the Ghost can now deliver your wildest design phantasy.
We only need to say that your desire can be realized. No need to go into details — as they should be bespoke, anyway — so go to your nearest Rolls-Royce showroom and find out what you can create. That said, the Duality Twill is a very compelling and arresting interior option that represents some mad amount of stitching and thread options. Tone-on-tone is how we would do it, but you’ll do you (and that’s the point!). Suffice it to say, it’s unique in the automotive industry, as the imagery accompanying this story clearly conveys.
Perhaps the greatest delight of a motorcar like the Ghost and Ghost Black Badge is that there’s enough depth of detail, craft, engineering, and design that you can discover something new all the time. Immerse yourself in your vision through the bespoke options, and you have a uniquely personal and interesting companion for years or decades to come. Your Ghost will always be the pinnacle of automotive artistry and driving enjoyment — now and forever.
Ghost Series II MSRP: CA$418,900, Black Badge Ghost Series II MSRP: CA$495,600.
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