This car is unlike any other on the road

Rolls-Royce has revealed its new Ghost Black Badge, a $745,000-plus ultra luxurious four-door.

Despite its high-price tag Rolls-Royce is seeing big interest from a new breed of buyer.

Ian Grant, Rolls-Royce sales manager for Asia-Pacific, says the Ghost has brought in a lot of first time, young buyers to the brand.

The average age for Ghost buyers in Australia is mid-to-late 30s according to Grant, which is well below the brand’s usual average age of mid-40s.

One of the youngest buyers in the region was only seven-years-old, who customised his own $1m-plus Phantom for his daily trip to school.

In Australia the predominantly young entrepreneurs are cashed up after lockdown and ready to put their own stamp on a new slice of ultra luxury.

“What we’re seeing these days is with less international travel people are spending more time in their local vicinity, and people are looking to upgrade what they have and I think that has played well into the luxury market,” says Grant.

Grant says that it’s rare for two Rolls-Royce vehicles to be alike with buyers always choosing to customise their vehicles.

Australian buyers are particularly taken with bright colours, shelling out extra cash to have a unique colour palette covering their ride.

Rolls-Royce has 44,000 colour options ready to go, but owners can create their own if they can’t find the exact hue in the vast selection. Grant says two-tone paint jobs are a hit at the moment with Ghost buyers.

A lot of the customisation work is about connecting the vehicle back to the owner’s family or their business, says Grant, and it’s more subtle than flash colours or hundreds of lights sown into the ceiling to mimic the night sky or even a back seat mini fridge with champagne flutes.

“It may be something as simple as putting the family crest into the headrest. In the past we have put some very detailed marquetry in the cars,” says Grant.

These bespoke creations mean that owners wait between nine months and two years for their vehicle after ordering it.

Rolls-Royce expects a sales boost with the introduction of the Black Badge edition of the Ghost.

“Black Badge has been doing tremendously well, one of the key areas for Black Badge is Australia. Already we’ve seen a sharp intake in Australia,” says Grant.

He expects the Black Badge should finish with about 30 per cent of Ghost sales in the country, which is one of the highest percentages in the world.

The Black Badge rides on giant 21-inch alloy-wheels and inside is adorned with wood components along with carbon and metallic thread laid out in a diamond pattern.

It’s more than just luxury, the Black Badge is powered by a 6.75-litre V12 engine making 441kW and 900Nm.

Rolls-Royce claims it can sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds, which is impressive for a machine weighing about 2500kg.

The British brand claims buyers choose the Black Badge for its extra power with many choosing to drive it themselves rather than be chauffeured.

Originally published as Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge lands in Australia