2023 Rolls Royce Phantom and Ghost Black Badge Quick Drive: Top-Shelf Luxury, Two Different Flavors

One thing's for sure: These cars are very, very, very nice. Did we mention they're nice? This won't come as news, but Rolls-Royce only builds automobiles that float into a higher stratum than your typical luxury car. With respect to the fantastic Cullinan SUV, we just had back-to-back seat time in Rolls-Royce sedans crafted in classic form: the Ghost and the Phantom. Although both are plainly sublime, the experience each delivers is distinctive. Read on as we expound on the nuances of what may well be the world's most cosseting vehicles.

How preposterous to think the Ghost could be considered Goodwood's entry-level sedan, but somehow it is. Riding on a 127.9-inch wheelbase, the body stretches 218.3 inches from gleaming grille to tailpipe, each measuring in excess of those on the redesigned 2023 BMW 7 Series—that one being the longest in the model's history. On the subject, we'll reiterate that the Ghost is not based on a modified BMW platform as it once was. Like the Phantom, it's built on Rolls-Royce's bespoke Architecture of Luxury.

Given how much the Ghost costs, it had better not borrow from the parts bin. Prices begin at a trifle below $400,000, and, as nearly every Roller is, the example we drove was richly optioned. That included $10,775 individual second-row seats, enhanced by a $2,000 ventilation system and $5,575 picnic tables. Sinister $15,900 Burnout Grey paint was enlivened by $1,925 Tailored Purple pinstriping, colors likewise applied to the wheels for $3,925.

Crucially, this Ghost was equipped in Black Badge specification, essentially Rolls-Royce's interpretation of a performance package. It swaps traditional silver chrome brightwork for black and alters the driving dynamics (which we'll get to). Black Badge adds $43,850 to the bottom line—that being, in this case, $492,250.

Grandiose the Ghost may be, but the Phantom is more so. Spanning 227.2 inches over a 139.8-inch wheelbase, it is enormous—and this isn't even the extended-wheelbase version. Prices start at about a Dom Perignon bottle shy of $480,000. If you thought the aforementioned Ghost had abundant options, get a load of this. Here, individual rear seats are a $19,075 ask before the $2,000 ventilation function and $6,325 elevating footrests. Rear entertainment screens for $14,525 play through a $11,950 audio system. Every Phantom has a Gallery, something of an art exhibit built into the dashboard. This one contained an intricate metal latticework dubbed "Ruthenium Bloom"—$22,000.

Although this Phantom was finished in no-cost Dark Emerald paint, its extra-cost exterior jewelry included $5,475 chrome-plated exhaust tips and an uplit Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament for $4,950. Most delightful was the $13,000 set of 22-inch disc wheels, which indubitably rank among the dopest rims in automotive history. All told, this particular Phantom commanded $651,450.

Prior to the debut of the electric Spectre, only a V-12 engine could suffice for a Rolls of today. This ubiquitous mill displaces 6.75 litres—that is, liters—and is induced by two turbochargres—pardon, turbochargers. In the Ghost Black Badge, its 591 hp and 663 lb-ft of torque are increases of 29 hp and 37 lb-ft over the standard Ghost. That makes it more powerful than the Phantom, which spins out 563 hp and 664 lb-ft. The V-12 is married to an eight-speed automatic transmission that uses GPS data to optimize shift points and drives the rear wheels in the Phantom and all four in the Ghost.

The engine revolves with impeccable smoothness, only emitting a scintilla of noise and vibration that evinces something is happening under that long, long hood. Any difference in output is not what's discernible, but how it's delivered. In both, torque pours out in a way that's been rightfully compared to electric motors but could just as soon emit from some sort of radioactive meteorite. It's that otherworldly.

When you press the accelerator in the Phantom, it's not so much that it pulls forward, but a decline appears ahead of you and the car begins to roll by the pure force of gravity. This action produces more ready movements in the Ghost Black Badge, but to suggest it's eager would be misguided. Even so, the deeper reaches of the pedal swift each ahead with authority. Estimate a 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds for the Ghost Black Badge and a second more for the Phantom.

Steering either of these cars is delectable. The diameter of the wheel in both is quite large, but the rim is hardly thicker than your thumb. This allows for an easy, casual grip, letting you sweep to and fro with effort similar to stirring molten fudge. Despite the ease, it's not as if you're disconnected from the proceedings. Although the wheel transmits little sensation and its ratio is quite slow, it's reasonably direct. Still, hustling either car through a bend necessitates small corrections against the body's motions and heft.

Here we arrive at a potential critique. Within a few turns, it becomes evident that neither of these cars is sporty or fun in the conventional sense. Such impulses wouldn't be tolerable. Yet in attempting to minimize roll, Black Badge brings a tune to the air suspension that's a bit brittle. It absorbs large impacts with aplomb, but the setup seems to find subtle textures in the road, thus undoing the notion that the Ghost hovers above the surface—an unseemly reminder of earthly realities. Moreover, the Ghost Black Badge's seat cushioning felt noticeably firmer than that in the Phantom.

Ah, the Phantom. In this virtuous leviathan, bothers fade away. Sink into the seat, power the door shut, and sounds from the world around disappear. It covers ground with unimpeachable finesse, ​​reacting to undulations and textures as if they are upwellings of warm air—perhaps vaguely noticeable yet never enough to perturb its glide. Coping with the sheer size of the Phantom can be intimidating, although its rear steering system makes its largesse more manageable. Otherwise, the Phantom is a monument of comfort, a retreat of relaxation that transports you to different, better places—literally, and figuratively.

How remarkable it is that Rolls-Royce creates a pair of vehicles that hold true to the brand's promise yet deliver such unique impressions. Splendor, comfort, and refinement—not to mention traffic-halting presence—are indelible aspects of the Phantom and Ghost. But to capriciously spring for one or the other would be unwise. Conjure your Ghost in Black Badge specification if you want a superb luxury car that still invites you to connect with it, even if it lacks ultimate placidity. Commission the Phantom if you seek pure tranquility but recognize that perhaps the very point of doing so is to disengage. Either way, these magnificent cars remain without parallel—aside from, perhaps, each other.