Ghost

Segment
Sedan

It's pretty hard to get more luxurious than a Rolls-Royce Ghost. The brand's four-door sedan is, for many, the high watermark. Someone evidently thinks differently. Rolls has its own Black Badge lineup for various models, which turns things up a notch above the standard Ghost. Still, if you've got "why not" money, Spofec has another option.

First, you've got to buy a Ghost Black Badge. Then, you'll hand it off to the German wizards at Spofec - a subsidiary of Novitec - who subtly update the exterior, as well as give the Ghost a bit more sauce. The result? 696 horsepower and 739 lb-ft of torque, up from the stock sedan's 591 hp and 664 lb-ft.

Those are, of course, just the headliners. There's much more to the Spofec Rolls than just that. Thanks to the new tune, Spofec claims a 0-62 mph sprint of just 4.3 seconds. However, Rolls' electronically limited 155 mph top speed stays, though we're sure someone else would be happy to fix that for you.

What's more surprising than the figures is how Spofec gets them. A simple engine tune is apparently all that's needed. Spofec says its tune adjusts timing and adds some more boost pressure to the V12's twin-turbo system to get the figures. No aftermarket parts, no installation hassle. However, for a bit more tone, Spofec does add a valved stainless steel exhaust of its own making with the choice of hidden tips.

On the outside, Spofec slightly updates the Ghost Black Badge with a new face to give it some more striking looks. We'd have to say it works and doesn't detract from the looks Rolls wanted when its designers penned the car. Spofec also adds new rocker panels (two are available for short and LWB cars), as well as a new lip spoiler on the trunk.

In addition to the rear aero, the German tuning firm updates the rear fascia in much the same way as the front. You might also have noticed the wheels are now different, with the tuner securing 22-inch items from Vossen shod in 265/35 and 295/30 rubber, front and rear. Various finishes and colors can be chosen as well. Spofec says it has 72 colors on offer.

Finally, Spofec rounds off changes to how the Ghost will handle with its own suspension setup for the Ghost's air suspension. It lowers the ride height by about 1.5 inches until the car reaches 86 mph when it raises again for ground clearance at speed.

Spofec doesn't make much mention of the interior (or pricing) but says that it will customize "the interior of the Black Badge Ghost according to the wishes of the owner," with a "virtually endless" variety of colors to choose from.

The results are, perhaps disappointingly, the same as Spofec's tune of the regular non-Black Badge Ghost, which begs the question of why you'd buy the Black Badge in the first place.