Rolls-Royce has just unveiled Project Nightingale – its second electric car after the Spectre, which the company is building to order for discerning customers who enjoy driving with the top down.
This is a luxury convertible of epic proportions, with uninterrupted sweeping lines and dramatic Art Deco-inspired design elements. The limited-edition model draws from the British automaker’s own Jazz Age experimental cars from the 1920s, and I spot some similarities to the ultra-expensive 2021 Boat Tail toward the rear end.
Measuring an enormous 227 inches (5.76 m) in length, the Nightingale is all about presence and glamor. It’s as long as the brand’s Phantom saloon, and longer even than a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class – but only seats two.
Project Nightingale | A Coachbuild Collection
There’s a lot to geek out over if you’re into Rolls-Royce styling. The biggest detail is the imposing stainless steel Pantheon grille with 24 vertical vanes gracing the front, complemented by modern slender vertical headlamps.
Rolls-Royce
From the side, you’ll notice a single continuous hull line running along the length of the car, not unlike on a yacht. The company says this high-set line “creates the sensation of being enveloped deep inside the motor car.” The 24-inch wheels – the largest ever on a Rolls-Royce – add to that.
Rolls-Royce
The door handles feature hidden lock mechanisms, and I honestly cannot spot the integrated indicator lamps in photos – how’s that for discreet?
Rolls-Royce
The back is equally breathtaking, with its sloping torpedo shape and stunning steel-gilded tail lamps that protrude past the rear bodywork with sharp edges. The Piano Boot, as it’s called, has an additional brake light, and this trunk lid opens sideways for dramatic effect. You’ll also find a carbon fiber apron and bodywork toward the bottom, as well as a lower transom diffuser that negates the need for a spoiler to ensure stability at high speeds.
Rolls-Royce
Of course you’re gonna want to look inside. Soft pastel-toned leather seats are complemented by color-matched door panels and a center console. There’s also a flowing constellation of 10,500 individual lights in different sizes for ambient illumination around the doors and seats. Its pattern is said to be drawn from the soundwave forms of nightingales’ birdsong that the designers heard while driving an early prototype of the car.
The central armrest slides open when you push a button to reveal the Spirit of Ecstasy rotary controller, as well as cupholders and a compartment for small items. Small pieces of luggage can go on a little shelf behind the seats.
Rolls-Royce
This is part of the brand’s new Coachbuild Collection, which means your car will be crafted to your exact specifications with, as CEO Chris Brownridge put it, an “extraordinary behind-the-scenes experience” picking what goes into your build. It’s by invitation only, and Rolls-Royce will only make a hundred of these, and Bloomberg‘s Hannah Elliott noted in its coverage that it’ll cost somewhere around US$3.5 million.
Rolls-Royce
The company hasn’t yet detailed the powertrain’s specifications, nor what sort of electronics you can expect in the cabin. That’s not a problem for its target audience. It’s been developing Project Nightingale in secret for a while now, and accepted initial bookings back in 2024 before those folks even got a look at the thing.
Beyond the cap on its production run, it’ll get a bespoke color palette for the exterior paint and interiors, making each car a truly rare thing of beauty.
Source: Rolls-Royce