Rolls-Royce Project Nightingale is a 100 unit electric drop-top for the ultra-rich
Only 100 examples of the fully electric, hand-built Rolls-Royce Project Nightingale will be made with deliveries from 2028 and a price that makes a Bugatti look like a bargain.
Shane Riley
Key takeaways
- Rolls-Royce Project Nightingale is a 100-unit electric coachbuild convertible
- 5.76-metre two-seater with 24-inch wheels and Art Deco-inspired design
- Invitation-only, deliveries from 2028, price undisclosed but hypercar territory
Rolls-Royce has unveiled Project Nightingale, the first model from its new Coachbuild Collection - a limited run of 100 hand-built, fully electric open-top motor cars available by invitation only. Global testing begins this European summer, with client deliveries commencing from 2028.
What is the Rolls-Royce Project Nightingale?
At 5.76 metres long, Project Nightingale matches the Rolls-Royce Phantom in length - yet it seats just two people. The rest is sculpture. Riding on the same Architecture of Luxury aluminium spaceframe as the Rolls-Royce Spectre, it uses a fully electric drivetrain producing at least 577hp, though Rolls-Royce hasn't confirmed final figures yet.
The design draws on Streamline Moderne principles from the Art Deco era, inspired by two experimental Rolls-Royce prototypes from 1928 - 16EX and 17EX - torpedo-shaped speed machines built to exceed 90mph. The result is a car that is almost entirely bonnet and tail, with a compact two-seat cabin set deep within the body.
Up front, the Pantheon Grille spans nearly a metre wide and appears carved from a solid block of stainless steel, housing 24 vertical vanes. Because there's no combustion engine requiring cooling, designers achieved vast uninterrupted body surfaces across the front - something never before possible on a Rolls-Royce. The headlamps are ultra-slim vertical assemblies that Rolls-Royce says are impossible to replicate at scale. Polished stainless-steel bands run the full length of the car from those headlamps to the tail lamps.
Rolls-Royce Project Nightingale specs and design
| Specification | Detail |
| Length | 5,760mm |
| Seating | 2 |
| Drivetrain | Fully electric |
| Wheels | 24-inch (largest ever on a Rolls-Royce) |
| Roof | Retractable soft top |
| Units | 100 worldwide |
| Deliveries | From 2028 |
The interior replaces Rolls-Royce's famous Starlight Headliner - impractical without a fixed roof - with the Starlight Breeze suite: 10,500 individual LED stars set into the door panels and the wraparound horseshoe panel behind the seats. The pattern was derived from analysing the soundwaves of an actual nightingale's song. Every surface detail has been treated like jewellery, from the faceted rotary controller to billet-machined aluminium cupholders.
The exterior shown at launch is finished in Côte d'Azur Blue - a pale solid blue infused with subtle red flakes that emerge in changing light, paying tribute to the red badges worn by those 1920s experimental prototypes. The interior pairs pastel Charles Blue leather with Grace White accents, Deep Navy seat inserts, and flashes of Peony Pink.
Coachbuild Collection pricing and availability
No price has been confirmed and don't expect one soon - Rolls-Royce CEO Chris Brownridge described talking price as "rude." For context, Rolls-Royce one-off commissions have reportedly fetched upwards of USD$30 million. A Bugatti Tourbillon starts at around USD$4 million. Project Nightingale sits somewhere in that orbit, or above it.
Each of the 100 cars will be hand-built to individual client specifications at Goodwood, England. Entry to the Coachbuild Collection is invitation only, and reportedly most allocations are already spoken for.
For buyers at this level, Project Nightingale isn't transport - it's a statement that no production car can match.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Rolls-Royce Project Nightingale cost?
No official price has been released. Based on comparable Rolls-Royce limited editions and ultra-luxury rivals like the Bugatti Tourbillon, expect a figure well into the multi-millions of US dollars.
How many Rolls-Royce Project Nightingales will be made?
Just 100 examples worldwide, each hand-built at Rolls-Royce's Goodwood factory in England. Deliveries begin from 2028.
Is the Rolls-Royce Project Nightingale electric?
Yes - it uses Rolls-Royce's fully electric drivetrain, the same system that underpins the Spectre coupe, producing at least 577hp. Final engineering details will be confirmed as testing progresses.
