Rolls-Royce Nightingale is a six-metre-long electrical cabriolet that prices a cool £3.5million

Rolls-Royce has unveiled a stunning new £3.5million open-top two-seater electric limousine called Nightingale – its first EV cabriolet.

Only 100 of the individually personalised battery-powered Rolls-Royce are being built to order for the British luxury car-firm’s super-rich clients around the world – and the Daily Mail and This is Money is among the first to have seen it in the metal.

Riding on vast 24-inch wheels – the largest ever fitted to a Rolls-Royce – the imposing but elegant 5.76-metre-long two-door drop-top with its torpedo-shaped profile and yacht-like features promise the ultimate in wind-in-the hair motoring with a distinctly nautical air.

And thanks to the near silent electric power it is so quiet inside – even with the roof down – you can hear birdsong.

Nightingale draws its inspiration from the glamorous and aerodynamically sleek open-topped luxury touring cars of the art deco and jazz age 1920s and ’30s which cruised around the French Riveria, as well as from Rolls-Royce’s early experimental or ‘EX’ cars.

It also harks back to a time when the fashion was for wealthy customers to buy a Rolls-Royce chassis and then commission a specialist coachbuilder to design and fit a bespoke body designed to their specification.

In its modern 21st century incarnation, the Nightingale project marks the beginning of Rolls-Royce’s new ‘Coachbuild Collection’ series – an exclusive limited run of specially created and ‘never to be repeated’ cars designed by the car-maker which clients can then individually customise with a high degree of bespoke personalisation.

The entire Nightingale run of 100 cars, each coachbuilt by hand, is worth around £350million in total to the luxury UK motor manufacturer which, since 1 January 2003, has been under the stewardship of German owners BMW.

Global testing gets underway this summer with first customer deliveries beginning from 2028.

But even if you win the lottery, you won’t be able buy one; ownership is ‘by invitation-only’ and restricted to long-standing ‘design literate’ customers with ‘a deep affinity’ to the Rolls-Royce marque. 

They will take part in events and gatherings around the world as they customise their cars and visit Goodwood to see first-hand the engineering and craftsmanship that underpins it.

It comes as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars massively expands its boutique factory at Goodwood in a £300million building project to cater for the boom in bespoke cars for the super-rich. 

I spent time with the car and exploring the new extension on an exclusive pre-launch visit to Goodwood ahead of the unveiling.

The new car takes its name from Le Rossignol – French for nightingale – which was the name of the designers’ house at Rolls-Royce founder Henry Royce’s Riviera estate and winter home on the Côte d’Azur in the South of France.

Rolls-Royce said that many of the collectors who inspired the Coachbuild Collections programme are existing owners of the firm’s first electric car – the Spectre fastback coupe – ‘who celebrate how its electric powertrain elevates the Rolls-Royce experience’.

Size matters

At 5.76 metres, Nightingale is almost exactly the same length as a standard flagship Rolls-Royce Phantom limousine – and significantly longer than a Ghost (5.4 metres) and a Spectre (5.5 metres) – with the vast expanse of flowing space devoted entirely to a sleek two-seater convertible form.

Constructed using Rolls-Royce’s aluminium spaceframe, the monolithic Nightingale appears to have been carved from a single, solid piece of metal.

At a stately 2 metres wide and 1.6 metres high – with a wheelbase of 3.2 metres – it is expected to weigh around 2.5 tonnes.

Electric elegance  

Nightingale is powered by a variant of Rolls-Royce’s fully electric drivetrain – first deployed in the all-electric Spectre fastback coupe.

Although Rolls-Royce said it was too early to give performance details, expect an all-wheel drive powertrain developing around 600hp to 650hp delivering acceleration from 0-62mph of around 4.5 seconds up to a top speed governed at 155mph.

The company noted: ‘The silent and effortless delivery of power amplifies every characteristic that has defined the Rolls-Royce experience for more than a century, and the nature of this powertrain unlocks completely new design possibilities.’

Bold front and light fantastic

The bold and commanding Rolls-Royce Pantheon grille with its generous surround – almost a metre in width – appears to be carved from a solid block of aluminium, with 24 vertical air vanes set deep within.

One of the most dramatic design elements are the slim vertical headlamps dropping down either side of the grille at the outermost edges of each wing. From the bottom of these headlamps polished stainless-steel bands run the full length of the car to meet the thin slightly angled red tail-lights at the rear.

The Spirit of Ecstasy or ‘Flying Lady’ figurine is integrated into the top of the grille in a subtly recessed section whose lines flow backwards and dissolve into the bonnet ‘as though the figurine is moving at speed through water with the metalwork parting gently around her’.

A carbon fibre apron below creates the effect that the grille is set on top of a plinth. It is a nod to Art Deco skyscrapers – like New York’s Chrysler Building – whose decorative uppermost floors are supported by solid geometric blocks beneath them.

We are sailing  

From above, Nightingale looks like a vast yacht with fore and aft decks.

A single ‘hull line ‘runs continuously from front to rear along the length of Nightingale and is inspired by the line that separates a yacht’s hull from its superstructure.

A second lower polished stainless-steel band near the rear wheels evokes the gentle white water of a sailing yacht’s wake.

Two aerodynamic bumps or blisters directly behind the behind the driver and passenger headrests help protect against the elements.

Torpedo-shaped profile  

The full impact of Nightingale’s torpedo-shaped design is revealed best in side profile.

Here an expansive bonnet leads to the dramatically raked windscreen with a stainless-steel frame which also houses a delicate quarterlight windows inspired by the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé.

The compact two-seat cabin is set deep within the body of the car – behind the vast bonnet and in front of the sloping rear deck which falls and tapers towards a dramatically low trailing edge.

Rolls-Royce said: ‘This is a motor car that is almost entirely bonnet and tail, its two-seat cabin an intimate counterpoint to the grandeur of the volumes surrounding it.’

Wheel presence 

Nightingale’s giant 24-inch wheels – the largest fitted to a Rolls-Royce – feature a directional design inspired by the propellers of a yacht viewed from beneath the waterline.

They appear to be in continuous motion even when the car is stationary while machined stripes create the impression of wire wheel spokes moving at speed.

Aluminium flakes within the black finish introduce a delicate sparkle as the wheel turns.

Putting the boot in 

The rear ‘Piano Boot’ opens sideways on a cantilever – echoing the ceremony of a grand piano while transforming a routine function into a performance.

A single narrow brake lamp sits directly at the centreline on the rear deck, pointing downwards.

Aerodynamic styling and a carbon fibre ‘Aero Afterdeck’ ensures stability at high speed without the need for a spoiler.

A recessed chrome number plate surround is set ‘with the precision of a watch bezel’.

Hitting the roof 

The fabric roof can be raised into place from the rear if the weather turns against open top driving – giving Nightingale a coupé-like presence.

Within the roof itself, a unique sound-deadening material combines cashmere, fabric and high-performance composites.

With the roof lowered, Rolls-Royce engineers said near-silent sensation of driving all-electric Nightingale was akin to travelling by sailing yacht, noting: ‘The fully electric drivetrain generates virtually no mechanical noise, and wind noise is all but eliminated.’

That leaves occupants to savour their surroundings – from the sound of ocean waves breaking on the shore to the chorus of birdsong.

Rolls-Royce said: ‘The acoustic engineers aim to achieve an exceptionally serene experience whether the soft top roof is raised or lowered, while still preserving the sounds that enhance the romance of driving – such as raindrops on canvas.’

Indeed, hearing birdsong ‘with unusual clarity’ on early test drives, prompted designers to analyse the distinctive sound-wave patterns created by nightingale song and use this to create an interior illumination called Starlight Breeze comprising 10,500 individual ‘stars’ which extend from the front of each door and wraps around the driver and passenger’s seat,

Electric glide in blue 

Nightingale customers will be able to choose from an entirely new set of colour and material palettes and bespoke features which are reserved exclusively for this specific Coachbuild Collection series and will not be available on any other Rolls-Royce motor car.

The first demonstration Nightingale shown today uses a pale solid blue exterior paint finish that draws inspiration from the experimental Rolls-Royce 17EX of 1928. 

It is infused with subtle red flakes that reveal themselves in changing light – a discreet reference to the red badges fitted to past ‘EX’ motor cars.

A silver-coloured convertible soft-top roof completes the picture.

Sumptuous interior for two 

Inside, the sumptuous seats are finished in soft pastel Charles Blue, paired with a warm Grace White tone, to create an environment of gentle, sunlit calm designed to evoke the atmosphere of the Côte d’Azur.

Deep Navy seat inserts create contrast and depth.

The fascia surround and headrests features delicate flashes of Peony Pink inspired by the wild blooms of the Riviera.

Openpore Blackwood veneer laid in a ‘V’ shape opens upwards to direct the eye to the sky above.

On opening the rear-hinged coach door to enter the car, the driver’s armrest glides automatically rearwards to reveal the Spirit of Ecstasy rotary controller. This has a tactile aluminium collar with four grooves and a look reminiscent of contemporary jewellery.

The jewelled treatment extends throughout the interior to the gear selector and remaining rotary controls – of which there are just five in total.

At the touch of a button, the armrest moves further to reveal a concealed compartment for personal items.

Polished aluminium cupholders add a further jewel-like accent.

A hidden shelf behind the seats includes space for hand luggage.

The handle for the coach doors incorporates a hidden lock mechanism and a discreetly integrated indicator lamp.

The elegant stainless-steel Rolls-Royce ‘Double R’ monogram appears on each front wing and in the centre of the luggage compartment.

Torpedoes running – and all that jazz 

A key inspiration for Nightingale was Rolls-Royce’s high-speed experimental or ‘EX’ motor cars of the 1920s – in particular the torpedo-shaped 16EX and 17EX models – which were based on powerful Phantom chassis cloaked in lightweight aerodynamic aluminium bodies, reached speeds of more than 90 miles per hour, and were distinguished by their imposing scale, long bonnet, shallow windscreen and a snug, enveloping cabin for driver and companion.

Nightingale also embraces the spirit of Streamline Moderne design from the late Art Deco era.

Rolls-Royce said: ‘These motor cars were created in 1928, at the height of the Jazz Age, just three years after the Art Deco movement was given its name. They are some of the rarest and most desirable motor cars in the marque’s history.

It added: ‘Defined by grand proportions and underpinned with a fully electric drivetrain that delivers a uniquely silent open-top experience, Project Nightingale draws on the glamour and confidence of the 1920s and 1930s while remaining entirely of its time.’

Creating a coachbuilt heritage 

Landmark coachbuilt Rolls-Royces of recent years include: Sweptail in 2017; Boat Tail in 2021; and Droptail in 2023.

The one-off Rolls-Royce commission La Rose Noire – said to be the most expensive car in the world – cost a staggering £23million.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chief executive Chris Brownridge said Nightingale brought together ‘the design freedom of coachbuilding, our powerful, near-silent all-electric powertrain, and a uniquely potent yet serene expression of open-top motoring.’

Rolls-Royce noted: ‘Each of the 100 examples will be meticulously curated with its commissioning client to reflect their personal taste, character and vision.

‘In drawing on the experimental spirit of Henry Royce and the glamour of the Art Deco era, Nightingale is a motor car that looks to the past with the confidence of a marque that has always known its future.’