Rolls-Royce Project Nightingale: A $9.5 Million Electric Convertible, Sold Out Before It’s Built

Rolls-Royce unveiled Project Nightingale on April 15, 2026, a fully electric two-seat open-top convertible priced at approximately £7 million (around $9.5 million USD) and limited to 100 units. The car is the first entry in the company’s new Coachbuild Collection, a limited-production tier sitting above its existing bespoke one-off program. All 100 units are already committed, with first deliveries scheduled for 2028, and the design is not fully resolved: a handful of details require manufacturing techniques that are still under development.

Project Nightingale Runs the Spectre Powertrain in a Much Longer Body

Project Nightingale shares its electric drivetrain with the Rolls-Royce Spectre, the marque’s first production EV. Twin electric motors produce 577 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, powered by a 102 kWh battery. The Spectre, in standard trim on 22-inch wheels, carries an EPA-estimated range of 291 miles and peaks at 195 kW DC charging, covering 10 to 80 percent in 34 minutes. No EPA range figure exists for the Nightingale, and Rolls-Royce has not offered one. The open-top, longer body carries different aerodynamics than the Spectre coupe, so the Spectre’s 291-mile figure will not transfer directly.

At 226.8 inches end to end, the Nightingale matches the Phantom sedan in overall length, roughly the same footprint as a Cadillac Escalade ESV. The front grille spans over three feet wide, carved from solid aluminum with 24 vertical veins. Twenty-four-inch wheels, a raised convertible soft top, and bodywork drawn from Rolls-Royce’s streamline design language complete the exterior. The company cites its 1920s EX-series experimental cars as the direct design reference.

Starlight Breeze, Sound Waves, and a French Riviera Address

The interior ceiling feature, which Rolls-Royce calls the Starlight Breeze suite, uses 10,500 individual LED elements arranged in a horseshoe pattern based on the visual waveform of a nightingale’s song. Door ambient lighting follows the same sound-wave motif. The color scheme runs to pastel Charles Blue seating, Grace White accents, and Peony Pink details in the fascia. The name itself comes from “Le Rossignol,” French for “the nightingale,” the name of the designers’ house near Henry Royce’s winter home on the Côte d’Azur.

The Coachbuild Collection Is a New Tier Between One-Offs and the Standard Catalog

Rolls-Royce’s existing coachbuild division produces one-of-one cars (the Boat Tail, the Sweptail, the Droptail) at prices reaching well into the tens of millions. The Coachbuild Collection inserts a new band below those: limited runs of around 100 units, still fully bespoke in finish, but built around a shared design architecture. The final price per car will climb above the $9.5 million entry figure after personalization. Buyers also receive behind-the-scenes access to design and testing and a schedule of curated events before their car is built.

EVXL’s Take

The timing is striking. Less than four weeks ago, Rolls-Royce dropped its 2030 all-electric pledge after Spectre sales fell 47 percent year-over-year and the EV’s share of total Rolls-Royce volume collapsed from 33 percent in 2024 to 17.7 percent. The brand could not move electric cars at $420,000 to $500,000 a copy. Here is a $9.5 million electric car, sold out before a wheel has turned.

These are not the same market. A Spectre buyer at half a million dollars is still comparing alternatives — a Bentley Flying Spur, a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, even a well-optioned Cullinan. Range, charging infrastructure, and resale value enter the calculation. A Nightingale client at $9.5 million before personalization is not comparing anything. The purchase is a patronage relationship. Electric power works at that level not because of efficiency but because its silence and smoothness fit what Rolls-Royce sells to that buyer. The brand’s electrification problem is a volume problem, not a product problem.

I haven’t driven the Nightingale, and no one outside Goodwood has. What I want to see before forming a firmer view: the actual EPA rating when it arrives, and whether the open-top configuration costs 30 miles or 80 miles against the Spectre baseline. Rolls-Royce will not offer that figure voluntarily if it is unflattering. By 2028, buyers will know what they actually got.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Rolls-Royce Project Nightingale?

Project Nightingale is a fully electric, two-seat open-top convertible from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, limited to 100 units and priced starting at approximately $9.5 million USD. It is the first car in Rolls-Royce’s new Coachbuild Collection program.

What powertrain does the Rolls-Royce Nightingale use?

The Nightingale shares its drivetrain with the Rolls-Royce Spectre: twin electric motors producing 577 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 102 kWh battery. Rolls-Royce has not released an EPA range estimate for the Nightingale.

When will the Rolls-Royce Nightingale be delivered?

Rolls-Royce says first customer deliveries are scheduled for 2028. All 100 units are already committed.

What is the Rolls-Royce Coachbuild Collection?

The Coachbuild Collection is a new Rolls-Royce program producing limited runs of around 100 bespoke vehicles per model. It sits between the company’s one-of-one coachbuild cars (Boat Tail, Droptail) and the standard model lineup in terms of exclusivity and price.

EVXL uses automated tools to support research and source retrieval. All reporting and editorial perspectives are by Haye Kesteloo.