As gasoline prices rise, and buyers of gas-powered cars look to EVs to save their wallets, super-very-the rich have a new electric salvation of their own. Rolls-Royce has released a statement on its latest model, and Project Nightingale will do little to quell suspicions of excess among cars priced beyond the reach of most people.
Technology comes as standard, of course, although by Rolls-Royce standards this is a wild car. Fully electric, it is built on the same Architecture of Luxury spaceframe as the automaker’s flagship Phantom sedan. And it’s about the same size: 18.9 feet wide. Instead of the Phantom’s open two-row cabin, the droptop Project Nightingale spreads its entire scale into just two living spaces.
Rolls-Royce
It’s not even a big interior, actually, with Rolls-Royce claiming that it’s been completely redesigned. Best of all is the enlarged hood and tail, each large enough to make the convertible’s 24-inch wheels – the largest ever fitted to a production Rolls-Royce, at least – look ordinary by comparison.
Tips from the past with today’s powertrain
Rolls-Royce name-checks the ‘EX’ test cars of the 1920s as part of the design inspiration for Project Nightingale, specifically the 16EX and 17EX models. Both based on the Phantom of their era, the sport-oriented one-offs paired lightweight bodies with increased horsepower. Flash forward to 2016, and the Rolls-Royce 103EX concept took an even more aggressive – and electric – approach to heft removal, removing much of the traditional bodywork.
Rolls-Royce
In comparison, Project Nightingale has fewer spaces but no shortage of presence. The front fenders of the 103EX are sharply straight, the grille and little else, the lights thickening into straight vertical pieces. Rolls-Royce describes it as “complete, monolithic beauty,” and the effect undoubtedly contrasts with the rear-end like the 2021 Super-exclusive Boat Tail. Somehow, though, it all works.
Rolls-Royce
Royce himself called the 16EX “a car with fizz.” The automaker doesn’t say how much “fizz” Project Nightingale will have – technical details will be revealed closer to the arrival of the first cars in 2028 – although, given the Specter packs 577 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, it’s hard to imagine that these very special EVs deliver less.
Not only can you not afford it, you probably can’t get an invite
As always, it’s the details where things go wrong. The trunk opens at the sides, leaning like the lid of a grand piano; The 10,500 embedded “stars” in the cabinet shine in eerie waves inspired by the song of real nightingales.
Rolls-Royce
Individual completions will depend on the preferences of the 100 wealthy owners the automaker has invited to buy each car, but Rolls-Royce says it will be limited to this first Coachbuild collection rather than offered in anything more mainstream like the Cullinan or Ghost.
Rolls-Royce
If there’s one thing we can all take away, it’s probably that electrification is inevitable – even if it’s not environmental considerations that are forcing the problem. For many drivers now considering an EV, the idea of reducing dependence on gasoline is attractive. For Rolls-Royce customers, a long time away from the automaker’s massive 6.75-liter V12 engine, Project Nightingale’s striking distinction will no doubt appeal to even those devoted to interior heating.