In the rarefied world of luxury automobiles, Rolls-Royce (BMW.DE) just upped the ante.
Enter the Nightingale, the inaugural entry in the automaker’s new Coachbuild Collection. It combines the nostalgia and grand motoring of massive land yachts of the past with drop-top motoring and 21st-century engineering. And we’re not talking about a V12 — the Nightingale is all-electric.
Rolls-Royce tends to be discreet, shall we say, about pricing, finding discussion of cost unmannerly. That being said, industry sources say the Nightingale’s price tag will be in the eye-watering $4 million to $5 million range, depending on options.
This puts it in a category of its own, filling what CEO Chris Brownridge describes as a “gap” between the brand’s standard portfolio and its unique commissions like the Boat Tail — a completely custom, client-commissioned car that Rolls produced only three versions of and cost $28 million.
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“Project Nightingale is the first Coachbuild Collection,” Brownridge explained from the Rolls-Royce Private Office in New York. “We designed the motor car, and we work with the clients to curate their particular coachbuilt motor car … It’s a real collector special Rolls-Royce.”
Clients come to the Rolls-Royce Private Office, rather than the dealership, to spec out special builds like the Nightingale. Think of Private Office more like a cushy lounge or club, with a comfortable living room, bar, and a mahogany-trimmed “office” area featuring leather samples and mini paint swatches in a myriad of colors, all molded like Rolls-Royce vehicles.
And the Nightingale will be exclusive — only 100 examples will be created worldwide, available by invitation only. Despite the staggering price and the shift to an all-electric drivetrain, the collection is already sold out. Brownridge said the company is seeing an “acceleration in demand for more complex commissions.”
Project Nightingale is built on the aluminum spaceframe (dubbed “architecture of luxury”) and powered by a fully electric, dual-motor powertrain. For some traditionalists, the move away from the V12 engine might be jarring, but for the Nightingale’s target audience, EV power is almost preferred.
The powertrain choice was “obvious” for a car of this stature, Brownridge said. “Can you imagine driving such an elaborate and extravagant motor car in complete silence? Absolutely no mechanical noise with the roof down,” he said, describing the experience as akin to “traveling by sailing yacht.”
The engineering takes advantage of the EV layout to refine the car’s “monolithic” aesthetic. Without the need for large cooling intakes, designers achieved uninterrupted expanses of surfacing on the front wings. The result is a nearly 20-foot-long, two-seat convertible that feels like a singular block of stainless steel, flowing to the elongated yet contoured rear end.
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