ROLLS-ROYCE BEGINS TESTING OF ITS NEW $10 MILLION CAR

Rolls-Royce has begun global testing of Project Nightingale, an exclusive all-electric, open-top model being developed as part of the company’s Coachbuild programme.

TESTING ALL AROUND THE WORLD The testing programme will amount to a collective 350 weeks and expose prototypes to a wide range of conditions. Trials begin in Southern Europe before moving to colder and more extreme environments, including the Arctic Circle and the Arabian Peninsula. Engineers will asses the car's durability, performance, and refinement, with high-speed testing reaching up to 155mph (249km/h).

Attention will be especially paid to aerodynamics and wind noise, an important challenge for an open-top electric car where there is little engine noise to mask sounds from the surrounding air.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL Rolls-Royce will also test some of Nightingale’s more unusual features. Its electrically operated wind deflector will be assessed in different weather conditions, while the roof will undergo tests at temperatures reaching 80°C. Even the car’s distinctive “Piano Boot” luggage compartment will face extensive durability testing, including as many as 15,000 opening and closing cycles.

Project Nightingale takes inspiration from Rolls-Royce experimental cars of the 1920s while combining that heritage with a modern electric drivetrain. With production limited to 100 cars and deliveries due to begin in 2028, the start of testing brings Project Nightingale another step closer to reaching customers.