Rolls-Royce unveils EV flagship of new bespoke line as demand for exclusive cars hits record

[GOODWOOD, UK] Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveiled the first model of its Coachbuild Collection – a new series of limited-edition cars – on Tuesday (Apr 14).

With deliveries expected in 2028, the car’s name has not been finalised but its codename is Project Nightingale. It is a 5.8-metre long fully electric two-seat coupe with design inspired by Art Deco era streamliners and Rolls-Royce’s experimental models of the 1920s.

A limited edition batch of 100 units is already sold out. The British carmaker declined to comment on the cost of each car, but industry estimates indicate a price of at least £10 million (S$17.1 million).

The Coachbuild Collection is a new series of exclusive cars as Rolls-Royce further diversifies its offerings of such automobiles to meet the growing demand for such cars and experiential luxury.

Chris Brownridge, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, told The Business Times that the company is seeing “a continuing growth of demand” for more complex and ambitious commissions from its clients.

“This is so wherever you are in the world and whether the economy is strong or not… one thing is constant: The demand for more meaningful commissions is growing every year,” he said at the company’s headquarters in Goodwood, UK.

Different levels of bespoke cars

The move comes as demand for Rolls-Royce’s customised automobiles reached record levels in 2025, and it is expanding its offerings and capacity to suit.

In the ultra-luxury automobile sector, standard production models can be customised with different paint or wheels, for example, from a catalogue.

Bespoke cars take this further, for they can range from standard cars with personalised interiors and paint, to one-off machines that are completely different and unique.

As such, the pricing for bespoke models ranges from a small premium over standard models, to as much as 30 or 40 times the cost.

For Rolls-Royce, the bespoke spectrum begins with relatively modest customisations at a dealership level. Above this are invite-only cars from the brand’s Private Offices, and finally those offered by its Goodwood headquarters.

Private Office cars are designed with clients or the brand itself, and allow for unique materials, custom colours and even personalised themes. One such car, the Phantom Centenary Edition, launched in October 2025 and was estimated to cost between S$6 million and S$9 million.

The first Private Office was established in 2022 in Dubai. Now there are five globally with two in Asia – in Shanghai and Seoul.

At the most exclusive and luxurious end of the bespoke scale are Coachbuild cars, which are entirely unique, one-off machines offered to the brand’s most loyal customers. Designed by the client in consultation with the company at its headquarters, they can cost tens of millions.

In 2024, Singapore automotive tycoon Karsono Kwee – head of the Eurokars Group and a Rolls-Royce dealer – took delivery of a Coachbuild car, the Arcadia Droptail. It was reported to cost around £20 million, making it one of the most expensive new cars in the world.

The Coachbuild Collection will sit just below Coachbuild models. As Project Nightingale shows, they will be significantly different from production models, but designed mostly by Rolls-Royce itself with some input from clients.

“Instead of the client designing the motor car, we do it… and it’s really an opportunity for us to showcase what we can do,” explained Brownridge.

He did not confirm how often such cars will be made, but said that they will remain “rare and special”, pointing out that they require years to develop.

Luxury is also experience

Rolls-Royce is also bolstering the luxury experience to match the car.

Clients will be invited to various experiences related to the car, such as seeing its development at closed testing facilities and inside Rolls-Royce’s design studios.

Brownridge emphasised these activities as an important part of the ultra-luxury experience.

“What we can see in every region of the world is that the demand for luxury is not just the object, it’s the journey and the experience. The object itself is more rewarding when it becomes more resonant with the individual,” he said.

The ultra-luxury carmaker has been part of the BMW Group since 2003. Observers say that per car, Rolls-Royce is among the most profitable in the auto industry.

The company began making its first Coachbuild cars in 2017. They have since become a core part of its business and, industry experts say, the carmaker’s most profitable segment.

Rolls-Royce said that demand for its bespoke products increased by 10 per cent year on year in 2025 to a record high, and this followed a similar 10 per cent increase in 2024.

This was as its 2025 deliveries remained nearly flat, falling less than 1 per cent to 5,664 vehicles.

“The whole Rolls-Royce business model is creating motor cars for individuals. And so one bespoke demand, which is what we call Rolls-Royce client commissions, is growing,” said Brownridge.

“(Demand) is strengthening every year in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in Japan,” he added, noting that two of its five Private Offices are in the region.

The company is also expanding to help meet this demand.

In January 2025, Rolls-Royce announced a £300 million expansion of its headquarters and factory in Goodwood, UK, scheduled to be complete in 2029. This will increase the carmaker’s capacity for bespoke cars and EVs, and includes a new paint shop.

But while demand for these cars is increasing, that does not mean you will see a Rolls-Royce on every corner of the street any time soon.

“We are not interested in volume. We are interested in value, and (the new collection) is precisely the right type of initiative for a brand like Rolls-Royce,” said Brownridge.