Rolls-Royce has created an exclusive new bespoke electric convertible under the codename Project Nightingale – but there are two reasons you probably can’t have one… it’ll cost £7m and you have to be invited by Rolls-Royce to get one. 

The company is ‘only’ building 100 of the coachbuilt cabrios, and they’ll be offered to lucky rich people who have a “deep affinity” for Rolls-Royce design. Whether that affinity comes with buying two Phantoms and a Cullinan first, we can’t be sure. 

Those aficionados will certainly appreciate what Rolls-Royce has termed a “dramatic new expression” of its design. The humongous metallic grille remains, but the headlights are upright and slim, while the long sweeping back end of the car has boat tail vibes. The electric-themed Spirit of Ecstasy is of course present up front.

Everything is predictably swish inside, with hidden compartments for valuables, sumptuous seating and a soft-top roof that uses cashmere as part of its sound deadening. 

The Project Nightingale cars might not be the most practical for everyday use – the two-seater is exactly the same length as the company's flagship Phantom limousine at a 5.76m long. The company also says that the 26in wheels that will be fitted to the cars will be the largest ever slapped on a Rolls-Royce. 

The carmaker hasn’t given out any details of the electric powertrain underneath the expensive bodywork, but we can imagine that it will be a development of what’s sitting inside the Spectre, its ‘mass market’ electric coupe that has 659hp and a 102kWh usable battery in its most powerful Black Badge specification. 

The Project Nightingale cars will likely retain the twin BMW e-motors and four-wheel-drive but could have a different battery, perhaps using some of the latest BMW Neue Klasse technology. Rolls-Royce is of course owned by the German carmaker, but the firm has worked hard to maintain its British identity. 

Range anxiety in this new electric Rolls? Why not just buy two and have someone drive it ahead of you?