Rolls-Royce Reveals Project Nightingale, An Open-Top Two-Seater EV

Review: 2026 Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider

As forced induction and electrification continue democratize horsepower throughout the automotive industry, luxury automakers have faced a growing challenge: how do you make an exotic machine feel special at a point in time when even mainstream vehicles offer jaw-dropping performance? Ferrari, to its notable credit, has answered this question in part by staying at the forefront of the latest technologies, as evidenced by cutting-edge entries like the SF90 and F80 – both of which utilize performance-tuned hybrid systems in conjunction with turbocharged engines and sophisticated all-wheel-drive setups. While those two mid-engine monsters offer truly stunning capability, there’s also a growing contingent of performance enthusiasts who yearn for the simpler days of long, curvaceous hoods, rear-wheel drive propulsion, and the banshee wail of a high-winding 12-cylinder engine at full chat. And that’s precisely where the 12Cilindri Spider stakes its claim. As the successor to the 812 Superfast, the 12Cilindri leverages clever active aerodynamics, advanced traction and stability control systems, and a trick four-wheel-steering system that manages the movement of each wheel independently to enhance cornering response, but it’s ultimately an homage to Ferrari’s storied V12 heritage. Aside from the no-nonsense name (which literally translates to “12 Cylinders”), the 12Cilindri’s exterior styling clearly takes some inspiration from the 365 GTB Daytona of the late 1960s. And rather than saddling its latest GT flagship with the complexities of bulky batteries, electric motors, turbochargers, and AWD, Ferrari has instead chosen to focus on the fundamentals that have made GT cars like the Daytona such enduring icons: elegant design, a finely honed chassis, and a truly spectacular naturally aspirated powerplant. It’s a 6.5-liter dry-sump V12 that produces 819 horsepower and revs to a searing 9,500 rpm. Ferrari only cites a deliberately ambiguous dry weight of 3,571 pounds for the Spider, which carries about 130 pounds of extra mass as compared to its coupe counterpart. But at a time when an alarming number of new performance cars are saddled with curb weights that start with a five, the potentially sub-4,000-pound 12Cilindri Spider feels lithe and unencumbered by countermeasures expressly designed to combat the laws of physics. Although its primary mission is to enable drivers to carve their way through picturesque locales at a lively pace without compromising comfort, the 12Cilindri has a notably more sports-car-like persona than the Aston Martin Vanquish – its closest rival – thanks in part to the Ferrari’s incredibly rigid chassis, dual-clutch gearbox, and earnestly performance-tuned suspension. While the eight-speed DCT occasionally takes a beat to get things going from a dead stop, and the hunkered-down stance makes the nose-lift feature a necessity when negotiating steep driveway aprons, the 12Cilindri Spider still manages to retain an admirable level of civility around town and out on the highway. Outfitted with a killer Burmester audio system, a retractable hard top that opens in just 14 seconds at speeds up to 28 mph, and sport seats that feature heating, ventilation, and adjustable bolstering as well as multiple massage routines, the 12Cilindri Spider can be a posh, effortless cruiser when called upon to do so. The only glaring deficiency in this regard comes from Ferrari’s HMI implementation, which utilizes frustratingly difficult-to-use capacitive surfaces on the steering wheel and the instrument panel to control features like adaptive cruise control and mirror adjustments, along with the various functions that are accessed via the 15.6-inch digital gauge cluster. While the infotainment system looks sharp and is quick to respond to inputs, Apple CarPlay conked out on more than one occasion during the few days I spent with the car. Nitpicks aside, one feature that definitely works as intended is the steering-wheel-mounted Manettino switch, which allows you to toggle between the available drive modes. Sport is the default, a naming decision which helps set ride quality expectations, but you can also press this switch like a button to enable Bumpy Road mode, which relaxes the adaptive dampers beyond their standard tuning for more compliance on rough pavement. Out in the canyons, I found myself more interested in the additional drama provided by Race mode. In contrast to convention, Ferrari chose to leave the steering, throttle mapping, and brake-by-wire settings the same in the Sport and Race modes for the sake of predictable response, instead heightening the driving experience when set to the latter by easing the electronic assists, ramping up the programming for the gearbox and the electronically-controlled rear differential, and – importantly – opening up the exhaust valves. While it’s still a little bit quieter than I’d prefer, even with the top down, the noise that this V12 makes while working its way past 9k is a soundtrack to your sweetest dreams. It took some conscious effort to stop myself from short-shifting the first few times I laid into the throttle with the gearbox in manual mode. The revs just seem to build endlessly. It’s also a decidedly different experience than what’s offered in the latest Vanquish. The Aston also features a 12-cylinder atomic bomb under its hood, but the crucial difference here is that the Vanquish’s lofty power figures are owed in part to turbocharging. This gives the Aston a substantial advantage in peak torque (738 lb-ft versus the 12Cilindri’s 500 pound-feet), but it also relegates its redline to a relatively pedestrian 7,000 rpm. The upshot is that not only does the 12Cilindri deliver a much more emotive soundtrack when you drop the hammer, it also feels significantly more buttoned down when called upon to hustle through a technical section of road. Its quick steering rack takes a moment to acclimate to, but it soon becomes apparent that the chassis, brakes, and powertrain have no problem keeping pace. <- Gallery -> The Manettino switch also has dedicated settings for partially or completely disabling the traction and stability control systems if you’re feeling brave (or prefer to do your grand touring sideways), but the intervention is so seamless when these systems are enabled that they rarely distract from the proceedings. While the Vanquish twists and shimmies as the powertrain and the electronics have a debate over the fastest way forward, the 12Cilindri just feels more planted and easier to trust when really hauling the mail. In an era when quadruple-digit horsepower has somehow become readily achievable for production cars, the Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider is a reminder that character and emotion aren’t attributes that can be easily quantified on a spec sheet. There will be a time – probably in the foreseeable future – where folks will gaze into the open clamshell hood of a 12Cilindri and say, "Man, they don’t make ’em like this anymore." Like it or not, the days of the unassisted Ferrari V12 are almost certainly coming to a close. With that in mind, well-heeled traditionalists would be wise to savor the moment. View All Ferrari 12Cilindris For Sale Images: Bradley Iger

Rolls-Royce Reveals Project Nightingale, a Stunning Open-Top, Two-Seater EV

Rolls-Royce returns to its audacious roots with Project Nightingale, an ultra-limited electric two-seater inspired by the experimental ‘EX’ icons of the 1920s.

In the rarified world of ultra-luxury motoring, true exclusivity is hard to find. Responding to the demands of the world’s most discerning patrons, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unveiled Project Nightingale, the inaugural entry in its new Coachbuild Collection.

This production concept is a dramatic, all-electric open-top car that marries the complete design freedom of coachbuilding with a near-silent powertrain – a combination never before realized in the British marque’s storied history.

Inspired by phenomenal one-off commissions such as the eight-figure Sweptail, Boat Tail, and Droptail of recent years, the marque is returning to those roots as the starting point for its Coachbuild Collection anthology – an ultra-exclusive program that pairs its automotive creations with a multi-year journey of curated experiences.

“Some of the most discerning Rolls-Royce clients in the world asked us for our most ambitious work,” said Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “We responded by bringing three things together that have never coexisted within our brand: the complete design freedom of coachbuilding, our powerful, near-silent all-electric powertrain, and a uniquely potent yet serene expression of open-top motoring — an experience that only this technology makes possible.

“Achieving this required the same audacious mindset that drove our co-founder, Sir Henry Royce, to create his radically different experimental ‘EX’ motor cars of the 1920s. Project Nightingale shares the spirit of those landmark projects and is the most extravagant expression of what Rolls-Royce is capable of today.”

A Lineage of Audacity

The name ‘Project Nightingale’ finds its soul in heritage: It is derived from Le Rossignol (French for “the Nightingale”), the name of the designers’ residence at Sir Henry Royce’s winter estate on the Côte d'Azur. This connection to the French Riviera is more than nominal; it signals a return to the “audacious mindset” that drove Royce to create his radically different experimental ‘EX’ motor cars a century ago.

Specifically, Project Nightingale draws inspiration from 16EX and 17EX, the torpedo-shaped prototypes of 1928. These red-badged legends were cloaked in lightweight aluminum to chase new top speeds during the Jazz Age.

Today, Project Nightingale adopts that same red-badge status to denote its position as a contemporary production concept – its design is 95% complete, with the final specification to be confirmed in 2027.

Monolithic Beauty: The Streamline Moderne Aesthetic

Measuring 18.9 feet – the same length as a Phantom sedan, almost exactly – Project Nightingale utilizes its immense proportions to celebrate a two-seat convertible form. Underpinned by the ‘Architecture of Luxury’ aluminum spaceframe, the design is a masterclass in Streamline Moderne discipline.

Domagoj Dukec, Director of Design at Rolls-Royce, said: “Project Nightingale is built on the design principles that define this marque at its most compelling — grand proportions, absolute surface discipline, and a clarity of line that rewards the closest attention. And yet, it takes them somewhere entirely new. For me, this landmark motor car feels both inevitable and completely unexpected, and it will shape everything that follows.”

Twenty-four-inch wheels – the largest ever fitted to a Rolls-Royce – feature a directional design draws from the propellers of a yacht seen beneath the waterline, with forms that suggest constant motion even when the car is stationary.

The “sheer, monolithic” volumes prioritize uninterrupted forms over ornament. Key design principles include:

· “Upright to Flowing”: The commanding Pantheon Grille transitions into a graceful, tapering rear.
· “Central Fuselage”: A single unbroken hull line inspired by yacht design runs from front to tail.
· “Flying Wings”: Sculptural volumes create tension, pulling the eye toward a low trailing edge.

The Pantheon Grille itself is almost a meter wide, carved from a solid block of aluminum with 24 deep veins. In a progressive move, the Spirit of Ecstasy is integrated directly into the grille, her lines dissolving into the bonnet as if moving through water.

The Starlight Breeze: Translating Birdsong into Light

The transition to a fully electric drivetrain has unlocked a level of open-air serenity that was previously unattainable. Acoustic engineers noted that early prototypes were so silent that the sound of birdsong became a primary part of the driving experience.

In tribute, Rolls-Royce designers analyzed the sound-wave patterns of a Nightingale’s song to create the Starlight Breeze suite. This interior masterpiece features 10,500 individual ‘stars’ of varied sizes that wrap around the occupants in a ‘Horseshoe’ architectural gesture, transforming melody into ambient illumination.

The interior further evokes the Côte d'Azur with a palette of soft Charles Blue and Grace White, contrasted by Navy seat inserts and Peony Pink flashes inspired by Riviera blooms.

Invitational Exclusivity

Project Nightingale is not merely a motor car; it is a ‘production concept’ entering a rigorous global testing and validation program this summer. It is available by invitation only to a select group of aesthetes with a deep affinity for Rolls-Royce design.

Production is strictly limited to 100 client motor cars worldwide. These patrons are already participating in a multi-year program of curated gatherings, immersing themselves in the technical and creative formation of their vehicles.

As Rolls-Royce looks toward the future, Project Nightingale stands as a most extravagant expression of the marque’s capabilities. Deliveries for this 100-car collection are scheduled to commence in 2028; pricing is confidential but expected to be north of $3 million per vehicle.