Italian design house and coachbuilder Pininfarina in 2018 launched its own car brand specializing in high-performance, ultra-luxury vehicles with electric powertrains.
The first model is the Battista, a hypercar to rival the Bugatti Chiron that 150 customers around the world will get to call their own.
Pininfarina rolled out a prototype of the Battista at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show and since then the car has undergone rigorous testing, including extensive sessions on the track and in the wind tunnel.
Nick Heidfeld during Pininfarina Battista development
The chief test driver is none other than Nick Heidfeld, a former Formula One driver and current Formula E driver for Pininfarina parent company Mahindra. As development is ongoing, Heidfeld is quiet on what the driving experience is like, though he did say, “The acceleration of Battista is totally mind-blowing.”
Pininfarina's specs for the car include a 0-60 mph of less than 2.0 seconds, so Heidfeld probably isn't exaggerating.
Also helping with the development is Rene Wollmann, who prior to joining Pininfarina worked with Mercedes-AMG on the One hypercar. Wollmann has been tasked as Pininfarina's director of sports car development.
Pininfarina Battista
The Battista features a 4-motor powertrain sourced from Rimac and generating 1,877 horsepower and 1,696 pound-feet of torque. Beyond the sub-2.0-second 0-60 mph time, Pininfarina has said owners can expect to hit 186 mph in less than 12 seconds and eventually reach a top speed of 217 mph. Pininfarina has also said the car's monster 120-kilowatt-hour battery pack will deliver 280 miles of range, though only for those who stick to the speed limit.
As mentioned above, just 150 examples will be built, with 50 of those earmarked for North America. The price tag is set at 2 million euros ($2.18 million) and deliveries are due to commence in late 2020.
Despite still being in its infancy, Pininfarina's car brand already has four additional models on the drawing board, all boasted on a modular platform Pininfarina is developing together with its engineering partners. There is expected to be an SUV, a sedan, a coupe and convertible. A concept previewing the SUV will be revealed later this year.
