Following its reveal at the 2019 Geneva motor show, Automobili Pininfarina has shown a revised version of the all-electric Battista hypercar in new images. The new design elements come as the model advances through its development programme, towards the simulation, wind tunnel and development drive stages later this year.
Tweaks are confined to the front end, adding more aggressive, defined lines to continue design elements from the rear. Wing mirrors also appear to have seen a revision, refining the long, LaFerrari-esque stalks to increase aerodynamic efficiency. Though not groundbreaking, these changes could be the first of many whilst the model is under development.
Underneath the svelte, and typically Italian carbonfibre bodywork is not a highly strung V12, but a combination of four electric motors and a 120kWh battery pack that Automobili Pininfarina says will jettison the Battista to 100kmph in ‘less than two seconds’. Big claims from the new Italian manufacturer, but then it has some pretty big numbers to back it up.
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To start with, the Battista is based on a carbonfibre chassis commissioned from Croatian electric hypercar manufacturer Rimac. The electric motors, capacitors and batteries are also sourced from there, but although the tech is shared, Pininfarina has done lots of work to ensure that its vision of the Battista remained pure. As a result, Pininfarina did significant work on the Battista’s overall proportions, moving the windscreen forward by 180mm, giving it a more traditional Italian mid-engined supercar silhouette.
Two electric motors are mounted to each axle, and each powering a specific wheel giving the Battista full torque vectoring capability without the need for heavy and complex differentials. As mentioned above, total power is rated 1873bhp, with a staggering 2300Nm of torque available at a standstill, enabling the Battista to hit 100kmph in ‘under 2 seconds’ and 300kmph in under 12 seconds. Pininfarina quote an estimated top speed of 349kmph.
The battery pack itself is not of the increasingly popular skateboard variety, rather it’s a T-shaped unit that sits behind the driver compartment and runs between the two seats. The main benefit is being able to maintain an ultra-low driving position, as well as keeping more of the mass towards the centre of the car. The 120kWh battery pack should enable a potential range of up to 450km from a single charge.
If there was a single element that played to Pininfarina’s strengths, it would of course be design, and the Battista does not disappoint in this regard. The traditional mid-engined silhouette is correct and present, and is wrapped with a considered, subtle and sophisticated body that is dripping with appeal. The most dynamic and interesting element is the massive delta-wing motif, that runs over the tight rear haunches and informs the rear styling and floating wings that also house the tail lights. This section also holds the Battista’s active rear wing, which is the only piece of active aero on the car.
The interior is dominated by a pair of touch screen flanking steering wheel, with designers focusing on a level of symmetry from the driver’s perspective, rather than the interior as a whole. Specific trims and finishes are able to be specified to the owner’s taste, and as suspected, is a strictly two-seater interior.
Not content with bringing one Battista to Geneva Pininfarina had three examples on display reflecting the potential for personalisation of the car, indeed Pininfarina doesn’t expect any of the 150 examples to be the same. A Grigio Luserna Battista features anodized aluminium detailing and accents in satin Blu Iconica on its dramatic satin grey body while the second in Bianco Sestriere, a pure pearlescent white, features small colour details that hark back to historic Pininfarina cars such as the legendary Ferrari Modulo concept.
The third machine finished in Blu Iconica represents the closest of the three cars to the traditional Pininfarina brand colour with an interpretation of Pininfarina blue. Aesthetically this example is a tad more dramatic with bonnet and wing-mirror modifications that visually link the bonnet to the windscreen via carbon fibre blades.
As well as revealing the new Battista Pininfarina announced another high profile personnel addition to its engineering team with the arrival of Rene Wollman as Programme Director, Sportscars. Wollmann brings a wealth of experience to the Battista programme having most recently managed the launch of one of the most extreme motorsport-inspired road cars, the AMG ONE hypercar.
When it comes to cost Automobili Pininfarina is quoting a price for the Battista of somewhere between 2-2.5 million euros (Rs 19.85 crore), to start. This price-point puts it above even the usual hypercar space operated in or around £1m (Rs 8.61 crore), and straight into the territory of the Bugatti Chiron. That’s a car which not only appeals on design, performance and heritage, but also execution, as one of the most stunningly put together cars in history. Can the Battista hope to compete? Well, remember it’s worth remembering that Pininfarina has not only been responsible for designing the multi-million pound Ferrari specials, but building them too. And what better CV is there than that?