Pininfarina is a force to be reckoned with in the auto industry, representing unrivaled style, status, and quality with an astounding 92 years of experience. In addition to being Ferrari's preferred designer for decades, the Pininfarina is also responsible for creating literally hundreds of concepts and production cars for dozens of other automakers, from the simple to the magical.
The Italian design studio never built its own cars, despite designing some of the most sought-after cars in history. However, the moniker eventually fulfilled a lifelong ambition by creating its own hypercar, the Battista. Since its introduction, Pininfarina Battista has created a lot of buzz, especially among auto enthusiasts and racing aficionados. It unites true inspiration and creativity with technical prowess, performance, a luxurious cabin, and aesthetic appeal.
Going up for sale in 2022, Battista is unquestionably a work of art. There are, however, a lot of fascinating facts about its development and journey. These are the ten things about Pininfarina Battista that you probably didn't know.
10 Premiered At The 2019 Geneva Motor Show
The history of Pininfarina reveals an ongoing drive to design and develop futuristic cars. It created Battista under the influence of a legendary past with the intention of making it an icon and an enduring classic. After dropping numerous teasers, the brand unveiled the hypercar of the future to the world in public for the first time in March 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show.
The Automobili Pininfarina design team, led by Luca Borgogno, and renowned design studio Pininfarina SpA, worked closely together to create the hypercar's aesthetic. The Battista has a straightforward yet graceful design with several swoops and curves in pure Pininfarina style.
9 Pininfarina’s First Production Car
When people hear the word Pininfarina, they frequently recall the work the iconic Italian coachbuilder has done designing and fabricating cars for other automakers like Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Cadillac, Rolls-Royce, and Lancia.
However, following the Mahindra Group's 2015 acquisition of Pininfarina SpA, the brand planned to set up Automobili Pininfarina, its own car manufacturing division, and to introduce a car of its own design. As a result, the Battista was developed as the company's first production model from the ground up. Although it makes use of a similar design idea found in other Pininfarina-and Ferrari-designed cars, it’s a complete Pininfarina model.
8 Tribute To Battista "Pinin" Farina
Contrary to popular belief, the name of the Battista is not derived from an aggressive or possibly war-related Italian term. The name plays a significant role in Pininfarina's past.
The name is a homage to the company's founding father, the legendary Battista "Pinin" Farina, who had a dream of seeing a line of exclusively Pininfarina-branded cars on the street, where the renowned Pininfarina insignia would be displayed on the front rather than the side of its architectural marvels. Thanks to Battista Farina's car body designs, the Italian automotive industry will always be recognized for producing fast, sumptuous, and spectacular cars.
7 It’s An All-Electric Hypercar
This intriguing two-seater sports car isn't propelled by any formidable or hand-built V12 engine. Yes, you read it right. The Battista raises the bar for hypercars by becoming the world's first all-electric Italian hypercar. Its innovative all-electric drivetrain offers performance that is unimaginable with an ICE powertrain, as well as access to all urban areas for potential zero-emission zones in the future.
The sleek Pininfarina boasts a potent 120 kWh T-shaped battery pack and four independent motors that power each wheel, delivering ferocious performance with no emissions. Furthermore, Pininfarina also claims a 310-mile driving range on a single charge, in addition to comfort, visual appeal, and connectivity that will guarantee a rewarding driving experience on both the road and the racetrack.
6 Not All Of It Is Italian
Without a doubt, Battista is a masterpiece of Italian design that portrays Pininfarina's legacy and future. Additionally, no car design studio has a portfolio as spectacular as that of the famous Italian design house, Pininfarina. This gives rise to the popular myth that the entire car is Italian, which is untrue.
On December 14, 2015, the famous Indian automaker, Mahindra Group, bought Pininfarina SpA. As a result, the brand-new carmaker, Automobili Pininfarina, was born, profiting from Pininfarina’s popularity and design pedigree. However, the Automobili Pininfarina division is based in Munich, Germany, as opposed to Pininfarina, which continues to call Cambiano, Italy, its home. Furthermore, the powertrain for this exotic sports car is supplied by Rimac Automobili, a Croatian automaker. The Battista probably wouldn't have been made without Mahindra's cash injection.
5 Nick Heidfeld Played A Key Role In The Car’s Development
The Battista is fast thanks to its engine and all-wheel drive, but Pininfarina also made sure it could maneuver swiftly. The former F1 and Le Mans driver, Nick Heidfeld, who presently serves as a development driver for the Mahindra Racing Formula E team, was called in to make it happen. The legendary racer has played a vital role in the development of this rare performance machine since the beginning of the project.
Nick collaborated with the designers and engineers at Automobili Pininfarina in 2019 to offer ergonomics input on a physical, rather than virtual, prototype, making it a little easier to handle for its ultimate owners. Moreover, before sales, Battista's bespoke chassis settings and software calibration are being improved with the help of Nick’s unmatched expertise and more than 25 years of experience in high-performance motorsport.
4 Limited Production Run
The Battista is unquestionably a revolutionary sports car that has redefined the performance, styling, and technology of cars. This is not a car; Pininfarina is attempting to produce exclusive works of automotive art with the intention of the supercars rising in value and providing owners with an opportunity to invest, making them one-of-a-kind and collectible.
Pininfarina, however, asserts that it will only produce 150 of the Battista, each costing a whopping $2.5 million. In addition, it aims to distribute sales equally across Europe, North America, and the rest of the world. Plus, before the car's release, 40% of the production is already reserved. Each Battista will be bespoke and unique, with 128 million interiors and 13.9 quintillion exterior combinations as options for the buyer to select from.
3 Each Battista Is Hand-Built
The attention to detail is astonishing in each Battista, as every car is hand built at the dedicated facility by a team of Pininfarina’s skilled engineers and artisans. Each car is assembled over ten weeks by 10 craftsmen, who put in more than 1,250 hours of work, ensuring that each vehicle matches the unique vision of each buyer.
Furthermore, each customer participates in the creation of their own Battista; they are invited to commission the vehicle as assembly advances and are involved in the design of the car from the start. In short, by opting for Battista, you are not only buying a hypercar but also the mastery of the complete manufacturing process.
2 It’s Violently Fast
The Pininfarina Battista is the most potent street-legal car to ever depart from Italy. And it's a great accomplishment when Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati are among your rivals. Its electric drivetrain develops a staggering 1,900 horsepower and 1,696 lb-ft of torque. This pure-electric performance machine is also terrifyingly quick, in addition to its blend of high-tech and classic appearance.
It can rocket from a standstill to 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds, reach 100 mph in 4.3 seconds, and complete a quarter mile in 9.1 seconds. Besides that, the top speed is a slightly less insane 218 mph. It uses a lot of lightweight materials to keep its weight under 2,000 kg, which helps it accelerate more speedily. Additionally, Pininfarina gives the Battista a mimicked engine sound, making it more ferocious on the streets.
1 There Is A Super-Exclusive Battista "Anniversario" Edition
The all-electric Battista is already a rare breed that is poised to dominate the roads. However, there is also an ultra-exclusive, limited-edition variant of the Battista, named Anniversario, which was unveiled in 2020 to commemorate the iconic design firm Pininfarina's 90th anniversary. Only five Anniversario-spec Battistas will be built out of a total of 150 units, making it one of the most exclusive cars in the world.
The Battista Anniversario is the apex of Pininfarina's design legacy, embodying the company's purest design tenets in a modern context and laying the groundwork for a creative and stunning future. Each Battista Anniversario is hand-painted. Additionally, it has a set of aerodynamic upgrades called the "Furiosa Package," which consists of a front splitter, side blades, and rear diffuser made of carbon fiber. These components work together to increase downforce and improve stability at high cornering speeds.