Pininfarina Battista unveiled as the world’s most powerful road-legal car
Italian bespoke car brand Automobili Pininfarina has revealed its latest vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show – and it just so happens to be the most powerful road-legal car ever built.
The Pininfarina Battista is an all-electric 'Hyper GT', as the manufacturer calls it, powered by four electric motors – one for each wheel. The car's total output is an insane 1,874bhp and 2,300Nm of torque, and as it's electric that's available from a standstill.
The numbers speak for themselves. The Battista's top speed of 217mph is nothing to write home about but Pininfarina claims a 0-60mph sprint of less than two seconds – and a 0-186mph sprint of less than 12 seconds.
Those four electric motors are hooked up to a 120kWh battery, mounted low in the car to aid weight distribution. It's been supplied by electric car manufacturer Rimac, and is closely related to the powertrain in the brand's C_Two supercar. Pininfarina claims a maximum range of 280 miles – impressive stuff.
Automobili Pininfarina Battista. Mega looking thing pic.twitter.com/Wj1c5XHGoR
— Jack Evans (@jackrober) March 5, 2019
The Battista's shell is a carbon fibre monocoque, with carbon and aluminium subframes mounted to it. Despite the futuristic powertrain, Pininfarina's kept the familiar proportions of a mid-engined supercar, with classical design touches including vast rear haunches and a pushed-forward cabin. Slim LED lights front and rear – including a full-width light bar across the bonnet's leading edge – finish the futuristic look.
Inside, there's a clear driver focus to the cabin. The driver sits in their own 'pod' flanked by large twin screens for driving information and a smaller display in between for speed. The driver and passenger seats of the example in Geneva are finished in different coloured leather, further separating them. Chunky aluminium highlights are knurled for extra grip.
The Battista will be limited to just 150 models, each hand-built at the brand's factory in Turin, and just 50 examples will make their way to Europe. It's expected to hit the market in 2020, with a price somewhere between £1.5m and £2m.
