Pininfarina Battista revealed: 2019 Geneva Motor Show

After almost 90 years of designing and producing the bodies of cars for brands the world over, Automobili Pininfarina has finally revealed its own car, the 2020 Pininfarina Battista.

The car, called ‘the world’s first pure electric luxury hyper GT’ by the brand, is limited to 150 units starting next year, on Pininarina’s 90th anniversary.

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Expectations for the Battista’s performance are set high, as Pininfarina says it’ll be faster than a Formula 1 car to 100km/h thanks to a Rimac-developed battery system.

“The most powerful car ever designed and built in Italy” boasts a sub-2 second sprint to 100km/h, with 1397kW and 2300Nm at its disposal. Pininfarina says it will hit 300km/h in less than 12 seconds.

Onwards from 300km/h, there’s more than another 50km/h left before it hits its top speed.

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Grip for its four driven wheels is provided by a set of Pirelli P Zeroes specifically designed for the Battista, while stopping power comes thanks to 6-piston callipers on carbon-ceramic 390mm discs.

While an electric car will naturally be heavier than a conventional ICE-powered car due to the heavy batteries, Pininfarina has attempted to allay this thorough the use of a carbon fibre monocoque chassis, with carbon fibre body panels and aluminium crash structures at the front and rear.

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With Pininfarina’s history as a coachbuilder, customisability is a key point for the Battista, with three versions present at the Geneva Motor Show to display how each car can be made unique.

The car is named for Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina, founder of Pininfarina whose grandson is now chair of the brand.

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“My grandfather, Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina, was born at a time and raised in a place where the first iconic automobiles were taking shape,” says Paolo Pininfarina.

“The human desire for speed and power was happening in the air and on the race-track. His passion for speed led to him to race track cars and design road cars, with a focus on speed and style.

“Ultimately this combination of racing and engineering experience led to the presentation of the Cisitalia 202 and his well-known links with Ferrari.

“The 202 made my grandfather famous, and it has clear links with the Battista we see today in its execution and its home.”

It’s not yet clear how Pininfarina distribution will take place around the world, so stay tuned to find out if it’ll be possible for any of these 150 cars to make it here.