It may even be the most powerful road car that was ever built.
But being number one is not the most significant thing. Nor that it costs $2.63 million. What’s really important about the Pininfarina Battista, revealed recently at the Geneva Motor Show, is that it’s all-electric.
Maker Automobili Pininfarina says its Battista does 0-62mph in less than two seconds, 186mph in less than 12 seconds, has a leading speed of over 250mph, and does 280 miles on single charge.
Its brake horse power (bhp) is equal to 1,900, about two times that of a Formula 1 car (a decent-sized Ford Fiesta has a bhp of between about 84 and 138).
The power “is crazy” states Automobili Pininfarina CEO Michael Perschke. The car is, he states, a statement that high performance and electric propulsion are not mutually exclusive.
The Battista is not the sole hypercar – electric or otherwise – on display at Geneva motor show. And Rimac’s Concept Two car and Tesla’s Roadster have already pushed the borders of what is possible with battery technology.
But there’s no doubt that the Battista is among the most expected unveilings at this week’s show, partly due to the fact that Automobili Pininfarina is little more than a year old.
The Indian company Mahindra Group bought a majority stake in Pininfarina in 2015. Mahindra has an automotive division, which owns South Korean car company SsangYong Motor, and operates a team in the Formula E racing series.
