Pininfarina delivers first US Battista

ONLY a few weeks after Croation hyper-car builder Rimac delivered their first Nevera fully electric hyper car to its new owner, Italian designer/manufacturer, Pininfarina has followed suit delivering their first run hyper-cars called the Battista, with Nevera underpinnings, to their owners.

The first Battistas were ‘crafted’ for clients in North America and are being delivered this month marking a significant milestone for Italian luxury car brand Automobili Pininfarina.

The first bespoke (custom made) Battista is followed by the exclusive Battista Anniversario, which will also leave the Battista Atelier in Cambiano, Italy this month to be received by another US owner.

The arrival of the first two Battista cars in the US coincide with a strengthened presence in the region for Automobili Pininfarina, through the addition of a new retail partner in Dallas, Texas.

Per Svantesson, Automobili Pininfarina CEO, said: “The team and I are very proud of Automobili Pininfarina’s expansion in the U.S. and the delivery of the first Battista cars stateside.”

“This symbolises our creation of a new luxury electric car segment both in the US and globally. With a passionate collector receiving the first Battista in North America, we see tremendous confidence in this masterpiece of design and technology in this influential community.

“North America is a very special region for Automobili Pininfarina. The appetite there for peerless design and the demand for innovative electric luxury cars means that the majority of the 150 bespoke Battista we handcraft in Italy will be owned by US clients.”

In addition to the custom-made variants, this month, the first series production Battistas will make an appearance at a customer event in New York state. It will be presented to clients with the newly created four-piece Battista Luggage Collection, which is making its global premiere at the event. 

The ‘unique’ set is finished in tan leather with matching stitching and Triangolo quilting, echoing the interior design of the Villa d’Este 2021 award-winning Verde Paradiso Battista.

While Pininfarina says they are starting series production of Battista, each car remains every bit bespoke. The Battista makes more modest claims than Rimac Nevera but shares the same 120kWh battery pack and is a few kilowatts and Newton metres shy of Nevera’s claimed outputs.

Rimac touts the Nevera as the fastest hyper car in the world (now) based on extraordinary statistics like 1900hp (1430kW) and 2300Nm of torque from the combined outputs of four electric traction motors complete with torque vectoring for safety.

The potent powertrains of both cars are juiced by a T-shaped battery pack that resides in the centre tunnel of the car and is good for a claimed 500km plus range in normal driving mode.

As the Nevera has a pair of two-speed gearboxes for the rear axles, it’s highly likely Battista will have the same set-up which means that at high speeds it will become rear-wheel drive. Both cars are said to be capable of a 0-100km/h sprint in the 1.85-second bracket and be able to exceed 400km/h.

The first US-bound Battista is individually tailored and designed by its owner, a private collector on the West Coast, in collaboration with Dave Amantea, Automobili Pininfarina Chief Design Officer. Since its North American debut as a design concept during Monterey Car Week in 2018, the Battista has proven popular with collectors in the region.

This, according to Pininfarina, is largely due to widespread appreciation of the company ‘badge’ as assurance of not only legendary design, but also investment potential proven by the consistent high values of Pininfarina-designed classic cars in the resale market.

Battista #1 features a sophisticated silver and carbon fibre theme with red aluminium details. Led by an Argento Liquido paint finish on the body, the Carbon Accent Pack and mirror caps finished in exposed signature Carbon tinted in black deliver enhanced presence.

The streamlined Goccia roof is painted in Nero and the Exterior Jewellery Pack has been specified by the client in brushed aluminium painted in a bespoke vibrant red.

This sees a line extending along the lower body parts accentuating the dramatic shape and flowing lines of the Battista’s body. Matching red brake callipers and centre lock rings complement the Impulso wheel rims painted in Gloss Black.

The interior upholstery is finished in chrome-free leather that is sustainably tanned by a supplier local to Automobili Pininfarina in Italy, using the leaves from regional olive tree harvesting.

The GT seats are finished in a red luxury leather with black contrast stitch and quilting combined with a black Triangolo quilting on centre console and door inserts continuing the colour theme and detailing inside the cabin.

Every detail is considered on this example, with a bespoke car key – a special request from the customer – featuring a stripe finished in the same red anodized brushed aluminium to match the interior Aluminium Detailing.

The second Battista to leave the Atelier this month is the first of five exclusive Battista Anniversario cars, all of which were sold to US clients during its world premiere at Monterey Car Week in 2021.

As mentioned, every Battista is meticulously hand-crafted in the recently opened Atelier (studio), where prospective owners are invited to a dedicated commissioning lounge to collaboratively design their hyper GT as part of the bespoke program.

“With a near-infinite combination of bespoke enhancements possible, this customer service makes owning Battista a special proposition unlike any other,” said Pininfarina in a statement.

The first US bespoke Battista was assembled by 10 craftspeople and took more than 1250 hours as it moved through 14 production, paint, and quality assurance zones before leaving the Atelier for delivery. The Battista Anniversario, the second US model to leave the Atelier, required an extended 18-week schedule and 1340 hours to complete due to its hand-painted finish and bespoke design features.

The Italian luxury carmaker has enhanced its US presence with the addition of Automobili Pininfarina Dallas to its growing retail network, the 10th retail partner for the marque in North America.