I drove a super-fast, $2 million electric supercar that felt like a fighter jet. See inside the Pininfarina Battista.

Tue, 02/28/2023 - 08:34

Tech Insider

The Pininfarina Battista.
Tim Levin/Insider

I drove the Pininfarina Battista, an outrageously expensive and powerful supercar.
It's also extremely rare: Only 150 Battistas will be produced.
It recently hit 60 mph in a mind-bending 1.79 seconds, claiming the title of the world's fastest-accelerating production car.

Much like the rest of the automotive world, supercars are going electric.

I got to drive one of the newest, quickest, and most luxurious battery-powered exotics on the market.

Meet the $2.2 million Pininfarina Battista.

It’s the first model from Pininfarina, the legendary Italian firm that’s designed and built cars for other brands like Ferrari — but never came out with its own vehicle.

Automobili Pininfarina is technically separate from Pininfarina, the design house. Both under the umbrella of the Indian automotive giant Mahindra.

It's named for the company's founder, Battista "Pinin" Farina, who always dreamt of producing his own car but never made that a reality.

Nearly 100 years after Pininfarina began in 1930, the Battista is here. The first two cars were delivered to US customers in late 2022.

The EV marries monstrous power with otherworldly acceleration and wraps that all up in an elegant, leather-bound package.

It doesn't have the loud, in-your-face styling of a Bugatti Chiron or McLaren Senna that screams: "I cost more than your house and can hit 200 mph like it's nothing."

Of course, both of those things are true of the Pininfarina too. The company says it aimed for a more "timeless" design.

Buyers can customize their Battista in practically endless combinations, the company says.

And all 150 Battistas will be unique; once a customer chooses a particular configuration of options, it's removed from the catalog.

Walk up to the Battista and you'll notice it emits a subtle, pulsing grumble.

That's by way of a speaker system, not an engine, of course. And the sound grows more ferocious as you click through the Battista's drive modes, which range from Calma to Furiosa.

Its body vibrates slightly to the touch, giving owners the same sensations of a big-engine supercar but updated for the electric era.

There's a performative aspect to the noise as well. Because what's the point of ripping down Rodeo Drive in your seven-figure supercar if nobody can hear you coming?

Getting inside the Battista isn't always the most graceful process, as it's so low to the ground. But anybody who's buying one is surely better-practiced than I am at that sort of thing.

The doors take a section of roof with them, meaning you don't have to duck to slip inside, which helps.

In the driver's seat, you're hugged tight by plush leather upholstery and surrounded by luxury.

The cabin features an interesting mix of exposed carbon fiber and more refined, high-end materials.

That reflects Pininfarina's broader vision of the Battista as a vehicle that pairs raw supercar performance with the comfort of a grand tourer.

All the screens and dials are angled toward the driver, creating a cockpit that feels more like a fighter jet than any car.

The touchscreen on the left controls the seats, steering wheel, and mirrors.

The one on the right houses entertainment features and navigation.

Since the focus is on driving enjoyment, Pininfarina didn't want to clutter the driver's field of vision with too much information.

The tiny display behind the steering wheel only shows basics like speed and remaining range.

The milled rotary knobs you use to select drive modes and gears are weighty and turn with a satisfying click.

The "Top Gun" vibes continue when you find an open section of road and floor it.

Stomping the throttle in Furiosa mode slams you back into your seat instantly with an absurd and frankly terrifying amount of force.

Pininfarina says the Battista is the quickest-accelerating road-legal car in the world. It recently clocked an absurdly quick, 1.79-second sprint to 60 mph.

In the blink of an eye, your surroundings start flying by faster than your brain can process. It's what I imagine pilots feel like when they launch off of an aircraft carrier.

You can even see what sort of g-force you're generating on one of the screens.

To put some hard numbers to it: The Battista produces an astonishing 1,900 horsepower and 1,725 pound-feet of torque.

According to Pininfarina, that makes it the most powerful Italian performance car ever.

It uses four motors, one driving each wheel. Electric cars typically have one or two motors.

It'll rocket from a stop to 62 mph in less than two seconds, the company says.

Top speed is rated at 217 mph.

The Battista handled beautifully, too. It felt practically stuck to the road and effortlessly carved around corners.

At high speeds, a spoiler deploys for extra downforce.

Or you can raise it at the push of a button to impress your friends.

Power is dialed back considerably in non-Furiosa drive modes, making for a more comfortable driving experience.

Both the ambient lighting color and the driving sounds pumped into the cabin change depending on the drive mode selected.

Pininfarina estimates range at a respectable 300 miles. Expect much less if you push the car hard, which is tough to resist.

And if you've already spent all your hard-earned cash on a Battista, fret not: Charging is free for five years at ChargePoint stations.

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I drove a super-fast, $2 million electric supercar that felt like a fighter jet…