The Pininfarina name is hailed alongside many of the most dramatic brands in the exotic car world. Founded circa 1930 in Turin, Italy, the design firm and automotive coach builder created classic models for makes around the world such as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, General Motors, Maserati, and Peugeot.
After going through various leadership phases, the 21st-century’s Automobili Pininfarina reemerged as an ultra-luxury creator of bespoke electric hypercars. Its first product, the US$2.2 million Battista Hyper GT, lays claim to the title of most-powerful Italian car ever built, according to the company’s in-house testing, and looks to serve as both a Pininfarina calling card and a shot across the bows of Bugatti, Rimac Automobili, Aston Martin, and other makers of small batch, impossibly expensive vehicles.
Pininfarina CEO Paolo Dellachà is behind the wheel of the firm’s next phase of evolution. The experienced engineer has a strong history in Italian supercars, previously holding senior positions at Ferrari and Maserati before joining Automobili Pininfarina in 2018.
Now, 55-year-old Dellachà oversees the dawn of the Battista Hyper GT and new, upcoming all-electric Pininfarina models such as the Battista Edizione Nino Farina (limited to five builds) waiting to launch into a high-end market looking for extreme performance with more environmental responsibility. The cars are being built by hand one at a time and will be shipped as each is completed.
PENTA: Can you describe the importance of the Battista Hyper GT to your brand?
Paolo Dellachà: I cannot overstate the importance of the Battista. This hyper GT is the most powerful Italian car ever produced (1,900 horsepower with a 0 to 100 kilometers per hour time of less than two seconds) and is the first car to wear the Automobili Pininfarina badge. The Battista embodies our core purpose: “Dream Cars. Made Real.” Our discerning clients enjoy a very close relationship with our brilliant design team, ensuring we craft a piece of art beyond their wildest dreams. We guarantee that every Battista is bespoke, enhancing the rarity and precious nature of each car for its owner. No more than 150 Battista hyper GTs will be built across its lifetime.
How did the Battista Hyper GT design evolve into the Battista Edizione Nino Farina?
The Battista Edizione Nino Farina is a spectacular evolution of the Battista Hyper GT, and the example of everything our clients value—design excellence, rarity, and endless personalization opportunities. Its bespoke livery celebrates the illustrious racing career and fearless spirit of motorsport legend and the first ever F1 World Champion, Nino Farina, nephew of Pininfarina founder Battista “Pinin” Farina. Five examples will be made, each recognizing a different milestone from Nino Farina’s life, and each offered with the opportunity of further personalization according to the tastes of the owner.
What do you think Nino Farina would make of electrification?
Nino Farina would be nothing but delighted. In the words of
Enzo Ferrari
: “He drove as if the devil was behind him and angels ahead.” That perfectly encapsulates his racing mentality. Always pushing the limits.
I’m sure piloting this hyper GT would put a huge smile on Nino’s face, given its ability to push boundaries with precision.
How do you and the team choose what is next on the horizon?
We are very close to our clients, and they tell us what they want. Our design recipe not only influences our future cars but exceeds the desires of our clients. Battista has established a new benchmark for luxury and design. Our next creation, the PURA Vision design concept continues to build on this while showcasing our pioneering PURA design philosophy that will inspire future Automobili Pininfarina vehicles. Its principles are evident in our next production model, the world’s first electric hyper Barchetta-B95, another first-of-its-kind vehicle.
How would you describe the concept and intent behind your new PURA Vision for your upcoming Luxury Utility Vehicle?
PURA Vision is a design concept and philosophy. It previews a pioneering new era of pure-electric luxury as a beautiful electric Luxury Utility Vehicle, while embracing the DNA of 94 years of design heritage. It will inform all future Automobili Pininfarina vehicles.
PURA Vision owes its elegant silhouette and dramatic proportions to the reinterpretation of classic Pininfarina designs in a modern way. Its dramatic cab-rear proportions and short overhangs along with its 5,215 mm length and 23-inch alloy wheels provide a powerful stance. You can expect future Automobili Pininfarina vehicles to be inspired by its elegance and distinctive style.
There’s variance in your line from aggressive hypercars to that PURA Vision electric LUV. How do you map out an identity looking in both directions?
Our PURA design philosophy, as showcased by PURA Vision, embraces the DNA of iconic vehicles from Pininfarina’s past and reinterprets it for a modern era with timeless design, beautiful detailing, and classic proportions. PURA Vision shows what we can do if we apply our PURA philosophy to an entirely new kind of vehicle. B95 embodies this, inspired by classic race cars, future-ready with stunning design and advanced technology. The elegant upper, and technical lower, body designs combine with a clearly defined passenger space to create a distinctive presence.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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