This is the 1900HP PININFARINA BATTISTA – Villa d’Este 2021

During the 2021 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este I have filmed the Pininfarina Battista. The numbers boggle the mind: 1,900 horsepower, 60 miles per hour in 1.8 seconds, and 186 mph in under 12 clicks, or about as much time as it took the game-changing McLaren F1 to reach a mere 135 mph. With a ludicrous spec sheet and $2 million starting price, is it any wonder the 2022 Pininfarina Battista seems immune to hyperbole? Despite its absurdist performance figures and stratospheric price tag, the Battista almost looks too pretty to be brutal. Stunning styling was de rigueur for the first ground-up production car from the storied design house, whose charismatic ?P? logo has graced countless Italian hardbodies, from Lancias, Fiats, and Maseratis to no fewer than 64 Ferraris. The Battista shares a powertrain and carbon-fiber monocoque with the Rimac Nevera, whose chiseled angles are more blunt weapon than scalpel; the Battista?s oceanic curves and subtle contours manage to be both sensual and menacing all at once. Somehow the Battista seems like it might be less than the sum of its electrified parts, an empirical sleight of hand that promises big on paper but fails to deliver through the seat of the pants. Spoiler alert: we?re totally okay with admitting we were wrong. Supporting the notion that the Italian contender has a flavor all its own is Paolo Dellacha, Pininfarina?s head of product and engineering. ?How the vehicle drives is totally, totally, totally different from the Nevera,? Dellacha insists. The lack of a Drift mode is just one hint at the Battista?s focus on finessed handling and balance. Beneath the beautiful bits is a T-shaped 120-kilowatt-hour battery pack that channels energy through four electric motors. The quartet dumps a combined 1,741 pound-feet at all four corners, with optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires ? the same rubber the Porsche 911 GT2 RS employs ? tasked with managing the fury. The standard setup uses 20-inch wheels and is available with an assortment of tires (including winter options), but our tester carries a staggered setup with 20s up front and 21s in back. Six-piston Brembo calipers clamp down on two-piece carbon-ceramic discs to provide stopping duties, while the drivetrain also harnesses energy from regeneration and can help control braking temperatures by leaning more on regen when necessary. Double-wishbone suspension incorporates adaptive KW dampers, while torque vectoring enhances agility and yaw control. Lift the dihedral doors to slide inside and the cabin presents a luxurious spread of authentic materials, from machined and anodized aluminum knobs to buttery leather. Up front is a small digital speedometer about the size of a phone, flanked by two tablet-shaped touchscreens. There?s a touch of eco-consciousness to the interior materials ? Pininfarina used olive leaves for hide tanning and repurposed fishing nets for the floor mats. But the meat of the matter is in the switchgear, particularly the dial that selects one of five driving modes through a firm twist of cool-to-the-touch metal. Calma offers maximum regeneration and a lazier throttle response for around-town cruising. Pura removes some dullness without pouring on the power and Energica brings a tad more heat, while the hilariously named Furiosa incorporates track-focused calibrations for a 2 Fast 2 Furious experience. Climbing the ladder produces an escalating soundscape through two exterior and 10 internal speakers for dramatic effect, while a fifth Carattere (Italian for ?character?) setting brings individually adjustable throttle, power delivery, traction, and ESP settings. Strangely, Pininfarina tied regeneration levels to drive modes and drivers can?t adjust on the fly. For those that care (we know you?re out there), the Battista promises an EPA range of 310 miles and 180-kilowatt fast charging that can get the battery from 20 to 80 percent capacity in under 25 minutes. Make sure you like and comment the video, but also subscribe to the channel! *Michael - Automotive Mike* Socials: ?? https://www.facebook.com/AutomotiveMike ?? https://www.instagram.com/automotive_mike