All-electric Pininfarina Battista sets new Indian top speed record: 358.03kph

The world’s fastest accelerating production car broke a series of speed records at India’s NATRAX test facility in February.  The pure-electric Battista by Automobili Pininfarina secured its place as the fastest in the world to complete the quarter-mile and half-mile sprints, in doing so taking the title of fastest road-legal car ever on Indian soil. 

With VBOX data systems in place to verify Battista’s incredible performance, the quarter-mile time of 8.55 seconds and half-mile result of 13.38 seconds were the highlights of a flurry of remarkable results for Automobili Pininfarina’s first luxury electric car. With Autocar India’s Hormazd Sorabjee and Renuka Kirpalani joining the Italian brand’s Performance, Test and Validation Team including Development Driver Stefano Costa at the event, the aim was to showcase the exceptional performance accessible to all Battista owners and drivers.

The Battista top speed test was undertaken with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres fitted. In this test, Hormazd Sorabjee secured with ease a top speed of 358.03kph on track – eclipsing the previous top speed record in India of 332kph, which was also held by Autocar India. Renuka Kirpalani went on to clock 357.10kph, setting the record for the fastest Indian female driver in the world.  Both these top speed records were validated by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the Indian sporting body affiliated to the FIA.

With the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tyre then fitted for acceleration tests, Battista registered two new production car world records for sprints over quarter-mile and half-mile distances. Both sets of Michelin tyres are available to order with Battista at the point of purchase.

The Battista produces over 1,900hp and 2,340Nm torque, with power distributed across all four wheels via four motors and through a unique, sophisticated torque vectoring system tuned by Automobili Pininfarina’s engineers at the luxury carmaker’s development centre in Italy.

Paolo Dellachà, Automobili Pininfarina CEO said: “We were very proud to bring Battista to India for the first time.  Collaborative events there with our shareholder Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd were delivered at a significant time for Automobili Pininfarina.  In 2022 we began production of Battista at our new Atelier facility in Italy, with deliveries to customers worldwide starting soon after.”

“This year, new Battista owners are excited to explore the unprecedented performance of this design and engineering masterpiece. These speed records – and independent tests – have validated our ambition to create a new generation of hyper and luxury car leading with Battista, whereby electric power delivers performance that is simply unachievable in the world of ICE powertrains.”

“For Hormazd and his Autocar India team to showcase what is possible with Battista in their hands is hugely important. We conceived Battista as a hyper GT – a special blend of beautiful design and attention to detail synonymous with the Pininfarina brand, allied to extreme electrified performance and a level of vehicle dynamics which sets a new benchmark among hypercars. In these tests Battista has shown that record-breaking performance is there to be enjoyed by every driver on road or track.”

Hormazd Sorabjee was joined by Autocar India colleague and experienced road tester Renuka Kirpalani for its debut Indian performance test. Hormazd said: “Nothing prepares you for the brutal acceleration and pace of the Battista. It’s like being shot from a cannon. Equally amazing is the ease with which Battista hit its top speed, within just half a straight of Natrax’s high speed track. Even at VMax, the Battista felt rock solid, relaxed, and discreet. This is the future of speed.”

Green can also be mean
The Battista features a quad-motor set-up – one on each wheel – that develops 1,900hp and 2,340 Nm of torque. The motors are powered by a 120kWh battery pack that can charge at speeds of up to 180kW. The Battista is primarily meant for left-hand drive markets and only 150 units of it will ever be made. It costs over 2.2 million euros (approximately Rs 19.4 crore) in global markets.

The Battista is the first production car with a Pininfarina badge that debuted at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, four years after the brand was acquired by Mahindra & Mahindra. The Italian company is better known as a design house that has historically designed cars for brands like Ferrari Maserati and Alfa Romeo. The Battista was recently brought to India for the first time as a showcar at the Hyderabad Formula E race weekend where Mahindra & Mahindra also fielded its own factory racing team.