Automobili Pininfarina

McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

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By Khris Bharath – August 21, 2025

Automobili Pininfarina Celebrates 95th Anniversary With B...

Automobili Pininfarina, the carmaking arm of the legendary Italian design house Pininfarina, used this year’s Monterey Car Week to mark a major milestone: 95 years of Pininfarina design, also tying in the North American public debut of the 1-of-1 Battista Novantacinque. Finished in Rosso Gloss-tinted carbon fiber, it is the final edition of the all-electric hyper GT. Shown on the Concept Lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, this one-off car represents the end of the Battista’s production run and a tribute to nearly a century of automotive design heritage that began in 1930 in Turin. For those unaware, the Battista, named after founder Battista Pininfarina, has been the crown jewel of Automobili Pininfarina since its 2019 launch. Packing a Rimac-sourced 120 kWh battery and four electric motors, it puts out roughly 1,900 horsepower, making it one of the most powerful production cars today. That figure puts it in conversation with other hyper high-performance EVs like the Rimac Nevera and Lotus Evija, but with that quintessential and elegant Pininfarina styling. Where most electric vehicles have earned a reputation for being soulless, find out how the Battista stands out and taps into the emotional side in our " title="YouTube video" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen>, talking to Brett David of Prestige Imports and Paolo Trevisan of Pininfarina. Automobili Pininfarina also hosted a private aperitivo and dinner at Osteria al Mare restaurant, where CEO Paolo Dellachà addressed a handful of clients and collectors. “As we honour 95 years of Pininfarina design, the Battista Novantacinque represents the pinnacle of our craftsmanship – a pure expression of beauty, performance, and individuality. With production now complete, Battista’s status as a true collector’s masterpiece is assured – and we look forward to seeing it honoured at future Pebble Beach Concours events. We also look forward to returning to Monterey next year to present something new and truly special.” - Paolo Dellachà, CEO of Automobili Pininfarina. Now the question is, where does a hypercar like the Novantacinque sit in the hierarchy? Unlike Ferrari’s limited-run Monzas, every Battista has been tailored to its buyer with virtually limitless personalization options. So from a collector’s standpoint, what this means is that no two examples are alike, making values tricky to track in the short term. Long term, though, cars like the Novantacinque, final, singular, and tied to a milestone anniversary, could command massive premiums. But Pininfarina wasn’t the only coachbuilder making noise at Monterey this year. We saw Bugatti show its one-off Brouillard with bespoke carbon and tartan details, from its Programme Solitaire department. Bentley paired its new EXP 15 concept with a restored “Blue Train” Speed Six. Touring Superleggera revealed the Veloce12 Barchetta, a naturally aspirated V12 roadster built in tiny numbers. Members of the Supercar Owners Circle (SOC), part of the duPont REGISTRY Group, were given an exclusive preview before its public debut. Together, these cars reiterated how the longstanding tradition of coachbuilding remains alive even today, now reimagined for the electric and hybrid era, and we can’t wait to see what Automobili Pininfarina has in store for Monterey next year. View All Pininfarina Battistas For Sale Images Source: Automobili Pinninfarina

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By Tyler Rampersaud – May 08, 2024

Automobili Pininfarina Reveals New Lancia Florida-Inspire...

A new bespoke creation combines future and past. Automobili Pininfarina’s Battista is at the cutting edge of hypercar ability, with incredible electric power, record-breaking performance, and bespoke craftsmanship with painstaking attention to detail. However, it also builds on the legacy of the legendary Pininfarina name, with a rich history of designing some of the most stunning vehicles heralded by Battista “Pinin” Farina, for whom Pininfarina was named. Today, Automobili Pininfarina is celebrating that history and its present-day hypercar excellence with a new version of the Battista hyper-GT that pays homage to a mid-century icon. The new hypercar is the Pininfarina Battista Cinquantacinque, and it’s inspired by the original 1955 Lancia Florida show car. Designed by Battista Farina himself, the 1955 Lancia Florida was one of his favorites, and it featured elegant two-tone paintwork combining a dark blue body with a white roof, and the new Battista Cinquantacinque (“Cinquantacinque” meaning 55 in Italian) does the same, combining Blu Savoia Gloss paint and Bianco Sestriere Gloss paint on the roof. Inside, Poltrona Frau Heritage leather in the shade Mahagoni echoes the classic-inspired feel, and commemorative touches indicate the bespoke, historically-inspired special edition. The Lancia Florida it’s inspired by, however, is more important than a simple throwback. The car, one of only three examples in existence, also inspired Automobili Pininfarina’s PURA Vision concept, which previews the future design language of the manufacturer. The public debut of the new Pininfarina Battista Cinquantacinque will take place in Tokyo, showing off the brand’s futuristic creations and rich heritage at the same time. View All Exotic Cars For Sale Image Source: Automobili Pininfarina

By Tyler Rampersaud – April 30, 2024

Automobili Pininfarina Reveals 4 New Bruce Wayne-Inspired...

This is what happens when superheroes and hypercars mix. Automobili Pininfarina combines futurism and tradition by building on the long-standing legacy of the Pininfarina name, which is legendary in the automotive industry, and creating cutting-edge, record-breaking all-electric hyper-GT vehicles with stunning luxury, design, and innovation. In the fictional world, Bruce Wayne exhibits similar qualities, as a billionaire with access to incredible technology and engineering, which he of course uses to fight crime by night as the legendary superhero Batman. Bruce Wayne and Automobili Pininfarina, icons of Gotham City and the automotive industry respectively, are coming together to create four incredible bespoke machines: two versions each of the Pininfarina Battista hypercar and the Pininfarina B95 barchetta. Each comes as the result of close collaboration between Automobili Pininfarina’s design team and DC, blending Pininfarina’s incredible electric hyper-GT design, Bruce Wayne’s character traits, and a Gotham-inspired aesthetic, with two configurations for both models, “Gotham,” and “Dark Knight.” The partnership, developed for Wayne Enterprises, a luxury brand inspired by Bruce Wayne’s iconic character, will launch on BruceWayneX.com, where the exclusive vehicles will be available to purchase. In addition, the Battista will be on display at an exclusive, invite-only retail theater this summer in New York City, bringing this incredible partnership between the electric vehicle world’s Italian hypercar manufacturer and one of the most beloved and iconic superheroes. View All Exotic Cars For Sale Image Source: Automobili Pininfarina

By Tyler Rampersaud – September 20, 2023

Pininfarina Brings 2 Exclusive Hypercars To The Bridge Event

Pininfarina's presence offers a luxurious glimpse into the future of eco-friendly supercars. When it comes to the pinnacle of automotive excellence, few events match the exclusivity of "The Bridge" at the Bridgehampton Golf Course. This year, the limelight belongs to Automobili Pininfarina as the automaker gears up to showcase its latest all-electric hypercar duo: the new B95 and the Battista Edizione Nino Farina. These cars are not just another set of high-horsepower machines; they are paramount pieces in the ongoing electric vehicle transformation in the automotive industry, catering to the crème de la crème of automobile enthusiasts. Slated for a US East Coast debut, the B95 marks a noteworthy milestone for Automobili Pininfarina. Billed as the world's first all-electric hypercar Barchetta, the car celebrates the 95th anniversary of the legendary design house Pininfarina SpA, which will officially occur in 2025. The sleek, open-top bodywork screams luxury while packing a tech-savvy punch. With acceleration stats boasting 0-60mph in under 2 seconds and a top speed eclipsing 180 mph, the B95 is a symbiotic blend of nostalgia and futuristic prowess. Accompanying the B95 is another electric behemoth, the Battista Edizione Nino Farina. Paying homage to motorsport legend Nino Farina—nephew of Pininfarina founder Battista 'Pinin' Farina—this limited-edition hyper GT is no slouch. The car’s performance is staggering with 1,900 hp and 1,726 lb/ft of torque. And it goes from 0-60mph in a jaw-dropping 1.79 seconds. With only five examples set to ever exist, the Battista Edizione Nino Farina is the epitome of exclusivity, dressed in a special Rosso Nino paint to honor the cars driven by Nino during his racing career. Both these creations encapsulate Automobili Pininfarina’s PURA design philosophy, offering elegant silhouettes and dramatic proportions. Paolo Dellachà, CEO of Automobili Pininfarina, heralded the cars as "the most exciting chapter" in the automaker's history. This enthusiasm is well-placed; the Battista Edizione Nino Farina’s remarkable performance figures include a top speed of 217 mph and a driving range of up to nearly 300 miles. What stands out about these cars is the meticulous detailing that draws inspiration from a rich lineage of design and motorsport success. The Battista Edizione Nino Farina, for example, features a unique interior with a black anodized chassis plate and 'Nino Farina' dedication, whereas the B95 is developed and handcrafted in Cambiano by skilled artisans, with the potential to be customized to a clients specifications, down to the most minute details and specific requests, bringing the time-honored and traditional art of automotive coachbuilding to the future. In summary, the Automobili Pininfarina B95 and Battista Edizione Nino Farina are not just a continuation but an evolution of a long-standing legacy. As high-performance, electric, limited-edition masterpieces, they set a new precedent in the world of luxury automobiles, while retaining the core principles of Italian automotive design and passion. So, if you’re lucky enough to attend 'The Bridge' event on the 23rd of September, prepare to witness the automotive future in its most luxurious form. View All Exotic Cars For Sale Image Source: Automobili Pininfarina

By Tyler Rampersaud – September 19, 2023

Watch Jay Leno Drive The 1,900HP Pininfarina Battista

Jay Leno gets a taste of peak electric hypercar performance. Along with an illustrious comedy career, Jay Leno is known for an impressive and extensive car collection, with plenty of classics and a clear passion for automotive tradition. However, with his status as one of the automotive world’s favorite celebrities and with his Jay Leno’s Garage show, he got to experience the latest futuristic pursuits from Automobili Pininfarina, which combine beauty, power, innovation, and Italian design. The first is the Battista hypercar, which was Automobili Pininfarina’s debut car, which features stunning design and all the advantages of immense electric power. Through an electric powertrain, torque vectoring, cooling, and weight distribution can be optimized at an unprecedented degree. In addition, Italian luxury, design, and automotive philosophy remain in the Battista with stunning looks and a custom-made set of luggage. Jay Leno got a close look and drove the car, along with Automobili Pininfarina’s CEO, Paolo Dellacha. In addition, Jay Leno got a look at the Automobili Pininfarina PURA Vision, a concept car that hints at Pininfarina’s future, as well as the unique and striking B95, a barchetta-style hypercar based on the Battista, which is limited to just 10 units, while the Battista coupe is limited to 150. The limited production numbers allow for each example to be bespoke and customized to each owner’s specifications. However, the magic happens behind the wheel, and the experience of driving the world-beating, record-breaking Pininfarina Battista is transformative for Jay Leno, as it’s radically different to cars powered by combustion engines. Electric power enables the car to have an unfathomable amount of both power and torque, making it not only an incredibly quick car in flat-out acceleration, but one that’s exceptionally competent in corners on routes like mountain passes, as well. Despite having cutting-edge electric power, the Pininfarina Battista and cars like it show that future technology can be combined with timeless tradition to create a fearsomely modern Italian automotive masterpiece. View All Exotic Cars For Sale Source: Jay Leno's Garage via YouTube

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