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

A gold and black electric hypercar with its scissor doors open is displayed in a showroom with a red and black backdrop, highlighting the stunning Pininfarina Battista for sale.

By Tyler Rampersaud – December 17, 2024

The Best Pininfarina Battista Examples For Sale: Own Elec...

This futuristic hypercar dons a historic name. Pininfarina is a name that is internationally revered when it comes to Italian design excellence, especially in the automotive world. However, the introduction of Automobili Pininfarina and its lineup of hypercars brought the historic name to an entirely new stage. With the incredibly powerful Pininfarina Battista, Automobili Pininfarina has managed to combine time-honored Italian style and luxury with the bleeding edge of electric performance innovation. The Pininfarina Battista is one of the most exclusive hypercars on the market, with only 150 examples being made, and each being a unique, bespoke statement of automotive excellence, from its record-breaking performance to its stylish design and luxurious features and materials. With so few examples being made, the Pininfarina Battista is one of the most exclusive hypercars on the market. However, duPont REGISTRY, the source for supercars since 1985, has multiple examples of the Pininfarina Battista listed for sale. View some below, or click the button to see all Pininfarina Battista hypercars for sale, with flexible financing options available through dR Finance, powered by Westlake Financial. View All Pininfarina Battista For Sale 2022 Pininfarina Battista View Listing 2024 Pininfarina Battista View Listing & Financing Can I finance a Pininfarina Battista for sale? Yes. Thanks to dR Finance, powered by Westlake Financial, financing your dream Pininfarina Battista hypercar for sale is easier than ever. View some of the listings below to see flexible financing options for your dream hypercar for sale. How fast is the Pininfarina Battista? Thanks to its incredibly powerful electric powertrain, the Pininfarina Battista is capable of a 0-60 time under 2 seconds, and can reach a top speed of 222 mph.

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By Tyler Rampersaud – October 01, 2024

Michael Jordan Takes Delivery Of One-Off Pininfarina Batt...

One of the greatest athletes ever puts yet another hypercar in his garage. Michael Jordan has been a household name for decades, carving out such a formidable legacy in the sport of basketball that his name has become idiomatic for someone who is the best at something. However, automotive enthusiasts will point out that Michael Jordan’s collection of luxury and exotic cars is about as impressive as his unfathomable athletic achievements. Michael Jordan is consistently at the forefront of the latest and greatest in the automotive industry with some of the world's rarest and most desirable vehicles in his garage. The latest addition to his collection is a unique example of one of the world’s most sought after, innovative, luxurious and beautiful electric hypercars: the Pininfarina Battista. Initially revealed during Monterey Car Week 2024, Michael Jordan’s Pininfarina Battista, the Pininfarina Battista Targamerica, was created by Automobili Pininfarina as a one-off variant of the incredible hypercar. Combining its record-breakingly powerful all-electric powertrain and beautiful Italian design with an open top shared by no other examples of the Battista, Michael Jordan’s car stands out even among the highly exclusive crowd of Battista vehicles. The first one-off coachbuilt example of the Battista to come from Automobili Pininfarina, the Targamerica was shown off at The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering, for its incredible attention to detail, including features as luxurious and specific as a cigar humidor. With its open-top design and driving experience shared by no other example, the car was delivered to Michael Jordan by The Collection of Miami, Florida. With a historic one-off added to his expansive garage, the sports world’s greatest legend now owns an example of peak hypercar excellence. View All Vehicles For Sale From The Collection View this post on Instagram A post shared by THE COLLECTION (@thecollectionfl)

By Tyler Rampersaud – August 22, 2024

1-of-150 1,900HP 2023 Pininfarina Battista Listed For Sale

Automobili Pininfarina is responsible for creating truly incredible hypercars. With futuristic electric power, stunning design, and bespoke luxury, it combines traditional and cutting-edge approaches to automotive excellence to create veritable masterpieces. Only 150 examples of the Pininfarina Battista were made, making it one of the most difficult and exclusive hypercars on the market. View Listing However, duPont REGISTRY is the place to look if you’re looking to get your hands on the Pininfarina Battista and cars like it, as it has been the source for supercars since 1985. If you want a collector-grade futuristic electric hypercar masterpiece, this 2023 Pininfarina Battista is the perfect addition to any luxury or exotic car collection. It’s finished in a one-off color combination, combining a stunning electric blue exterior color with exposed carbon fiber and a stunning black interior. The interior features white contrast stitching with a unique quilting pattern in the upholstery, highlighting the unique and futuristic hypercar’s stunning artisan craftsmanship. With 1,900 horsepower and record-breaking performance, it combines luxury and beauty with formidable performance. If you want to get behind the wheel of one of the most powerful, exclusive, and beautiful hypercars, this 2023 Pininfarina Battista for sale at Miller Motorcars in Greenwich, Connecticut, may be the perfect car for you. View the listing by clicking the button.

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By Tyler Rampersaud – August 21, 2024

Automobili Pininfarina Reveals New Bespoke Battista Inspi...

A new bespoke commission expands Automobili Pininfarina’s portfolio. Oftentimes, electric cars have been criticized for lacking the “soul” of their combustion-powered counterparts, but Automobili Pininfarina defies that convention with its electric hypercars. With plenty of bespoke commissions and inspiration drawn from classic Italian automotive design, Automobili Pininfarina uses fine materials, a passion for performance, and incredible personalization to create electric hypercars that combine futurism with traditional automotive excellence, and yet another example of its expertise has surfaced. Alongside the Batman-inspired Pininfarina Battista B95 Gotham and the coachbuilt Pininfarina Battista Targamerica, which featured a cigar humidor, the new commission, unveiled as a finale to Automobili Pininfarina’s presence at Monterey Car Week, is ‘A Piece of Cambiano in California.’ Its name and inspiration are drawn from Automobili Pininfarina’s Italian hometown, where each groundbreaking yet traditionally inspired Pininfarina electric hypercar is crafted. Its bespoke touches include a livery on the underside of the active rear wing, which depicts a map of Cambiano with a schematic of the Battista production line, bespoke door plates reading “Where Everything Starts” and “Fatto Con Amore in Italia,” the houndstooth seat upholstery first seen on the initial Pininfarina B95 show car, and even a customized VIN, ending in “020” as a reference to Cambiano’s 10020 postal code. The new stunning bespoke Pininfarina Battista creation joins a group of beautifully personalized hypercars, which combine cutting-edge technology and record-breaking performance with painstaking attention to detail and traditional exquisite luxury materials. As a tribute to the town of Cambiano, where the story of each Pininfarina hypercar begins, it’s an homage to a place where true automotive excellence is made. Finance A Luxury or Exotic Car Image Source: Automobili Pininfarina

Automobili Pininfarina Battista Targamerica in California 01

By Tyler Rampersaud – August 15, 2024

The New Coachbuilt Pininfarina Battista Targamerica Hyper...

Pininfarina coach builds an electric hypercar masterpiece. In the world of automotive design, Pininfarina is one of the most respected names, and the introduction of Automobili Pininfarina and its Battista hypercar brought the legendary, respected Pininfarina name to a new realm. Now, it’s gone even further, with the first coach-built example of the Pininfarina Battista delivered to a client at The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering, one of the most prestigious events at Monterey Car Week. The delivery marks the introduction of the world’s first coach-built electric hypercar. Called the Battista Targamerica, the new hypercar is the first client-commissioned coach-built car from Automobili Pininfarina, and it’s truly bespoke. It features a silver and blue color scheme specially created to highlight its unique feature: an open-top body style. The client worked closely with Automobili Pininfarina to realize a perfect hypercar dream, including special details like a cigar humidor and redesigning the carbon fiber bodywork and monocoque to accommodate the open-top design. One-off wheels, a tan leather interior, and a tailored special luggage set combine the classic trappings of luxury performance cars with the individualized details of a coach-built bespoke masterpiece. With the introduction of the new Battista Targamerica, Automobili Pininfarina shows off its incredible potential to create one-of-a-kind hypercar masterpieces with collector-grade status and combine that with cutting-edge, futuristic electric power. Finance A Luxury or Exotic Car For Sale Image Source: Automobili Pininfarina

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By Tyler Rampersaud – June 11, 2024

Batman-Inspired Pininfarina Hypercars Displayed In Exclus...

Automobili Pininfarina brings the Bat Cave to life. The new Pininfarina Battista is one of the most groundbreaking hypercars on the market, with cutting-edge EV technology, record-breaking performance, elegant Pininfarina style, and sumptuous luxury. In many ways, it’s like a modern, real-life version of the idea that the Batmobile conveys, with high-tech features and sleek style. As such, Automobili Pininfarina created the ‘Gotham’ and ‘Dark Knight’ editions of the Battista and B95, two ultra-exclusive iterations of Pininfarina’s hypercars with configurations inspired by the Batman universe and Bruce Wayne’s character. On sale now to VIP guests, the cars are displayed in the new invitation-only ‘Wayne Enterprises Experience,’ a luxury experience in downtown Manhattan, New York. A luxurious seven-story townhouse has been transformed into a vision of Bruce Wayne’s own house, with luxury fashion and accessories, technology, jewelry, and, of course, Automobili Pininfarina hypercars. Every item, especially the hypercars, is on sale. Only one of each edition of the Battista and B95 will be made, making them some of the most exclusive collector-grade hypercars available. There are only four examples in the collection. As part of the luxury experience celebrating 85 years of Batman, the entire experience is a fantastic luxury journey worthy of Bruce Wayne’s name. View All Exotic Cars For Sale Image Source: Automobili Pininfarina

By Tyler Rampersaud – July 13, 2022

The New All-Electric, 1,874-HP Pininfarina Battista Has O...

Pininfarina has started production of the Battista, and the Atelier where it’s built is much more than just that. The Pininfarina Battista is not just the first car to wear the name of the world-famous Italian design house, it’s an all-electric hypercar capable of an incredible 1,874 horsepower and 1,726 lb/ft of torque, and the stunning design that the house was known for decades. Only 150 examples of the Battista will be made, but the Battista Atelier space at Pininfarina’s Cambiano, Italy facility is dedicated completely to these 150 cars, with not only the space to build each one, but also a commissioning lounge where prospective customers can get the best inspiration possible to design and create the Battista of their dreams. MUST READ: The Pininfarina Battista’s “Suono Puro” Soundscape Is Inspired By Classical Music With 10 weeks of assembly needed and 1,340 hours of work done by 10 craftspeople including bespoke work, the attention to detail involved in making the Battista is intense, with 14 production and quality assurance zones involved in the process. Each of the 150 Battistas will be bespoke, with each owner getting the opportunity to meet the team, and be taken through a detailed consultation process to configure the car. At Cambiano, clients have the opportunity to work with designers face-to-face at the Battista Atelier, ensuring the final design embodies perfection. The interior alone features 128 million possible configuration possibilities, meaning each Battista is bound to be unique. The ownership experience of the Battista promises to be peerless, with a “flying doctor” available to fly anywhere in the world to assist in special situations regarding the car. The team of these flying doctors has the ultimate expertise with the car, having been involved in the development of the owner’s manual and retail partner workshop manual. Deliveries of the Battista are set to commence this summer, and for clients, fans, onlookers, and the whole automotive world, things are about to be shaken up. View All Electric Cars For Sale Source: Automobili Pininfarina

By Tyler Rampersaud – April 12, 2022

The Pininfarina Battista's "Suono Puro" Soundscape Is Ins...

The Pininfarina Battista might be electric, but it’s far from silent. One thing that we have all come to know and love about gasoline-powered cars is the sound that the engine makes. As car enthusiasts, that sound comprises much of the character and personality of the cars we drive, and the quiet nature of electric cars has been a source for skepticism and reservation towards them. However, the Pininfarina Battista, Pininfarina’s fully electric hyper GT which features Pininfarina’s signature stunning looks, and a similarly stunning 1,900 horsepower, has an innovative solution to the problem. MUST READ: Pininfarina Chicago Announced as Official Retail Partner of Automobili Pininfarina It’s called Suono Puro, and Pininfarina calls it “the sound of sustainable luxury.” Inspired by classical music and the 432 Hz A note known to be sonically pleasant, Suono Puro involves different sounds that correspond to the Battista’s different driving modes, and encourages driving pleasure for any mood. The sound is sent into the cabin of the car through a 10-speaker, 1,300-watt sound system from Naim to produce an elegant sound that drivers can enjoy in the same way as an internal combustion engine sound, communicating both high performance and relaxed luxury. Source: Pininfarina

By Edward Jones – December 01, 2021

Pininfarina Battista Gets Tested On the Track by Race Car...

Just before deliveries start in 2022. Ex-Formula 1 driver and Le Mans 24-Hour winner Nick Heidfield is no stranger to the Pininfarina Battista. In fact, he's the Automobili Pininfarina Test and Development Driver and was filmed " title="YouTube video" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen> earlier this year. He's back again to test out the Battista, but this time he's behind the wheel of a "production-intent" version of the Italian hypercar. He had a lot to say regarding the Battista, but that's expected considering it's the most powerful Italian sports car that has ever been created. In regards to his recent time behind the wheel of the Battista, Nick Heidfeld said: “In this test I was able to drive Battista with full power available. The effect under acceleration is completely mindbending – drivers will never bore of the experience, no matter how many times they feel it. This road car sprints faster than a Formula 1 car, and in Furiosa mode, I was left with a huge grin on my face every time. Every client that experienced Battista with me was positively overwhelmed by the experience – there is simply nothing like it.” That Furiosa Mode that he mentioned is the mode where all 1,900 horsepower is available from the four independent electric motors. This incredible amount of power results in a 0 to 60 mph time of less than two seconds and a top speed of 217 mph. It's important that a highly-skilled driver such as Heidfield gives input on this mode as he is well-versed in the world of 200+ mph vehicles and knows how they should handle. Hypercars For Sale

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