—all wanting to have their models dressed in the atelier’s patrician bodywork, which looked like it had been sculpted by the wind and came to define the golden age of motorsport. And while most coachbuilders shuttered when growing postwar demand increased automation, Pininfarina persevered all the way into the EV era, though now owned by India’s
and divided into a commercial design house and the nascent automaker responsible for the controlled fury I’m currently piloting. James Lipman Considering the approximately $2.4 million entry point for the Battista, of which only 150 will be made, I’m initially underwhelmed when climbing into the cockpit despite vibrant yellow contrast stitching set against the geometrically patterned upholstery. The steering wheel’s controls, the two 10.3-inch touchscreen displays on either side, the small telemetry screen in front, and the two selector knobs below constitute the entirety of the dash instrumentation.
Although each of the dynamic settings varies the output’s composed soundtrack, I barely perceive the subtle song over the bombardment of gravel against the low-slung coupe’s undercarriage as the 20-inch forged-aluminum wheels, shod in custom Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R rubber, explore the edges of the road.