Pininfarina Battista electric hypercar goes topless in £4m B95 barchetta
Imagine what 1,874bhp will do to your hair...
Italian design house-turned electric hypercar maker Pininfarina is set to unveil its latest creation, the open-topped B95.
The name is an amalgam of the “B” from Barchetta, which is Italian for little boat but has come to refer to a variety of open-topped sports cars, and Pininfarina’s 95th anniversary — due to take place in 2025, when deliveries of the B95 are expected to begin.
The Pininfarina B95 was revealed at Monterey Car Week in California, where it lines up alongside the Battista Edizione Nino Farina — first shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July — and the Pura Vision, a concept car that helped to shape the B95.
Battista-based
The B95 uses the underpinnings of the Pininfarina Battista (which is turn is closely related to the Rimac Nevera) but it has been retuned for the open-topped machine.
- Pininfarina Battista review: A collectable Italian hypercar that just happens to be an EV (with 1,874bhp)
- Rimac Nevera review: On road and track with the fastest electric car in the world (and yes, it drifts)
There’s a large battery pack with a 120kWh capacity, and a maximum of 1,874bhp on tap from the four electric motors. There’s one electric motor for each wheel, while a five-stage torque vectoring system helps the driver tailor the power delivery to their tastes.
Pininfarina quotes a 0-60mph time of less than two seconds for the B95 and a top speed in excess of 186mph, while the charging system is able to take a DC ultra-rapid charge of up to 270kW, which means a 20-80 per cent top-up can take as little as 25 minutes.
While the B95 uses the same electric running gear as the Battista, it’s cloaked in all-new open-topped bodywork. According to Pininfarina CEO Paolo Dellachà, the B95 features “a retro-futuristic vision, fusing classic motorsport themes with the latest technological innovations, materials and processes.”
The barchetta body is hand-crafted, with a slender light bar and grille up front and a similar treatment at the back. The low-slung lines are interrupted by the twin headrests with fairings that flow down into the car’s rear end.
In addition, a hump in front of the driver houses the dials, while Pininfarina has fitted clear polycarbonate aero screens with exposed aluminium supports that can be adjusted to smooth airflow over the cockpit. If owners want to maintain the car’s clean lines while driving, Pininfarina offers the chance to add bespoke colour-coordinated helmets that can be worn while driving the B95.
Only 10 B95s will be produced, at a price of £3.75 million before taxes. As you would expect at that price, customers will be able to build the car to a bespoke specification, so all 10 will be unique.
The car revealed in Monterey showcased some of the options available, including metallic bronze paint with a gloss yellow nose and buttresses, as well as plenty of exposed carbon fibre and forged alloy wheels measuring 20in up front and 21in at the rear.
Inside, tan leather upholstery is used on the carbon-shelled race seats, the doors and dashtop, while black-and-white houndstooth fabric features on the headrests.
“The B95 is elegant, bold, beautiful and innovative,” declared company chairman Paolo Pininfarina. “Everything that defines a true Pininfarina design. It will be the perfect celebration of the 95th anniversary of Pininfarina, and will deliver a statement of intent for Automobili Pininfarina as it develops an incredible portfolio of new luxury electric cars.”
Related articles
- If you were interested in the new Pininfarina B95, you might like to see the new Pininfarina Pura Vision concept SUV
- Did you know that Bugatti and Rimac have joined forces?
- Or read our review of the Pininfarina Battista
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