Automobili Pininfarina Battista Hyper GT snags two more world records during first trip to India

European electric hypercar manufacturer Automobili Pininfarina continues to blaze through the world record books with its Battista Hyper GT. During its first trip to India, the all-electric handcrafted hypercar delivered some firsts for the country while nabbing two more world records for quarter- and half-mile sprints in a production vehicle.

Automobili Pininfarina GmbH is a Munich-based subsidiary of Indian automotive manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra, who purchased the Italian car design firm Pininfarina SpA in 2015. The automaker’s Italian roots come from the original Pininfarina, which was founded in 1930 by Battista “Pinin” Farina.

We’ve been following the Battista Hyper GT (also named after the original founder) since its debut at Monterey Car Week back in 2018, but it wasn’t until 2022 that Automobili Pininfarina truly began making newsworthy progress in EV innovation.

Last summer, the Battista began series production of its 150 planned units in Cambiano, Italy, each requiring 10 weeks to assemble and up to 1,340 hours of handcrafting to achieve each client’s unique vision that includes 128 million possible configurations of different colors and materials, ensuring each $2.5 million Battista is truly one of a kind.

That production run does not include the five ultrarare Anniversario editions already sold – one of which went to a lucky US customer this past October. In November 2022, Automobili Pininfarina took the Battista Hyper GT to the Middle East for the first, demonstrating its 1,900 horsepower and tremendous acceleration on a track in Dubai.

It was there that the automaker confirmed it had achieved a total of seven world records for the Battista:

• 0-60 mph in 1.79s (world record for a production car)
• 0-100 km/h in 1.86s (world record for a production car)
• 0-120 mph in 4.49s (world record for a production car)
• 0-200 km/h in 4.75s (world record for a production car)
• 100-0 km/h in 31 meters stopping distance (world record for an electric production car)
• Range of 300 miles (combined EPA) (world record for an electric hypercar)

Most recently, Automobili Pininfarina took the Battista to India for the first time and secured several additional firsts and a couple more world records to boot.

The Hyper GT recorded a quarter-mile sprint in 8.55 seconds and a half-mile sprint in 13.38 seconds, using Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires. Before that, the Battista was equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires for a top speed test that led to 358.03 km/h (222.47 mph) – taking the top spot as the fastest speed recorded in India (previously 332 km/h).

The top speed was achieved by Autocar India editor Hormazd Sorabjee. This was followed by the top speed achieved by his colleague Renuka Kirpalani (seen above), who clocked in at 357.10 km/h, setting a record as the fastest Indian female driver in the world. Both records have already been validated by the federation of motor sports clubs of India (FMSCI), an FIA affiliate. Automobili Pinifarina CEO Paolo Dellachà spoke to the Battista’s latest world records and other milestones in India:

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.

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.

The 150 bespoke Battista Hyper GTs will continue to be hand built in Italy while its makers continue to tally world records on tracks around the globe.