While electric car enthusiasts will lord the green benefits of their battery-powered vehicles, few will ever refer to them as sexy. But this latest EV looks set to change all that.
The stunning new Automobili Pininfarina B95 with its roofless design will had even the most steadfast internal combustion engine fan hot under the collar.
The near-silent performance car has been unveiled at Monterey Car Week and hailed ‘the world’s first pure-electric, open top hyper Barchetta’, boasting a 0-to-60mph acceleration time of under two seconds and a top speed in excess of 186mph.
But they won’t make many of them and they won’t be cheap, with the German outfit confirming it will be more expensive than a Bugatti Chiron.
Video: Check out the incredible Pininfarina B95 electric hypercar
Just 10 examples will be produced, each costing from €4.4million without options – that’s £3.75million to us Britons and around half a million pounds more than Bugatti’s W16 Chiron.
The Munich-based EV manufacturer, which is the result of a merger with the iconic Italian design house and coachbuilder Pininfarina SpA since 2021, says the B95’s ‘flowing open-topped bodywork contrasts with exquisite technical details to provide a dramatic interpretation of a classic racer, underpinned by pure-electric performance’.
The hand-built hypercars will be delivered from 2025, which is also the 95th anniversary of Pininfarina SpA.
This explains the EV’s name, with ‘B’ standing for barchetta, which is the Italian reference for a small open-topped car.
Each will be meticulously curated by Pininfarina and its ten lucky – and well-heeled – clients, ensuring complete exclusivity as no two will be the same.
At the heart of its ‘state-of-the-art’ electric powertrain is a high-capacity, T-shaped, liquid-cooled 120kWh lithium-ion battery generating peak power of 1,400kW (1,878bhp).
That’s almost 400bhp – the equivalent of a Mercedes A45 AMG hot hatch – more than Bugatti’s quad-turbocharged combustion-engine hypercar.
The battery sits within a lightweight carbon fibre housing and can be charged using DC fast chargers up to speeds of 270kW – meaning the fastest of all ultra-rapid devices could theoretically boost capacity from 20 to 80 per cent in as little as 25 minutes.
Power is delivered to the road via four independent electric motors – one driving each wheel, which are forged aluminium rims – 20 inches at the front, 21 inches at the rear.
And five different driving modes – tempered by full torque vectoring technology – will enable users to tailor power delivery and handling to suit their preference and the road conditions.
But as startling as the performance figures are, the design of the B95 is what is likely to trigger jaws to hit the tarmac.
It’s swooping bodywork, which wraps around into the front bumpers and rolls over the wheel arches to create muscular appearance, is arguably the most beautiful penwork we’ve seen on an EV yet.
The barchetta design means there’s not enclosed cabin, with the cockpit having a surrounding loop that incorporates the seats and the domes behind each passenger.
As well as there being no roof, there’s also no windscreen. In fact, it has no glass at all.
However, the open-top driving experience will be moderately enhanced by a world’s first electronically adjustable aero screen setup.
One for the driver and separately-operated fly screen for the passenger, Pininfarina says they take inspiration from vintage fighter planes and motorcycles.
‘The application of technology to create our adjustable aero screens is inspired by two-wheel motor racing – ensuring this is a pioneering road car,’ said Andrea Crespi, Automobili Pininfarina’s chief technical officer.
‘This patented new technology enables the thrill of open-top driving, yet in comfort even at the high speed that the B95 is capable of reaching.’
The lightweight polycarbonate screens are framed by aluminium supports that can be raised and lowered with the press of a button to provide some wind protection at speed while also ‘preserving design integrity’.
Clients can also order bespoke helmets, in a finish coordinated to match their chosen B95 specification.
The interior is described as ‘the epitome of a classic race car meeting futuristic design’.
Once seated in the snug cabin, the driver is faced with a central portrait digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel that’s flanked by a pair of screens.
The cockpit design – including the seats and carbon-fibre dashboard – are shaped to look as if they merge with the exterior so that the bonnet almost flows into the cabin.
Where elements of the interior are upholstered, the show model is wrapped in tan ‘sustainable luxury leather’ to replicate that of a classic race car.
Paolo Pininfarina, chairman of Pininfarina SpA, said: ‘The B95 is elegant, bold, beautiful, and innovative. Everything that defines a true Pininfarina design.
‘It will be the perfect celebration of the 95th anniversary of Pininfarina, which has an unrivalled history creating rare icons that are now the most revered and sought-after collectors’ cars in the world.
‘B95 will undoubtedly continue this legacy and also deliver a statement of intent for Automobili Pininfarina as it develops an incredible portfolio of new luxury electric cars.’
Dave Amantea, the chief design officer, adds: ‘Our design philosophy has purity at its heart, a hallmark of the timeless designs of iconic vehicles from Pininfarina’s past.
‘The Barchetta silhouette is instantly recognisable, but it was our job to make it beautiful.
‘The mixture of classic proportions and exquisite detailing have allowed us to create something truly special. We’re allowing customers to drive a dream with B95 – something that defines the brand moving forward.’
He added: ‘B95 delivers the power of Battista and yet creates a new dimension of driving experience, redefining the very joy of driving. It is the first of a new kind, an object of desire that introduces the thrill of exceptional, electrified performance in stunning open-top form.
Will it fit in my garage? Pininfarina B95
Price: from €4.4m (£3.75m)
Production run: 10 models
First deliveries: 2025
Length: 4,912 mm
Height: 1,214 mm
Width: 2,035mm
Wheelbase: 2,745 mm
Battery: 120kWh T-shaped liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack in centre tunnel and behind seats
Charging time: 20-80% in 25 minutes (DC fast charging)
Electric motors: Four independently powering each wheel with full torque vectoring
Max power output: 1,878bhp (1,400kW)
Max torque: 2,340Nm
Acceleration (0-62 mph): Under 2.0 seconds
Top speed: Over 186 mph (300 km/h)
CO2 emissions: 0g/km
Brakes: Brembo CCMR carbon-ceramic 390mm discs with six-piston calipers front and rear
Wheels: 20-inch front and 21-inch rear forged aluminium
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