Automobili Pininfarina environmentally conscious rides
At Automobili Pininfarina, clean energy meets a rich history of creating luxury rides & premium leathercraft.
And if you're like us, you're definitely curious to know more about their sustainable luxury car tech & get inside the head of Automobili Pininfarina's Head of Colour and Materials Design.
For 90 years Pininfarina has created and beautified cars on the cutting edge of technology and design. Originally imagined to fulfill Battista 'Pinin' Farina's dream of creating purely Pininfarina badged cars, the concept has evolved to embody the peak of auto luxury & innovation.
Nowadays, their creations have them at the forefront of the auto industry, and if you're responsible for the first all-electric hypercar ever, we think you deserve it. Not only is the Battista hypercar a zero-emission car but it can go faster than a Formula 1. Add a custom leather interior to the mix and we're straight up shook.
The luxury world has a powerful role in making sustainable choices in every creation. Pininfarina designs start with powerful ideas & premium craft.
Sara Campagnolo chatted with us in this exclusive about the brand's origins, sustainable practices, future plans, and, obviously, the fire luxury leather that goes into their designs. Scroll down & check it out.
Pininfarina has such a powerful history, from working with iconic brands to creating its own unique path. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Pininfarina has designed and built beauty for other brands for 90 years. In 2018, Automobili Pininfarina was founded to realize Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina’s dream of creating purely Pininfarina badged cars. Automobili Pininfarina works closely together with Pininfarina SpA in a unique partnership to ensure that the all-electric hypercar Battista and future product portfolio will be pure, beautiful, and innovative.
And what made you guys shift and seek the electric automotive industry?
With the aim of being the most sustainable luxury brand, we believe electrification is the way forward. It’s paving the way for innovative, clean mobility solutions.
How is your routine as Automobili Pininfarina's Head of Color and Materials Design? It sounds fascinating; how did it start?
I joined quite early in 2018. Since then it’s been very exciting to work at Automobili Pininfarina, and an incredible honor. My role, in particular, is quite a lucky one: I get to work in direct contact with many parts of the business, from Design to Engineering, Product Management, and Sales. At the same time, I am really proud of the approach to sustainability we have here.
Automobili Pininfarina can be described as the most sustainable luxury car brand in the world. How does your design process and way of production connect to this?
Luxury and sustainability are the foundation of everything we do. We not only design with this in mind but also make sure to select our suppliers and manufacturing processes in line with our sustainable philosophy.
Speaking of luxury, the freshly launched Battista Anniversario is very exclusive. What details make this design stand out?
For example, Battista Anniversario is comprised of a stunning combination of three signature colors and arguably the most complex hand-made paint finishes in the world. Skilled artisans at Pininfarina take approximately three weeks to paint each car, building up the finish layer-by-layer and color-by-color – all by hand. Battista Anniversario is also equipped with a revised carbon fiber front splitter, side blades, and rear diffuser. Exclusively on the Anniversario, these parts are finished in a two-tone combination of exposed signature carbon and carbon tinted in Iconica Blu with pinstripes in Bianco Sestriere. Further custom Anniversario details in and around the car include signature Pininfarina 90 logos, black anodized dedication door plaques with a homage to the founding of Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930, and a specially engraved chassis plate between the seats.
The Anniversario version is a celebration of the 90th anniversary of the visionary Pininfarina design. What makes the original concept and design so powerful that after so many years they got an update like this?
Pininfarina's designs have always been very innovative and timeless, true icons, and mostly ahead of their time. Battista Anniversario is a magnificent tribute to founder Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina to celebrate 90 years of legendary designs. The level of craftsmanship and detail that go into this is extraordinary.
Battista is considered the first all-electric hypercar ever, going even faster than a current Formula 1 car. What exactly does it mean to be a hypercar?
Performance is definitely a huge factor in what it means to be a hypercar. And of course rarity, no more than 150 Battista will be built, including just five cars in the limited Anniversario edition, each priced from 2.6 million Euros. For me, the Battista is not only a hypercar, it’s a hyper GT. It combines performance with beauty while taking into account the driving experience. The Battista is the most powerful road-legal Italian car ever made and we want our customers to enjoy the ultimate driving experience.
Its interior design gives a strong sporty vibe with an unforgettable luxury experience, especially covered in leather. Can you tell us about the creative process and the choice of materials?
We got inspired by some very technical interiors Pininfarina designed in the 60s, and wanted to recreate the same feeling. On the interior, the car is trimmed in black sustainable luxury leather and black Alcantara with stitching in black and Iconica Blu. The brushed aluminum detailing is anodized in Iconica Blu, while the steering wheel is clad in black sustainable luxury leather and exposed signature carbon.
Battista is a zero-emission car, how important is it to be environmentally conscious while producing a car? And does this apply to other parts of the design, like the material for the interior?
Sustainability is extremely important at Automobili Pininfarina and as a luxury brand we feel responsible for being pioneers in implementing sustainable solutions within our manufacturing processes as well. I apply this philosophy to all aspects of the business, including, of course, materials. For instance, we have chosen to use sustainably tanned leather for the Battista. We also have ideas for the future. Personally, I’d like to upcycle most of our production scraps, like leather or aluminum, into new beautiful materials for products to come. My goal is to create a circular economy.
Why do you think leather has such a close connection with cars? What's the power of leather that it keeps being used in each launch since the very early years of car history?
Leather is a beautiful material. It is authentic, luxurious, and unique. With its biodegradable properties and incredible durability, it is the perfect choice for a sustainable luxury brand.
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