Engineers at Automobili Pininfarina are working to refine the performance of their first model, the Battista. Rene Wollmann, director of sports car, and development driver Nick Heidfeld are working closely to tune the vehicle’s power, torque and vehicle dynamics.
Wollmann said, “The aerodynamic performance we witnessed with Battista in the Pininfarina wind tunnel was almost identical to our expectations following CFD modeling. Fine-tuning the aero package using CFD, wind tunnel and dynamic simulation means we can confidently predict a significant increase in the potential range of Battista versus our original prediction of 450km [280mph] on a single charge. This is fantastic news for future Battista owners.”
Heidfeld’s time in the simulator has been focused on assessing and defining the driving experience, working with Automobili Pininfarina engineers to fine-tune the hypercar’s aerodynamics, minimize drag and maximize cooling.
Heidfeld commented, “Driving an early version of Battista in the simulator was an amazing experience. The preparation, setup and execution of the first runs of a brand-new hyper car with unprecedented levels of performance were excellent – comparable to any first simulation sessions I ran in my motorsport career. Most impressive was how well the car handled. But of course, as I expected, the sheer acceleration is totally mind-blowing and incomparable with any car I have experienced, from road or track.”
