Automobili Pininfarina and Naim Audio have announced a new partnership which sees the British audio brand providing a bespoke sound system for the Italian brand’s electric hypercar.
The Battista – not, unfortunately, named after former wrestler now actor, Dave Bautista – is a luxury electric car from Automobili Pininfarina. The company is currently in the process of developing its fleet of prototype Battista hypercars, and they’ve announced a partnership with Naim Audio to create a bespoke sound system for the €2 million hypercar.
You’ll need deep pockets to afford one and there won’t be many available. Only 150 electric hypercar Battistas will be made, all of them hand-crafted by Pininfarina in Cambiano (near Turin), with deliveries sent to start early 2021.
Automobili Pininfarina has integrated the Naim Audio speakers and electronics into the Battista’s sleek and shapely interior. Ten speakers will be arranged inside the cabin, with the system featuring a Dual Voice Coil Subwoofer between driver and passenger seats; along with super-tweeters for high frequencies found behind the seats and in the panels of Battista’s butterfly doors.
Naim has drawn on the expertise of sister-brand Focal to optimise the speakers for Battista’s interior, tuning the amplification and digital signal processing (DSP) to create what Pininfarina and Naim are calling a “truly immersive listening experience.”
Optimisation has been done for both the driver and passenger seats, with the speakers arrayed in a symmetrical layout to create an auditorium-like studio effect. The intention is that the music will have a realism and ambience that it would seem as if the musicians were playing in the Battista itself. One wonders how it would sound if Metallica were on the playlist.
Rene Wollmann, Automobili Pininfarina Director of Sportscars said: “Our clients are eagerly anticipating the unprecedented 1,900 PS driving performance of Battista, and now we will provide an equally thrilling 1,300 Watt in-car sound experience for their pleasure. We will also harness the sound of Battista’s four e-motors, which will provide a unique and exciting soundtrack when this hypercar accelerates at speeds up to 350 km/h. Electrification creates an entirely new dimension and opportunity for sound tuning throughout Battista.”
Charlie Henderson, Naim Audio Managing Director, commented: “I am thrilled that our first EV hypercar audio system has been created specifically for the groundbreaking Battista by Automobili Pininfarina. In the electric vehicle era, audio becomes more important than ever. At cruising speeds, the nature of Battista will be serene and peaceful and in this scenario, sound quality will be critical. We see this as a fantastic opportunity to create an all-new sound experience that is as revolutionary as Battista itself. Using the finest components from audiophile-grade automotive speakers, alongside our expertise in DSP and audio tuning, Battista will offer an exceptional sonic experience.”
The Automobili Pininfarina Battista will go on sale in 2021, but you can register your interest in the car now if you have a spare €2 million hiding in a cupboard somewhere.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
