Automobili Pininfarina unveiled the Pininfarina B95 in California on Thursday, the brand’s first all-electric, hyper barchetta, aka a roadster designed without weather protection. The vehicle’s name is derived from its design, a barchetta, and its on-sale date, which will be Automobili Pininfarina’s 95th year in business.
But don’t expect to see many when they become available in 2025. The company plans to build 10, priced from €4.4 million, or $4.8 million, each one handcrafted between Pininfarina’s design team in Cambiano and individual clients. So no two should look alike.
The Pininfarina B95 is being displayed at Monterey Car Week alongside the recently revealed Battista Edizione Nino Farina hyper GT and the PURA Vision design concept, all of which share similar design DNA.
“We’re taking another big step forward,” said Paolo Dellachà, chief executive officer, Automobili Pininfarina. “The introduction of the B95 is the third of three essential building blocks this summer for our brand.”
The new Pura design language will be used on future Pininfarina vehicles across different segments, Dellachà said.
“Our collaboration with Pininfarina SpA, a design house with decades of experience crafting one-off cars for the world’s most prestigious luxury brands, ensures exceptional quality in execution and we look forward to continuing our close strategic partnership in future.”
A closer look
The B95 sports a hypercar profile, but its barchetta form lends it some unique detailing, such as a total lack of any side glass, not even a windshield. However, there are electrically adjustable aero screens with exposed aluminum supports and can be raised and lowered in a design inspired by vintage fighter planes.
As you might expect, the B95 makes extensive use of carbon fiber, and is finished with metallic Bronzo Superga paint, which incorporates gold metal flakes that allows it to change color depending on the time of day. For footwear, the B95 wears 20-inch rubber in front, 21 inches in the rear.
The cabin’s carbon-fiber instrument panel is sculpted to create a floating wing effect, and is finished in what Pininfarina describes as sustainable leather. Naturally, the seats have a race-inspired design, while the headrests feature the Pininfarina logo and a houndstooth design motif.
Power play
The B95 is powered by a T-shaped 120-kWh lithium-ion battery placed inside carbon fiber housing and generating 1,400 kW; that’s 1,874 horsepower. So, of course it’s fast. How about a 0-60 mph time of less than? Top speed is more than 186 mph.
The B95 is engineered with power flowing to a motor at each wheel as well as five driving modes — Calma, Pura, Energica, Furiosa and Carattere — that incorporate torque vectoring. The modes are activated using a rotary selector located next to the steering wheel.
Of course, using this car like it’s meant to be used means frequent recharging. Thankfully, the battery can be charged using DC fast chargers up to 270kW — with a 20%-80% charge taking as little as 25 minutes.
“Our Pura design philosophy has purity at its heart, a hallmark of the timeless designs of iconic vehicles from Pininfarina’s past,” said Dave Amantea, chief design officer, Automobili Pininfarina. “The mixture of classic proportions and exquisite detailing have allowed us to create something truly special.”
The B95 was conceived, designed, developed, engineered and built in Italy with help from Automobili Pininfarina’s Digital Innovation Hub in Germany. Automobili Pininfarina currently employs 116 people, so it’s a relatively small operation.
Small North American footprint
Automobili Pininfarina’s dealer network is small, but services America’s top markets. They include Newport Beach Automotive Group in Orange County, California; Lake Forest Sportscars, Chicago; Miller Motorcars, Greenwich, Connecticut; The Collection, Coral Gables, Florida; Automobili Pininfarina Denver, Highlands Ranch, Colorado; Luxury Cars Los Gatos, Los Gatos, California; O’Gara Coach, Beverly Hills, California; Pfaff Auto, Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada and Grand Touring Automobiles Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Automobili Pininfarina’s first production model, the Pininfarina Battista, debuted during Monterey Car week in 2021 with production limited to 150 units.
The company has established Automobili Pininfarina Americas to handle its business in North America.