Supercars are all about the numbers: the fastest acceleration, the highest top speed, the lowest weight. After all, most people will never get their hands on one — carmakers need their halo vehicles to be impressive on paper, not just in person. Luckily for Pininfarina, the company seems to have nailed that “numbers” aspect of supercar creation.
The is now, officially, the fastest-accelerating production car in the world. After quarter-mile tests in India, the car managed to edge out the Rimac Nevera’s blistering 8.582-second drag strip time by just a few hundredths, setting an 8.55-second record.
Quarter-mile testing isn’t the only reason the Battista made an Indian appearance, however. The car also set a half-mile time of 13.38 seconds, a 0-186 mph time of 10.5 seconds, and a top speed that just crested 222 mph. Turns out, putting nearly 2,000 horsepower in a lightweight supercar makes it quick. Who would’ve thought?
The testing appears to have taken place in India thanks to one of Pininfarina’s financial backers: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. That’s right, the company behind the now also boasts the world’s fastest-accelerating vehicle. That’s what we in the business world would call a diverse portfolio, and it really throws a wrench in all the schoolyard “dream garage from one automaker” discussions.
You may never get the chance to slip behind the wheel of a Pininfarina Battista, but you can take some pride in knowing its stats. Forum arguments about McLarens, Bugattis, and Lamborghinis can all be solved — there’s a new dominant player on the field.