Pininfarina Battista First Drive Review: More Hyper Than GT
Throughout its 92-year history, Italian design house Pininfarina has worked alongside brands such as Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia to pen some of the world’s most influential designs. In 2018, the Turin-based company launched Automobili Pininfarina, formally stepping into the ring as a manufacturer of high-end electric vehicles. The Battista is the young subsidiary’s first production car, and it’s breaking into the hypercar space with outrageous performance stats, sleek looks, and a price tag to match.
We recently went out to the canyons above Malibu for our first drive in the Battista and learned that Pininfarina calls it a “hyper GT.” In theory, this means a car that would be equally at home on a track or the open road. However, with nearly 1,900 horsepower on tap, enough luggage space for a pack of Hanes T-shirts, and a genuinely brain-melting driving experience, the Battista proved that it is significantly more “hyper” than “GT.”
Despite counting on four electric motors for propulsion, the Pininfarina Battista looks like a “traditional” mid-engined car. It shares its architecture and electric powertrain with the Rimac Nevera, which has a 120-kWh “T” shaped battery pack, housing most of its weight behind the passenger compartment. However, the Battista doesn’t share a production line with its Croatian mechanical sibling. Instead, the Italian carmaker receives a rolling chassis and completes the assembly in Turin.
Stepping back to the outer skin, the Battista’s styling appears to draw inspiration from the design houses’ past work with Ferrari. It’s sleek, low, and substantially wide. Its main active aero element is a retractable rear wing that sits flush with the bodywork when not used. It also doubles as an air brake when necessary and changes as you move through the car’s drive modes.
While there is a rear glass compartment to fit the available luggage set, cargo space remains at a premium. The trunk also blocks rear visibility, so you don’t get a rear window. Instead, the Battista relies on rear-facing cameras for visibility. Dimensionally, it’s about as long and wide as a Ferrari LaFerrari, so maneuvering it around tight spaces depending on cameras proved challenging.
There’s no denying that the Battista has the presence you’d expect from a hypercar. It takes one glance to know you’re dealing with something truly special. However, it impressed more due to its technical innovation rather than outright beauty.
Firing up the Battista proves more interesting than expected. In response to the lack of an idling engine note, Pininfarina opted to include a low-frequency hum. Its double purpose serves to warn pedestrians that the vehicle is on while adding to its overall mystique. If it sounds gimmicky on paper, we thought so too. However, it is a genuinely fun noise that leans on this car’s techy nature.
To the left of the steering wheel, you’ll find the car’s mode selector, which includes Carattere, Calma, Pura, Energica, and Furiosa. Carette serves as the car’s individual mode with selectable settings. Calma, which translates into “calm,” is the car’s most efficient mode while limiting power and retaining a softer suspension setup. Pura steps things up slightly but still limits power to around 1,000 HP. It also keeps the smooth suspension setup while delaying pedal response to improve around-town drivability. This is the “daily driver” mode, in which the Battista proved no more challenging to drive than any other EV.
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Stepping up to Energica boosts power up to around 1,400 HP while retaining all of your traction and stability control. Around the Malibu canyons, even this mode proved to be quite the handful. Pushing down the right pedal past 50 percent immediately pins your head to the seat and propels the car forward with incredible force. However, unlike most EVs that lose steam as you get up in speed, the Battista continues to build to seemingly no end.
Despite already leaning on overwhelming, there’s still one mode to go, Furiosa. Meaning “furious,” this mode is aptly named as you get the full force of the Battista’s max 1,874 hp and 1,726 lb-ft output. Flat out, it’ll hit 60 mph in less than two seconds before continuing to a top speed of 217 mph. Accelerating in this mode feels like poking an angry bear with a stick. Give the go pedal too much input, and you’ll teleport to the next corner as all the road signs blur around you. This car is not for this world, it may be street legal, but almost no roads come to mind where you can even begin to test its limits.
If there was ever a poster child for “how much power is too much?” this is it. The Battista’s standard Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires work overtime to find traction as the car shimmies under hard acceleration. Its clever torque vectoring system does a stellar job of controlling the power sent to each wheel through the corners. It’s the only way that a substantial power figure is manageable in the real world.
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While the Battista tips the scales at over 4,000 lb, it doesn’t feel so in the bends. That torque vectoring system does a great job of hiding the car’s overall weight while prioritizing grip. If that’s not enough, sticker Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires are available for track use. In Furiosa, the car’s suspension also tightens up, allowing it to crush corners with excellent stability.
Steering feel is somewhat lacking. Although its weight increases as you move through the modes, it isn’t all that talkative, and you’ll hear the tires losing grip before you’ll feel them doing so. For us, the ideal drive mode would be comfort steering and suspension and the 1,400 HP power setting. It’s the point right before the car goes from thrilling to terrifying.
In terms of efficiency, the 120-kWh battery pack has an estimated range of around 300 miles. Unfortunately, our time with the Battista was short and insufficient for proper range testing. Still, we did score a few hours of quick driving without losing substantial amounts of charge, so we’re inclined to believe those estimates.
In keeping with Pininfarina’s claimed hyper GT status, the Battista’s cabin proved a roomy place to spend a few hours. There’s plenty of space to spread out and enough headroom so that even the tallest among us won’t feel claustrophobic. Unlike any hypercar we’d driven before, the Battista’s doesn’t feature virtually any buttons. Instead, you navigate the car’s settings by two screens that flank the driver on either side.
On the left screen, you have your vehicle settings, such as your climate controls, seat adjustment, steering wheel alignment, and any setting that previously required a physical button. The screen on the right is where your onboard infotainment system lives. It offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity while housing a slick UI. Even during our short stint, the screens were intuitive to use and offered the benefit of cleaning up the cabin’s interior design.
The last screen sits directly in front of the driver and houses vital information such as your speed and state of charge. It’s small but visible through the steering wheel.
While its seats offered good bolstering for a drive in the canyons, they weren’t nearly as aggressive as a bucket seat. The chairs in the car we drove were comfortable enough for a good long road trip. There was support in all the right places while retaining generous padding. For the lucky 150 owners, the Battista will prove a car they don’t have to wait for a special occasion to drive. This could easily double as one of the world’s most expensive daily drivers.
Aside from its limited production run, each Battista starts at $2.2 Million. However, the sky is the limit in terms of customization. From exposed carbon fiber with various hues to virtually any material available for the interior, the only limit to this hyper EV’s customizations are its customer’s wallet and imagination.
Following a few hours of driving through the Malibu canyons, it’s clear that the Battista is not just another hypercar. It and its mechanical sibling, the Rimac Nevera, redefine what we thought peak public-road speed could be. Anyone purchasing one of these cars should immediately sign up for a performance driving school to hone their skills. In its full-power Furiosa mode, this car can quickly overwhelm its driver with its instantaneous power delivery.
This car’s greatest strength is a double-edged sword. While its brutal acceleration is intoxicating and shoots your heart rate to the moon, it gets to a point where its driver is managing the car more than outright enjoying it. The Battista is a wolf in wolf’s clothing and a proper hypercar. However, while it may be more “hyper” than “GT,” there are remnants of the latter. Slow things down, set the suspension in its softest setting, and you can settle in for a comfortable ride in a massive technological achievement that gives us a glimpse of what the future holds for the world’s quickest and most expensive machines.
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2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible Review: Lone Segment Leader
by Gabriel Vega
How do you judge a car that has no competitors?
This seldom happens in the auto industry as fierce rivals create carbon copies of each other’s work to get their slice of that segment’s pie. However, in the case of the 2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible and its tongue-twisting name, it seemingly stands alone. As of writing, you can’t order a Mercedes-AMG C63 Cabriolet, and Audi never produced a drop-top variant of the current-gen RS 5.
Despite a running start, the convertible M4 doesn’t take its early lead for granted. With an as-tested price of $107,095, including a $995 destination fee, this sporty Bavarian falls in a performance sweet spot. More than an Audi S5 Convertible or AMG C 43 Cabriolet, but less than an SL Roadster or R8, the M4 Convertible’s top competitor is its coupe sibling.
With the same 503 horsepower straight-six under the hood, engaging driving experience, but with the added benefit of glorious exhaust noises, this drop-top proves the coupe shouldn’t immediately be your top pick.
Styling/Design
For the most part, the 2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible is a big handsome-looking thing. While its controversial nose is still a point of contention for some, strong sales figures suggest that the folks actually lining up to buy an M3/M4 become quick fans of the design.
As our week with the M4 Competition closed, its unusual front-end styling still hadn’t worked its magic on us. Luckily, its appeal does seem to be quite dependent on color. For example, the Brooklyn Grey Metallic finish on our tester highlights the front’s large intakes, while stealthier finishes such as Tanzanite Blue II Metallic, Isle of Man Green Metallic, and Black Sapphire Metallic allow them to hide in plain sight.
Front-end aside, the M4 Competition xDrive Convertible has a menacing presence. Its generous dimensions may convince you it’s a GT at first sight, but its widened bodywork, strong shoulder line, and low stance scream sports car. Its staggered set of 19/20-inch M Double-Spoke wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber is a particular highlight as their two-tone finish helps them appeal larger, visually filling out the large wheel wells.
The main focal point of this car’s rear end is its enormous carbon-fiber diffuser housing four large exhaust tips. Supplemented by aggressive lines in the rear bumper, these elements combine to widen the car visually. There’s no mistaking an M4 for a standard 4-Series.
While its predecessor counted on a folding metal roof, this newest version returns to the soft tops of old. According to BMW, this has profound weight benefits as the new fabric top is 40 percent lighter than the outgoing hard-top. From a visual standpoint, the black roof provides a nice contrast against the lighter paintwork, matching darker carbon fiber elements and the two-tone wheels. It takes 18 seconds to retract and can do so at up to 31 mph.
Fans of the nose will find no other gripes with the rest of this car’s styling. It’s sleek and imposing while drawing on styling elements of previous generations while looking squarely at the brand’s future. However, it’ll take only one drive to have even the harshest critics forgiving its looks.
Handling/Performance
Over the last ten years, performance cars have become astronomically fast. Supercar-quick is an understatement, and the 2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible is no exception. It is a proper powerhouse, powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine delivering 503 hp and 479 lb.-ft of torque. Despite a curb weight of 4,306 lb, 327 lb more than its coupe equivalent, it still reaches 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. The 0-60 penalty is only 0.2 seconds compared to an equivalent coupe.
In the real world, however, these slight differences are imperceptible. No one climbing out of the drop-top can tell its straight-line performance apart from its lighter sibling. Its xDrive all-wheel drive system is to thank for this. While it remains a rear-biased system, it helps the M4 put all its power down. In contrast, a rear-drive M3 Competition we tested last year proved eager to light up its rear tires during a launch.
Hit the canyons, and the M4 Competition Convertible’s all-wheel drive nature comes to the forefront. There’s significantly more grip through the corners, and its limits proved higher than its rear-drive counterparts. While you sacrifice outright front-end agility, you get a higher level of composure as you try and test its limits. Dialing back stability control is an excellent example of this. Where a rear-drive M4 may become squirrely, its xDrive sibling seemingly claws its way out of corners.
The onboard eight-speed ZF automatic transmission proves that a dual-clutch box isn’t necessary to make an engaging sports car. While we have yet to drive a three-pedal M3/M4, this ZF unit proved incredibly quick in its most aggressive settings while neatly fading into the background around town. Its only downside is that you won’t get those crisp downshifts you got in the previous model. It’s quick, just not razor sharp.
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Although chassis flex is a common topic when dealing with 2023 convertibles, there’s none to report here. Within that 327 lb gain between an xDrive coupe and the convertible, you get all the additional strengthening BMW implemented to retain rigidity. Even after multiple runs in the canyons, we couldn’t detect any unusual movement. Sure, at 4,306 lb, the drop-top is a chunky thing, but wobbly it is not.
With the top down, its active exhaust delivered a wonderful throaty note. As its predecessor was far from the best-sounding M car, this was a welcomed addition. This will be the most significant deciding factor between this and its coupe counterpart, as this drop-top sports car matches its sibling in every other performance aspect.
Its steering is hefty. In traditional BMW fashion, it goes from weighty to downright heavy as you move up to the most aggressive drive modes. While the wheel is willing to communicate, it only seems to do so when you’re really pushing this car. If you’re cruising along, it’s more weight than actual feedback. As a result, you’re only properly connecting with this car when tackling corners faster than you probably should.
Our tester did not feature the optional carbon-ceramic brakes for $8,500. However, the standard compound brakes proved strong, even after multiple spirited drives. Given this car’s heft and tremendous pace, we were glad that they were not only effective but very consistent throughout a full day of testing.
So then, the BMW M4 Competition Convertible is a proper M car, even without a roof. However, if this car has any flaw, it’s that it doesn’t ever dial itself back. Sure, a stiff, planted two-door is ideal for a Sunday drive, but during the week around town, its adaptive suspension never entirely leaves stiff mode. Around Los Angeles’ poorly maintained roads, it proved bouncy while translating even the smaller road imperfection into in-cabin discomfort. However, one key interior option may make all the difference.
Tech/Interior
Inside, the 2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible feels like a premium product, even with a six-figure price tag. Our tester featured carbon fiber seemingly everywhere and an ultra-bright shade of Kyalami Orange leather with a contrasting shade of black. This interior is not for everyone. It is a true love-it or hate-it scenario. In our case, it was a major win, especially on an otherwise executive-friendly car.
While their leather finish is a winner, the seat’s ergonomics are not. Our tester featured the optional $3,800 M carbon bucket seats. While they are stunning to look at with a full carbon back and pass-through sections around your torso, sitting comfortably in them proved challenging. The main culprit is the side bolstering, which holds you in quite tightly if you’re of any size and makes ingress and egress a struggle.
In the canyons, their track-focused nature means you won’t shift around through high-speed corners. However, around town, you may find yourself searching for personal space. Add a sizeable carbon-fiber centerpiece between your thighs, and you’ll need to be properly slim to sit comfortably. Combined with the M4 Competition’s stiff suspension, you’ll have a sports car that can’t double as a cruiser. However, the move here is to leave the M4’s standard seats. They offer excellent bolstering, plenty of padding, and work to offset some of the suspension’s harshness.
The rest of the interior proved well-built and nicely laid out. In front of the driver, a configurable 12.3-inch instrument cluster relays all the relevant information with stunning graphics. At the same time, a 10.25-inch infotainment screen in the center houses iDrive 7.0 and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. It’s worth mentioning that during our week, the M4 never made a strange rattle or had even the slightest trim misalignment.
With the top up, interior noise remained minimal, even on the highway. While it may not be exactly as quiet as its coupe sibling, it delivers the sound-deadening you’d expect from a premium product.
Pricing
Our tester comes in at $107,095, including a $995 destination fee. It starts at $86,300, but costly options such as the M carbon bucket seats for $3,800, M carbon exterior package for $4,700, and M driver’s package for $2,500 quickly get us to that elevated as-tested figure. Looking through the configurator, our tester was only a few available options, such as the $8,500 carbon-ceramic brakes.
Closing Thoughts
As the 2022 BMW M4 Competition xDrive Convertible proves that it can go toe-to-toe with a comparable coupe in handling, speed, and enjoyment, the main deciding factor will be the drop-top experience. With this latest iteration, BMW has eliminated most of the common drawbacks associated with convertibles, leaving customers to decide solely on the type of experience they’d like.
However, while this specific M4 proves to be an excellent sports car, its price tag makes it not the one to get. At $107,095 as-tested, this M4 has nearly every available optional extra. We’d have no problem recommending them if they genuinely altered the driving experience. However, this M4 Competition Convertible xDrive comes with everything you need right out of the box. So if open skies on a Sunday drive are a must, avoid costly options, and you’ll have a properly priced sports car that won’t disappoint.
2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Review: Underappreciated Overachiever
by Gabriel Vega
Surrounded by controversy, the world first saw the highly-anticipated fifth-generation Toyota Supra in January 2019. BMW bones and a German heart left many die-hard fans saddened that this once-iconic model had gone west for its engineering. Despite this, the Supra won over some of its harshest critics thanks to its small size, formidable performance, and sleek styling. However, this sporty two-door has fallen entirely out of the spotlight three years from its unveiling. Sales figures back this sentiment as Toyota sold fewer Supras month over month this year than in 2021.
A big reason could be that the sub-$60,000 sports car segment has grown considerably, including the latest Nissan Z, BMW M240i, Audi RS 3, and Mercedes-AMG CLA 45. With more options available, it became easy for the Supra to fall from the spotlight and into the shadows as it struggled to connect with its target demographic. However, skimming over the new Supra is a mistake. Watching the Supra go up against the newest metal only highlights its true strengths. It may not be the quickest or most powerful, but this sporty two-door delivers an exciting driving experience, surprising performance, and a distinct aesthetic. After a week behind the wheel, it’s clear that this car is not only worthy of praise but your attention as well.
2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Styling/Design
Toyota seriously messed up by unveiling its FT-1 Concept back in 2014. Low-slung, aggressive, and with hips that would have even the best plastic surgeons taking notes, the FT-1 got us all properly excited about the Supra’s future. Seeing the real thing then felt like a bait and switch. Gone were the sleek, stretched-out proportions in exchange for a much smaller, shorter, and narrower body. BMW is largely to blame as the Supra had to make do with the Z4’s structure, which meant morphing and downsizing.
While it may not be exactly its designer’s original vision, that doesn’t stop the Supra from being properly beautiful. You can tell just by looking at it that its creators tried hard to keep the FT-1’s greatest bits. From its pointed nose, sloping roofline, and widened hips, the Supra proves that great things can still come in small packages. There’s even more, to see as you step closer. Its enormous front hood effortlessly blends onto the front arches, removing shut lines and visually widening the front end. A small integrated kick-up spoiler contrasts nicely against the rear arches at the back, leading your eyes upward and away from the downward curves. The Supra needs no additional aero trickery to deploy its appeal. It’s well thought out and instantly recognizable as something special.
The tester I’ve been driving around for the past week is a clear example of this. It sports no exterior options. Even its Renaissance Red 2.0 paint comes standard. While this is for the better, it isn’t despite many choices. The most significant option is the carbon fiber mirror caps for $925. Its classic sports car proportions, widened bodywork, and endless curvy lines are enough to keep your eyes happy.
2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Engine/Performance
There’s more to the Toyota Supra’s performance than what you see on paper. Sure, its turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six delivers a healthy 382 horsepower and 368-pound feet. But that still places it behind competitors like the 400-hp Nissan Z and the 401-hp Audi RS 3. Despite the on-paper deficit, the Supra feels no slower than its competitors in the real world. An eight-speed automatic transmission quickly dispatches all available power to the rear wheels, resulting in a run to 60 mph of 3.9 seconds.
Behind the wheel, you’d swear the Supra pushes out over 400 hp. It feels that quick, both off the line and at speed. Its inline-six is already an overachiever in the AWD M240i, but it has a few hundred pounds less to lug around in the Toyota. Thanks to a sporty exhaust system with enough pops and bangs to rival even the sketchiest backyard tune; you can also hear it roar. Like most inline-sixes, its song is silky smooth, contrasting the Z’s high-pitched V6. Lift off the gas, and the pops roll in. Thankfully, they’re not overdone and fit the Supra’s sporty nature.
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In the canyons, the Supra proves that age has done it well. I recall driving the 2020 model year car, and it left much to be desired. It was less powerful, and its suspension didn’t inspire confidence. This 2022 version is much improved. Not only does it remain stable through the twisty stuff, but it also retains a fair amount of comfort around town. There’s still plenty of body roll here as it’s not entirely flat in the bends. However, this aids the overall driving experience by adding a bit of fun and drama to an otherwise serious-feeling car. BMW’s take on the same platform is much more restrained and composed, so this is the sibling that’s eager to play.
The Supra isn’t a handful to drive. Tight bends at high speeds result in slight bits of understeer from the front end, but it easily transitions into controllable oversteer at the rear. With all the safety systems on, the Supra never steps out of line, inspiring confidence behind the wheel. Speaking of which has decent feedback. Under load, you’ll be able to feel what the front wheels are up to, even if it can get artificially heavy in the sportiest modes. On-center feel isn’t great, but at least the steering lets you know it’s alive from time to time, unlike some of the Supra’s closest competitors.
Stepping on the brakes reveals one of the Supra’s limitations. You won’t find enlarged brakes bringing this coupe to a halt. They seem to be standard BMW brakes. While these perform as intended around town, brake fade isn’t uncommon during a very sporty drive.
2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Interior/Tech
The Toyota Supra’s interior lets you know just how tight it is, even before you step in. If you’re not careful, you may bump your head on its aggressively sloping roof while trying to crouch in. Ask me how I know. Instead, you’ll want to treat it almost like a supercar, requiring a careful maneuver to avoid any impacts. Once inside, you’re met with the Supra’s tiny windshield that doesn’t do much in the way of visibility. The same can be said for the rear window that’ll have you praising the excellent reversing camera. At 5’10, I found there wasn’t much headroom left, so drivers pushing over six feet will likely struggle.
The seat is a different story. Its placement is spot on and offers ample adjustment to score the ideal positioning. While you won’t find aggressive side bolsters, the front chairs do an excellent job of keeping you in place through the corners. An added benefit is that they don’t squeeze you around town, making them perfect for daily driver duties. Ergonomics aside, the leather and build quality are spectacular. This is one of the main benefits of the partnership with BMW. It may be standard for something like a 3 Series but is well above the norm in a Toyota.
Tech-wise, the Supra benefits from BMW’s best bits. It includes a digital instrument cluster and a wide central infotainment screen featuring the latest iDrive system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also come standard. However, the native infotainment system is polished and easy to navigate.
2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Pricing
With a base price of $51,640 plus a $1,025 destination fee, the GR Supra 3.0 is priced right in line with its closest competitors. Our Premium trimmed tester brings that base price up to $55,815. Even at this price point, the Supra remains appropriately priced. Thanks to a lack of a long options list, that base price won’t balloon by selecting extras. All of the Supra’s best bits come standard.
2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Closing Thoughts
After a week and a few hundred miles in the 2022 Toyota GR Supra 3.0, it’s clear that it still has plenty of fight left in it. Thanks to its engaging driving dynamics that are easily controllable and exploitable, the Supra delivers fun at all speeds. It may not have a massive power output on paper, but real-world miles reveal it has more than enough grunt. It may also be the best-looking vehicle in its segment. Sure it isn’t FT-1 pretty, but it offers sleek lines and curves its rivals can’t compete with. For those of you shopping in the sub $60,000 range for a sports car, there isn’t a clear winner amongst the crowd, but the Supra makes a strong case for itself as one of the top contenders.
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