I drove a $2 million electric car with 1,900 horsepower and saw the incredibly fast future of supercars

• I drove the Pininfarina Battista, a new electric supercar that costs $2.2 million and up.
• The Italian electric vehicle develops 1,900 horsepower from four electric motors and reaches 62 mph in under two seconds.
• It accelerates faster than I even thought possible.

You know that scene in “Top Gun: Maverick” where Tom Cruise’s character flies his fighter plane through the desert at ridiculous speeds, every muscle tensing to fight off the extraordinary G-forces?

That’s kind of what driving the Pininfarina Battista is like. At least, that’s how I felt in my head – minus the majestic soundtrack and the threat of nuclear war.

Tim Levin / Insider

The $2.2 million, 1,900 horsepower electric supercar is blazingly fast and scary, promising to hit 62 mph from a standstill in under two seconds. He’s also amazing in just about every other way, from the way he growls in slow motion to his jaw-dropping looks. The Battista doesn’t just prove that EVs aren’t glorified golf carts or boring commuter cars – it’s also a great reason to buy a Powerball ticket once in a while.

Tim Levin / Insider

The Battista is the first model of Pininfarina, a new car brand derived from the famous Italian design studio of the same name. The hypercar is named after the company’s founder, Battista “Pinin” Farina, who always wanted to launch his own car, but never had the opportunity to design iconic models for Ferraris and others.

This history shines through in the classic and timeless silhouette of the Battista. But underneath it’s about the present and pushing the boundaries of what an EV can be.

Tim Levin / Insider

Approach the Battista and you’ll detect a pulsating, futuristic roar that tells you this is no ordinary vehicle. In its quietest ride setting — aptly named “Calma” — the sound is low, almost undetectable. Shifting into Furiosa mode unleashes all the monstrous power of the supercar and a loud, aggressive rumble to match. Touch the car and you can feel it vibrate, despite the lack of an engine.

The Battista keeps purring even when it’s in motion, because what’s the point of buying a flashy supercar if no one knows how to turn around and spot it. The soundscape – while artificial – injects theater and drama into a car that might as well be as quiet as a Tesla or Nissan Leaf.

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Like any supercar worth its extremely expensive salt, the Battista has doors that open – not out. They include a section of the roof, so you don’t have to stoop too low to get in.

Behind the wheel, the Battista gives off the vibrations of a spaceship or airplane more than a regular automobile. Its low and deep seats hug you well. Its cockpit features two touchscreens flanking the steering wheel that are angled towards the driver. A small screen just behind the steering wheel shows only crucial information like your speed and range so as not to distract you from the road ahead. A pair of substantial, glossy knobs serve as selectors for the Battista’s ride settings and gears.

Tim Levin / Insider

My test car was upholstered in gorgeous tan leather on the seats, center console, doors, and dash. But each of Battistas Pininfarina’s 150 construction projects will be unique; each combination of options chosen by a customer will not be available to future buyers. Each car takes about 1,300 man-hours to produce, according to Pininfarina.

I hit the road for the first time, fully aware that millions of dollars worth of painstakingly engineered machinery was now in my hands. I started in Calma because I had an idea of ​​what the supercar can do.

Tim Levin / Insider

Things were totally manageable. After all, Calma unlocks only around 700 horsepower and primarily employs two of the Battista’s four engines. (It has one driving each wheel.) In this most efficient setting, the Battista can travel 300 miles between charging stops, according to the EPA.

With a satisfying click of the rotary dial to my left, I upped the intensity, switching to Pura, then Energica. Each time, the Battista’s acceleration grew fiercer and the artificial driving sound pumped into the cabin louder and more intimidating.

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Eventually my co-driver, one of Pininfarina’s top engineers, suggested I might be ready for Furiosa – to see what the Battista can do when all of its 1,900 horsepower and 1,726 lb-ft of torque are unleashed. . I thought I was ready too.

I was not ready.

I got to a clear stretch of road, grabbed the steering wheel and grounded him. In an instant – less than an instant, if that’s even possible – the Battista was just gone, hurtling down the road faster and faster until I released the accelerator, emerging from the time warp in which I was standing and stepping back into reality.

Tim Levin / Insider

Then all I could do was gasp and laugh and babble incoherently as my brain caught up and tried to process what had just happened.

Perhaps naively, I thought the Battista would just be another really fast electric car. I have driven a few. But the Battista is on another planet. It’s kind of like getting shot by a cannon – except a cannonball slows down, while the Battista relentlessly continues to pick up speed.

Tim Levin / Insider

I came back from my stay at the Battista wondering what many of you probably want to know too: is it worth it?

It’s hard to answer for someone who doesn’t have the chance to justify such a purchase. Is space on Jeff Bezos’ spaceship worth millions of dollars? Probably, if you are lucky enough to afford it.

The Battista is ridiculously expensive, but it’s also extremely rare and offers an experience most people will never have. What I can say is this: if you’re the lucky one who won that $2 billion jackpot the other day, go for it. You will not be disappointed.