358.03kph: Autocar India sets new Indian top speed record with Pininfarina Battista

We, at Autocar India, are no strangers to mega record runs. But this time, the challenge was to outdo ourselves. Piloting a 1900hp Pininfarina Battista, editor Hormazd Sorabjee clocked a maximum speed of 358.03kph, thereby setting a new top speed record on Indian soil at the National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) high-speed oval track near Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, The Autocar Show editor, Renuka Kirpalani, is now the fastest Indian woman who recorded a top-speed of 357.10kph on her own run in the electric hypercar.

1. Total of five new speed, acceleration records were set
2. All records were validated by the FMSCI  
3. Comfortably beats previous top speed record of 332.2kph

Old records broken, new ones set

The previous, official Indian top-speed record stood at 332.2kph, which, too, was set by Autocar India in 2016. Racing driver Aditya Patel had set this record in a 610hp Audi R8 V10 Plus in controlled conditions on a closed road outside Hyderabad.

The two new speed records, then, comfortably eclipse the previous record. The 358.03kph top speed is also the highest for any EV in India – the third new record that was achieved in this run. All speeds were recorded on VBOX satellite-based testing gear, and validated by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the Indian motorsport body affiliated to the FIA. Charging for the record run was done on site using a Jio-bp fast charger.

“Nothing prepares you for the brutal acceleration and pace of the Battista. It’s like being shot from a cannon,” said Sorabjee. “Equally amazing is the ease with which the Battista hit its top speed, within just half a straight of NATRAX’s high-speed track. Even at VMax, the Battista felt rock solid, relaxed and discreet. This is the future of speed.”

Kirpalani said, “There’s always a lot of nervousness when you have to do something so big, but the Battista made it so simple, it was unbelievable. Just the lightning-fast acceleration and the glued-to-the-ground feel made me feel so absolutely confident to keep my foot planted to the floor.”

New production car world records set

The Battista not only set new Indian speed records, but it also added a couple of new production car world records to its already storied set of achievements. The Battista set new production car world records for accelerating from 0-300kph in just 10.49 seconds, with a quarter-mile time of 8.55 seconds.

This is also a testament of the world class facility that is the NATRAX high-speed track. The 4-lane, 11.3km long test track was conceived exactly for this – top speed runs, acceleration tests, high-speed durability and stability testing. For a world-renowned hypercar to be tested and validated here at the NATRAX is quite commendable.

“We were very proud to bring Battista to India for the first time. Collaborative events there with our shareholder Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd were delivered at a significant time for Automobili Pininfarina,” said Automobili Pininfarina CEO Paolo Dellacha. “For Hormazd and his Autocar India team to showcase what is possible with Battista in their hands is hugely important. In these tests, Battista has shown that record-breaking performance is there to be enjoyed by every driver on road or track.”

The Battista already had a few other epic world records to its name from before: 0-60mph (96kph) in 1.79sec, 0-100kph in 1.86sec, 0-120mph (192kph) in 4.49sec and 0-200kph in 4.75sec. It also holds the global braking record for EVs at 100-0kph in 31 metres.

Pininfarina Battista: technical details 

Speaking of the Battista, it features a quad-motor set-up – one on each wheel – that makes 1,900hp and 2,340Nm of torque. The motors are powered by a 120kWh battery pack that can charge at speeds of up to 180kW. The Battista is primarily meant for left-hand drive markets and only 150 units of it will ever be made. It costs over €2.2 million (approximately Rs 19.4 crore) in global markets.

The Battista is the first production car with a Pininfarina badge that debuted at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, four years after the brand was acquired by Mahindra and Mahindra. The Italian company is better known as a design house that has historically designed cars for brands like Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. The Battista was recently brought to India for the first time as a showcar at the Hyderabad Formula E race weekend where Mahindra also fielded its own factory racing team.