The new temple of speed in India has served as a venue for the Pininfarina Battista to become the fastest road legal production car in the world’s second-most populous country. Autocar India improved its own record by dethroning an Audi R8 V10 Plus they drove to 206.4 mph (332.2 km/h) in 2016 on a closed section of a new road. This time around, it was easier since the top speed attempt took place on a high-speed test track at the Natrax complex.
Seven miles (11.3 kilometers) long and with four lanes, it’s one of the biggest high-speed test tracks in the world. It was the perfect venue for the Battista to stretch its legs and reach an impressive velocity of 222.4 mph (358.03 km/h). Mind you, the electric hypercar hit its electronic top speed limiter, but it could’ve gone even faster if the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires had not been a limiting factor.
The mechanically related Rimac Nevera still reigns supreme when it comes to absolute top speed among EVs, reaching 258 mph (412 km/h). However, the Battista is the quickest production car in the world when it comes down to the quarter mile, at 8.55 seconds. In addition, it’s also the first in the half-mile sprint, at 13.38 seconds. Another world record it holds is for the fastest car to reach 186 mph (300 km/h) from a standstill, doing it in just 10.49 seconds.
In 2022, the Battista delivered neck-snapping acceleration at the Nardo test track in Italy where it did 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 1.79 seconds and 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 1.86 seconds. It completed the sprint to 120 mph (193 km/h) from a standstill in 4.49 seconds and from 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h) in 4.75 seconds. It also happens to have the shortest stopping distance of all production EVs, coming to a halt from 62 mph (100 km/h) in 31 meters (101.7 feet).
