Automobili Pininfarina taps heritage, yachts and sharks for Pura Vision

There has been a secret project going on in Cambiano, Italy and by all accounts it has been worth the wait. Believe it or not, but the Pura Vision has been in the works for quite some time – and arguably much longer than the usual show car. The project began back in late 2018 and in fact preceded the Battista hypercar which would go on to receive much fanfare in 2019.

The team says this is more than a concept car and is in fact a statement of intent that marks “a new chapter” for the company. We can certainly see that with the exterior, which straddles some kind of grey area between supercar, luxury shooting brake, SUV and… yacht? It is difficult to say exactly which category the Pura fits into, a complex Venn diagram of bodyshapes.

From chatting to chief design officer Dave Amantea, this perspective seems to hit the right notes. “We spoke about designing a car with what we call ‘unbalanced proportions’,” he explains.

“We are inspired by Pininfarina’s successful design recipe of more than 90 years, so we started to create something that would embrace all the needs of all potential clients. It’s a new generation of product – a new animal.” By workshopping with colleagues, collectors and Battista owners, the vision for a four-seat, electric luxury utility vehicle (e-LUV) soon became clear. As Amantea puts it: “We really did our homework here.”

The design looked back at iconic heritage models in Pininfarina’s extensive back catalogue, namely the 1947 Cisitalia, 1955 Lancia Florida Saloon and the 1953 Alfa Romeo 6C Superflow concept (see gallery below).

As it happened, Amantea and co. happened to see this particular Alfa in the metal by coincidence during the Quail motorshow, which only solidified its place as a source of inspiration. “For people that love cars, this was a goosebumps moment,” says Amantea.

Other ideas came from a study of gravel bikes which emerged from cyclists who desired a middle ground between road racing and mountain biking. (Look closely, and the Pura Vision is shown with chunky off-road tyres.)

Whereas many brands anchor their designs around the dynamic movement of a panther, a tiger – or perhaps even a scorpion – the Pura instead takes its cues from the ocean. “This is a shark,” says Amantea. “The shark is representative of a powerful, elegant. You have fear, but when you see it you can’t help but respect it. It is fascinating. Only a shark conveys this kind of attraction – powerful but peaceful too.”

If it is a shark at heart then that marries with the overall nautical feeling of the exterior, which channels the linear, wraparound shoulder line of a yacht but also the hovering catamaran-like rear end. Indeed, it is a design that seems to shapeshift constantly as you work your way around the car. Compare the aerial view with the rear three-quarter angle and it almost looks like two different models.

Part of this came down to the overall approach to design. “We did something a little bit differently and worked first from the top view,” says Amantea. “You have to stand in front of the car to really understand the proportions – the infinite loop of the belt line, the fantastic aluminium joinery at the front. The elegance of the top contrasts with the super technical elements underneath.”

From the rear, those aggressive, pointed shoulders contrast with the gentle surfacing of the front and sides. The glasshouse also seems to be tapered in, not quite the bubble car effect of the 50s but more domed – if not architectural – than usual. But again, viewed from side profile the DLO is desperately elegant and creates a more conventional fastback, accented by the subtle roof spoiler and boat tail that stretches the overall proportions (L: 5215mm W2147 inc. mirrors H 1,641, if you were wondering).

Careful attention went toward the highlights and reflections of the bodywork, which can make or break a design and particularly one this complex. There is a lot going on, and Amantea and the team agonised over details like this. The challenge is that – like that Father Ted scene – a small change in one section can immediately knock another out of whack.

“This was the work that took the longest, because the highlights are what define the Pura Vision – they really change the proportion of the car. I’m also really picky when it comes to this,” says Amantea. “By controlling the highlights you can really understand what the emotion and gesture was of the designer when sketching. You can see that flow from the front fender to the rear, and the curvature of the rear muscle.”

Inside, and gullwing doors open up to reveal a similarly sleek interior that carries the exterior colour theme into the cabin. A mix of luxury (soft finishes, champagne flutes) and performance (heavily-bolstered bucket seats and a driver-centric UX) combines nicely and fits the e-LUV concept nicely. A new wool-polyester textile can be found on the centre console, upper seatbacks and headlining, with an attractive melange herringbone finish. Charcoal leather is found on the dashboard and wraparound accent band, while aluminium waste created when milling the car’s wheels is used for protective kickplates on the doorsills.

Passengers in both rows of seating will surely be bathed in dappled light courtesy of a truly panoramic sunroof; sketches illustrate how this would work with gullwing doors.

Early artwork also shows the thinking behind the rear bench design, with the flowing trail of a person’s dress blending into the seat itself. This character can be seen throughout the range of sketches shared with Car Design News and is a nice touch. One image shows how the IP seems to have been inspired by a grand piano (at least to this writer’s eyes) with the dressed figure leaning on the dash as if it were the lid.

The Pura Vision will be on show at Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week. For those who are going – or are on the fence – this should be reason enough to make a visit.