1,877-HP Pininfarina Battista Dominated The 2023 Virginia City Hillclimb

The 2023 Virginia City Hillclimb recently took place in Nevada and attracted some of the world's most exciting exotics. Most vehicles present were quipped with powerful combustion engines, but a new contender from Pininfarina decided to demonstrate its incredible electric capabilities by soaring up the hill at spectacular speeds.

With 1,877 horsepower and 1,726 lb-ft of torque, the all-electric Battista is one of the world's most powerful production vehicles. With a 0 to 60 mph time of 1.79 seconds, the hypercar is one of the quickest accelerating cars, too, but was recently beaten by the Rimac Nevera, its deadliest rival.

But as we can see from the video below, the Battista is also hugely talented in the bends. The vehicle takes off in absolute silence but shoots off at immense speed. The rear tires scrabble for traction momentarily before digging into the tarmac and finding sufficient grip.

Onboard footage shows just how gracefully the Battista dances through the bends. Carrying that much speed through a corner isn't easy, but the Pininfarina appears unfazed, moving from one apex to the next as if on rails. It's exciting to watch even without the aural drama of a highly-strung V12 or V8.

Most impressive is the way the Battista barrels out of corners. The driver nails the throttle on every straight, which sends the Italian hypercar surging towards the horizon. The handling prowess should come as no surprise, with an active rear wing providing as much as 551 lbs of downforce. It doubles as an airbrake, which helps bring the car to a stop from high speeds.

The Battista also receives Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R rubber as standard. However, customers could opt for Pilot Sport 4S tires instead. The Sport Cup 2R is a semi-slick tire designed primarily for dry track use.

Exterior footage of the Battista, shot while traveling at lower speeds, allows us to experience the Suona Puro sound strategy. As the Pininfarina sails by, it's clear that a conventional engine is not powering it. However, the simulated sound is intriguing and sporty in its own way. According to the automaker, it took more than 2,000 hours of research and development to settle on the chosen sound, which Pininfarina describes as "the sound of sustainable luxury."

The vehicle, piloted by Justice Reed, covered the sprint in 3:23.625, which is impressive. It was the only vehicle to compete in the electric car class and one of the quickest overall contenders - but it wasn't the fastest. That accolade belongs to Matt Gilsdorf, who crossed the line in 3:18.344 driving a Porsche 911 GT2 RS.

The hillclimb takes place on a 5.2-mile stretch of road with 20 marked turns. As if that wasn't enough for drivers to contend with, the cars must battle a 1,200 ft change in elevation.