PININFARINA: HYDROGEN ALLOWS NEW CONCEPT CAR TO 'REDISCOVER LIGHTNESS'
Pininfarina showcased its latest design study at the recent Geneva Motor Show, previewing a hybrid-hydrogen-powered GT called the ‘Enigma’. Aside from the list of cool technology - including active aero and an augmented windscreen - Pininfarina COO, Felix Kilbertus, said it's “the beginning of the countdown” to the design house’s 100th anniversary in 2030.
“For us as an engineering and creative team, this is a good opportunity to bring that first dialogue, the opening statement if you will, to the stage. It can be developed further, and in fact, we want to develop it further, but the main focus is to showcase the creativity of Pininfarina ahead of the big milestone,” he told TG.
It’s certainly a looker, but that’s not entirely surprising given Pininfarina’s back catalogue (if we conveniently forget the Chevrolet Tacoma and Hyundai Lavita). And, as is expected, the exterior has been heavily sculpted around that aerodynamic malarkey everyone’s talking about these days.
“The low aerodynamic front end is there to guide air to the front wheels and eventually the sides. Then of course, as you taper through to the rear, you find depressions and refined buttresses before reaching the hero feature of the active aero: the rear wing. There are also air outlets found all over the car, which for me is the coolest part of the design.”
What's also cool is that small-displacement V6 wedged into a rear-mid position. While Kilbertus does agree this is an unusual layout for a 2+2 car, he spoke of how Pininfarina “enjoyed the challenge” of reinventing such an exotic format for the Enigma. But perhaps the most unusual part is the choice of fuel: hydrogen.
“What we liked about using hydrogen is that it has high-energy density, and it’s quick to recharge. More than anything, the idea was to have a low, light car. So you don’t have a battery which forces everything up. You can place the hydrogen between the passengers, allowing you to rediscover lightness, and we wanted to express this both aesthetically and technically.”