Pininfarina unveils hydrogen-powered concept car with AR windscreen
- Pininfarina recently showcased its latest design study at the Geneva International Motor Show
- Called the ‘Enigma’, it’s a hydrogen-powered GT
- It’s also jam-packed with tech, including active aero and an augmented windscreen
Published on Mar 05, 2024 at 3:28 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Mar 07, 2024 at 6:09 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Pininfarina unveiled its latest design study at the recent Geneva International Motor Show.
Called the ‘Enigma’, it’s a hybrid-powered GT concept car that’s jam-packed with cool tech.
By far the stand-out bits of tech are active aero and an augmented windscreen.
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According to Pininfarina COO, Felix Kilbertus, the Enigma is “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,” Kilbertus told TopGear.
“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.”
It’s a beautiful looking thing, which really shouldn’t come as a surprise given Pininfarina’s back catalogue of creations.
Like the world’s first electric hyper Barchetta, the Pininfarina B95, or even the PURA Vision concept with six doors, the Enigma’s body has been heavily sculpted with aerodynamics firmly in mind.
“The low aerodynamic front end is there to guide air to the front wheels and eventually the sides,” Kilbertus said.
“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.”
Unusually for a 2+2 car, the Enigma’s small-displacement V6 is wedged into a rear-mid position.
But what’s more unusual than that 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,” Kilbertus said.
“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.”
Could the Enigma be another timeless icon? Let’s wait and see…
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Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
