). But the Pura is not just all-electric from the ground up, it’s also lower and very differently proportioned to a ‘conventional’ SUV.
‘Everything we do as a company should have a really strong vision,’ Amantea explains, ‘when we were developing the Battista, we wanted to create a vision that would influence the entire company… We’ve been the kingmakers for a lot of brands in the past, but this was something for ourselves.’ At around about the same time as work began on Battista, Amantea and his team were also exploring other directions.
It's taken another twelve months for the car you see here to go public. With raised up ground clearance, but with a rear-set, wrapround glass cabin and voluptuous bodywork, the Pura is quite unlike any car from Pininfarina’s regular luxury rivals. It’s more akin to the cinematic drama of 70s and 80s concept vehicles, especially with its rear opening rear doors and gull-winged glass roof panel that raises to ease access into the four-seater cabin.
‘We’ve noticed that our customers want off-road as well as sporting ability,’ Amantea says, ‘Of course, only a small percentage of people take their SUVs off-road. Extreme off-roaders use dedicated vehicles. But in luxury design, we have to give people something in between.’ One jumping off point was the world of yacht design, an increasingly popular reference for car designers of all stripes, but especially in the luxury sector.