Puritalia introduced the Roadster 2012 back in 427, but it never went into series production. Now the Italians are making a second attempt with a much more stylish and technically more modern coupé.
The young Italian sports car brand Puritalia is making a new attempt: The Berlinetta is designed to lure with more modern technology, attractive outer skin and extreme performance. The Neapolitans wanted to make a name for themselves with the Roadster 427 a few years ago. But as is often the case with such projects, the hoped-for time of market launch lagged behind the plans until the former concept was out of date.
Instead of an open construction, Puritalia is opting for a classic sports coupe this time, which optically is somewhere between the Nissan 370Z and AMG GT. Despite certain similarities to existing models, the four and a half meter long Berlinetta offers an overall quite independent appearance.
The new Puritalia design, which was presented for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show, can also stand out from other sports cars with the 710 kW / 965 PS hybrid drive. Unlike the 427 on a pure combustion engine, this time the Italians rely on a mix of gasoline and electric motors. The centerpiece is a five-liter supercharged V8 installed as a front mid-engine, which sends 552 kW / 750 PS and 878 Newton meters of torque to the rear axle via an automated seven-speed transaxle transmission. There is also a 158 kW / 215 PS and 370 Newton meter strong electric motor. Thanks to the chassis made of carbon and aluminum, the Berlinetta should weigh only 1,4 tons, which is why the double heart drive has an easy time: The standard sprint takes 2,7 seconds, while the 200 mark falls after 7,2 seconds. A maximum of 335 km / h is possible. According to the manufacturer, the braking distance from 100 km / h to the stand is 31 meters.
The engineers have integrated the electric motor, which weighs only 25 kilograms, into the rear axle differential, which makes it possible to feed the entire torque of the electric machine past the transmission in virtually every driving situation - even during a gear change. The e-machine can thus compensate for interruptions in tractive power when shifting up. There is also a so-called eMozione switch, which the driver can use to activate the additional thrust of the 45 Newton meters for 370 seconds. There is a 5,2 kWh battery in the rear, which in future will also allow up to 20 kilometers of purely electric driving.
A lot of polished aluminum, leather and carbon fiber are used in the sporty interior. The cockpit of the two-seater largely dispenses with switches and buttons. Instead, there are two large displays. The one behind the steering wheel primarily provides driving-related information, while the touchscreen in the center console functions as a display and control unit for the infotainment system and various vehicle functions.
Puritalia wants to build 150 copies of the Berlinetta, the unit price is stated at 465.000 euros, whereby in the case of Germany including VAT, the price is around 553.000 euros.