Pininfarina Pura Vision concept unveiled with funky doors

Scheduled to make its public debut during Monterey Car Week, the Pininfarina Pura Vision concept takes the form of an electric crossover with a sporty-looking design. It's a big part of the design-house-turned-carmaker's plan to gradually morph into a full-fledged car company.

Pininfarina has spent years developing the Pura Vision. I first saw it as a design model in 2020, but like most things that year it got delayed. Not much has changed since: the Pura Vision stands out with muscular-looking proportions characterized by a long hood, a rakish roof line and pronounced quarter panels. It's not retro by any means, but heritage snuck its way into the design studio: Luca Borgogno, Pininfarina's former chief design officer, told me in 2020 that one of the cars that inspired his team (and notably the long hood) is the 1947 Cisitalia 202.

Riding on 23-inch wheels, the Pura Vision stretches about 205 inches long, 85 inches wide and 65 inches tall — put another way, it's nearly as long as a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Stepping inside requires opening at least two panels. The front half-doors swing out like in a normal car, the rear half-doors swing back like in a Rolls-Royce Phantom, and the side windows are integrated into a transparent panel that swings up, gullwing-style. Opening all three doors (is that top panel really a door?) provides a wide view of the cabin that's unobstructed by pillars. 

Inside, there's space for four passengers in a lounge-like interior. Pininfarina resisted the urge to stuff wall-to-wall screens in the Pura Vision. The driver faces a digital instrument cluster, there are small round screens on either side of the steering wheel, there's and a touchscreen for the infotainment system on the center console, but the dashboard's layout retains a fairly minimalist look; the touchscreen can even be stowed into the center console. Crucially, there's a wine cooler integrated into the space between the rear seats — viva Italia!

Powertrain details remain under wraps. All we know is that the Pura Vision is electric. Don't expect to find a V12 under the long hood.

Pininfarina will display the Pura Vision next to the recently-unveiled Battista Edizione Nino Farina and a third car that hasn't been unveiled or detailed yet during Monterey Car Week. It's too early to tell whether the crossover is headed to production; the brand simply explained that the design language will inspire its next-generation cars. We wouldn't be surprised to one day see Pininfarina in the SUV segment, however.

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