Pininfarina debuts HK GT electric, plans limited H2 Speed production

Italian design house Pininfarina took the wraps off the HK GT, its fourth concept conceived in tandem with Hong Kong-based Hybrid Kinetic Group. The gullwinged luxury EV is built on an aluminum chassis and offers an all-electric driving range of around 100 miles that can be paired with three different range extender options. The firm also announced the limited production of its H2 Speed hydrogen-electric racing car.

Pininfarina says the voluptuous, soft curves of the HK GT's external design style conveys sensuality, power and elegance; the blue tint and glow of the headlights against the gray paint finish also make it feel like something from the land of ice and snow. It'll be launched in Asian markets.

The 2+2 coupe is powerful, with a 38-kWh battery pack from Hybrid Kinetic and four integrated permanent magnet motors at the wheels, giving it all-wheel torque vectoring, a combined power output of more than 1,072 hp and a two-speed transmission. It boasts a top speed of 217 miles per hour and can take you from 0-62 mph in 2.7 seconds. What's more, the HK GT can be equipped with three different range extenders: a low-emission "micro turbine" that runs on a variety of fuels; a zero-emissions fuel cell system; or a high-efficiency internal combustion engine. Pininfarina says they help push the driving range to more than 620 miles.

Up front there's a new interpretation of the Hybrid Kinetic grille, with the chromed slats framing and reflecting the high-tech headlights, as if the entire front end were a band of light, a particularly futuristic touch.

Two driving modes are offered — race and Gran Turismo. The former casts the interior in red lighting, with the display behind the wheel offering limited technical information and the central setting display providing more detailed information like suspension settings, acceleration and speed track cornering. In "cruise" mode, the interior lighting switches over to a more calming blue.

Inside there's a floating dashboard, front seats seemingly suspended from the central tunnel and a suspended wing that forms part of the rear backrest and opens up more space.

H2 Speed to enter production

Turning to the H2 Speed, Pininfarina said it plans to put the car into limited production, with just 12 examples to be built. It marries a carbon-based chassis and steel frame to a 250-kW fuel cell, four electric synchronous motors with permanent magnets and regenerative braking.

The 653-hp H2 was awarded the 2016 Concept Car of the Year at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, with the hydrogen technology from partner GreenGT. They'll be made for use exclusively on the track. Top speed is 186 mph, with a 0-62 time of 3.4 seconds. Fully refueling the hydrogen tank takes just 3 minutes.