Remembering the Pininfarina Hybrid Kinetic GT Concept

This electric concept vehicle debuted at the Geneva Auto show back in 2018 only to act as a showcase for emerging tech possibilities. And I must, say she’s got a few tricks up her sleeves.

From the start we can see a Gran Turismo look to the car. Sleek curves and lifted lines give the HK a traditional mid-engine look even though it's not one. The long lines blend into the frame around corners, and pop into view on straight surfaces. The hood drops down at the front showing the newly designed HK grille, serving both aerodynamic and aesthetic functions. The lines follow from the front, along the gull-wing doors, to the lifted rear, reminiscent of the GT shape.

In case you forgot what you just read, I did mention the HK GT comes with gull-wing doors. As classic gull-wing function dictates, the doors lift upward to expose an interior that offers style, safety, and elegance. All using GT styling, colors, materials, and textures.

Unlike most vehicles of this style, the HK GT has the possibility to show off its abilities to up to three passengers, all at the same time. That’s right, she has seating for four, and as with most GT style seating, they’re set very low in the body.

The interior is composed of black leather seating, offset perfectly by the milky white dashboard. Oh yeah, they like to call it a ‘floating’ dashboard. It sports a minimalist design with what seems to be a foldaway touch screen display.

On the driver’s side, a minimalist GT steering wheel allows for steering and control of onboard functions at the touch of a button. Down to the right, another touchscreen allows you to select what it is you want the car to do. Be it park, drive, neutral, or reverse.

A feature of the Pininfarina HK GT is represented by its two driving modes. Cruise mode offers the usual functions of regular driving with no modifications to software settings. Race mode, however, is a bit different. Suspension and acceleration settings are modified to offer a fast and safe ride.

One of the cool things that happens when selecting one feature or another is the modification of light and displays throughout the car. When cruising, the vehicle's lighting will grow blue, and displays are fully visible throughout the car. While when in race mode, a red lighting takes over and some displays are minimized as to reduce the level of distractions that may affect the driver.

Finally, we arrive at the powerplant(s). This is what sets the HK GT apart from other electric-powered vehicles. The Hybrid Kinetic GT doesn’t have just one motor, it has five. Four electric motors are paired with a 2-speed transmission that basically offers you the cruise or race modes. Now, the neat thing is that each of these motors is designated for only one wheel each and are powered and controlled independently.

On top of that there is also a fifth engine, which is a microturbine range extender that only kicks in when the battery gets low.

Speaking of which, the entire system is powered by a tiny 20 kWh battery that allows the model to hit a 155 mph (250 kph) top speed. The 0-60 mph (97 kph) acceleration is done in under 3 seconds.

Two different driving ranges also exist for the Hybrid Kinetic GT, one offering 62 miles (100km) of pure EV range, but the extended range is of ten times that, 620 miles (1000 km). Shame we’ll never drive one.