Magnus Walker Tames a $3 Million Bolt of Italian Lightning
Image Credit: Automobili Pininfarina.
Magnus Walker, the dreadlocked wizard of the Porsche world, has apparently traded in his oily overalls for… an electric hypercar? And not just any electric hypercar, but the one and only Pininfarina Battista. A machine so exclusive it probably has its own postcode. And our Mr. Walker, the "Urban Outlaw" himself, has put his rather unique spin on it.
Sunny California, the land of dreams and questionable lifestyle choices. Our man Magnus usually found wrestling with air-cooled flat-sixes, somehow found himself rubbing shoulders with the oh-so-chic folks at Automobili Pininfarina. Apparently, it all started with a pair of sneakers. Not a million-dollar deal hammered out over power lunch; this one began with some fancy footwear. The design chief, Davide Amantea, spotted Walker's custom kicks, and the rest, as they say, is history. Or at least a very expensive history involving a 1,900-horsepower electric beast.
Image Credit: Automobili Pininfarina.
Magnus is known for his "distinctive" approach to car customization - rough edges, a bit of grit, and the kind of aesthetic that makes purists clutch their pearls. So, the idea of him collaborating on a hypercar that costs nearly three million of your hard-earned American dollars is about as likely as finding a decent cup of tea at a monster truck rally. But stranger things have happened. Like that time I tried to bake a cake and didn't set off the smoke alarm.
Apparently, Mr. Amantea, after plying Magnus with enough Italian plonk and grub to incapacitate a small army, suggested a little project: a one-off Battista, a rolling showcase of Pininfarina's bespoke abilities, all touched by the unique vision of the Urban Outlaw. Walker, armed with nothing more sophisticated than colored vinyl tape and an iPhone, started sketching ideas.
The big challenge, it seems, was translating Magnus's "analog" approach into something the meticulous Italian craftsmen could actually execute. Ten painters and twenty engineers were apparently involved in this high-stakes game of automotive Pictionary. Walker had to, gasp, compromise! He even traded his beloved leather jacket for a pinstriped blazer. The world is truly ending. Amantea declared this transformation as going "from an Urban Outlaw to a Gentleman Outlaw." I suspect there were tears. Maybe mine.
So, what did this unholy alliance produce? The Battista now sports vertical lines on its deeply sculpted doors, giving the impression of speed even when it's standing still. Which, given its performance figures, is a bit redundant. We're talking about a machine that can probably outrun a fighter jet in a short sprint. The sub-two seconds 0-to-60 mph time is the kind that makes your internal organs rearrange themselves. The frankly ludicrous 1,900 horsepower power output is enough to make your eyeballs sweat. The battery capacity? A hefty 120 kWh, which should give it a decent range, though I suspect the lucky owner will be more concerned with bragging rights than eco-credentials.
Image Credit: Automobili Pininfarina.
The roof and rear also got the Walker treatment, featuring a color-blocked motif inspired by barcodes. I'm not entirely sure what that says about the car or modern society, but it's certainly… different. The custom wheels are finished in a rather fetching bronze, which, I have to admit, does look rather swanky. Even for a bloke who usually prefers the aesthetic of a rusty spanner.
Inside, things get even more interesting. Specially embroidered Poltrona Frau leather adorns the seats, which sounds suitably posh. But then you have a turquoise-plaid textile inlay on the headrests. A striped pattern, echoing the roof, is painted onto the unseen parts of the seat shells – a so-called "Easter Egg" for the lucky (and presumably wealthy) soul who ends up owning this vehicular oddity.
And the price? Well, the standard Battista starts at a cool $2.2 million. Given that this is a one-off, touched by the hand of the legendary Urban Outlaw (now apparently the Gentleman Outlaw), you can probably add a hefty premium to it and end up with a nearly three-million-dollar figure. Let's just say it's more expensive than my entire collection of slightly dented mugs.
Working with Pininfarina, a brand steeped in history and elegance, seems to have had a profound effect on our Mr. Walker. He even admitted to not being much of a team player, but acknowledged the opportunity and the need to "play nicely with others." Progress, it seems, comes in strange and expensive packages.
This collaboration is the result of what happens when two seemingly disparate worlds collide. You get something unique, something that makes you raise an eyebrow and maybe even crack a smile. It's a blend of Italian flair and Los Angeles cool, high-end luxury with a touch of rebellious spirit.
This is one of those situations I never thought would happen - me writing about two unlikely legends teaming up to create an automotive work of art. Magnus Walker had more influence on my life than most people, including my parents. My teenage friends were all into Playboy, but it was Pininfarina's creations that covered the walls of my bedroom when I was growing up. And Battista is simply THE car of my dreams. Magnus Walker creating a one-off version of it? I think I died and went to automotive heaven.
