Puritalia Berlinetta Fires Up Its 951hp Hybrid V8 Engine

The good thing about automotive shows is that exhibitors can’t put everything together at the last moment, so oftentimes we do get a peek at the cars before their official launch.

Which is exactly what happened with the new Puritalia Berlinetta that will be officially unveiled tomorrow at 2:15 pm CET (8:15 am EST) at the opening day of the Geneva Motor Show.

Apart from a few upgrades on the outside and the addition of a fixed roof, the new Berlinetta looks the same as the 427 Roadster, which was unveiled more than four years ago.

Nonetheless, it brings a hybrid powertrain that combines a V8 engine mounted at the front and an electric motor at the rear. The assembly produces a total of 965 PS (951 hp / 710 kW) and 1,248 Nm (920 lb-ft) of torque, although performance numbers will probably be announced at the launch.

It took Puritalia four years to come up with the Berlinetta, which uses a carbon fiber/aluminum chassis and carbon fiber body panels. Everything was carefully measured and positioned to obtain a perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Furthermore, it features cloud-based artificial intelligence that will “learn” the owner’s driving style to manage the electric power.

Production will be capped at 150 units and clients will be given the full customization experience, with the Italian company stating that each customer will be granted access to a personal design team.

“What is missing in today’s supercar market is the unique experience of having your car handcrafted to your own specifications, like it used to be in the Golden Years of the Italian automobile designs of the ‘50s and ‘60s”, said Puritalia.

Update: We’ve added live photos from the Geneva Motor Show floor