In December 2015, Indian automaker Mahindra->ke3932 announced that it had bought a controlling stake in Pininfarina, one of the most revered automotive design house in the world. The unlikely partnership cause some concern, as many enthusiasts wondered what will actually happen with the Italian firm under Indian ownership. Several months have passed since the purchase and the first result of the new cooperation surfaced the Internet in the form of futuristic Formula E->ke4660 designs.

For those who aren't familiar with the racing series, Mahindra Racing took part in the inaugural Formula E season in 2014-2015 and returned for a new campaign in 2015-2016. While the first season was restricted to identical chassis and powertrains, for the second season the FIA allowed manufacturers to develop their own electric motors and gearboxes. Private designs aren't yet allowed, but Mahindra decided to look into the future and create three separate design for when the series will open up once again.

Designed together with Pininfarina,->ke69 the virtual concepts->ke169 are very futuristic compared to current Formula E cars. All three propose carbon-fiber bodies and radical aerodynamics, and two of them feature closed cockpits. Mahindra even went as far as to equip a concept with enclosed front wheels and a transparent fin, while removing the rear wing altogether. The No. 23 car is also missing a rear wing, while employing a flat fin and IndyCar-style side pods. It would be interesting to see how these designs actually work from an aerodynamic standpoint, but for the time being it seems that they were made to put the new Mahindra-Pininfarina collaboration in the spotlight.

“Mahindra is a pioneer of EV technology->ke1701 that is always striving to push the boundaries of this exciting new form of mobility. Our participation in the Formula E championship gives us yet another platform to co-create the Future of Mobility. While these innovative designs are a creative project at this stage, I would be thrilled to see the M5Electro look like this," said Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group.

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Why it matters

Granted, these renderings are pretty wild to current Formula E standards (and Formula One standards for that matter,) but it's great to see that Mahindra and Pininfarina have come up with a project only months after the Italian company went under Indian ownership. Chances are that these concepts will never be more than just a bunch of futuristic renderings, but hopefully this is the beginning of a prolific partnership that will soon spawn at least a production car. Mahindra might not be a big name outside Asia, but it has the means to build a global vehicle and it has made significant progress in all sorts of fields, including all-electric drivetrain. With Pininfarina now at its disposal to create attractive designs, the Indian brand should soon launch a product that will appeal European and even North American buyers.