2005 Pininfarina Enjoy Preview

Why wait until 2005 for such a massive change of direction? Pininfarina has a couple of reasons for coming to market now, the

To commemorate its 75th anniversary, Pininfarina will produce seventy-five Enjoys throughout 2005. (Photo: Pininfarina)

first being a commemoration of the company's 75th anniversary. The second reason is a new relationship with Matra, but more on that in a minute.

The car of choice is the Enjoy; a two-seat luxury roadster that was first displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in 2003 and was later shown at this year's Louis Vuitton motor show in Britain in production trim. Seventy-five Enjoys will be produced throughout 2005, the actual year of Pininfarina's 75th anniversary.

Almost exactly like the concept car that preceded it, the Enjoy is a futuristic cross between a racing car and a road-going sports car. Its styling is pure and

The Enjoy is a futuristic cross between a racing car and a road-going sports car. (Photo: Pininfarina)

simple, but it purposefully lacks a real windshield and a roof. Because the Enjoy is intended both as a road-going car and a track vehicle, Pininfarina has also included removable fenders. The front and wheel body bulges can easily be removed to transform the Enjoy into an open-wheeled, open-aired vehicle, something quite similar to the oddball Lotus 340R. While it may not be as track-biased as the Lotus, the Pininfarina encompasses design flair that only an Italian carrozzeria could, including such details as its unique pair of vertical wings leading back from behind the roll bar across the rear decklid, plus the shark-like front end.