Pininfarina is the Italian design studio perhaps best known for penning almost every production Ferrari over the last half century. The firm, however, does much more than just design exotic sports cars. It has created bodies for more mainstream cars like Peugeots, Alfa Romeos and even Daewoos. The company's latest creation is a compact four-seat hatchback propelled by electrons. Pininfarina has formed a joint venture with French battery maker Bolloré to build this electric car.

If someone has enough cash on hand to commission an entirely rebodied Rolls-Royce from one of Italy's most famous coachbuilders, you can bet he's not going to be wearing an off-the-rack watch, either. That's why Girard-Perregaux crafted the special timepiece you see here.

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Pininfarina RR Hyperion

Spend enough time roaming the streets of Rome and you're likely to encounter a fair share of people who fancy themselves more Catholic than the Pope. No wonder, then, that the Italians have now tried to out-Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce, presenting a one-off drop-top Drophead that endeavors to embody an even greater presence than the Phantom cabrio itself.

Click above for a high resolution image

These are precarious times for European design studios and coachbuilders, with some of the biggest names in the business facing potential closure. Not even Pininfarina is immune, and the storied Italian studio cannot afford to miss a beat. That's why, only days since the tragic death of its CEO Andrea Pininfarina, the company has already announced his successor.

Click to view more of the Pininfarina Hyperion

Click above for hi-res gallery of the Pininfarina Sintesi Concept

Pininfarina announced yesterday that the legendary Italian design house has been commissioned to create a one-off version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe for an unnamed client. Said client apparently wants to make a big splash with his (or her) bespoke coupe, so they've given Pininfarina the go-ahead to debut the Hyperion at the Pebble Beach Concours in August.

Click for more images of the Pininfarina Sintesi