Pininfarina and Roux Helmets have partnered to design a new line of racing helmets that are finally here. The two engineered the new products for open-cockpit and GT (closed-cockpit) racing that integrate some neat technologies. The pair designed the helmets to be suitable for racing from Formula 4 to Formula 1, and they meet the FIA 8859/Snell SA2020 ratings.
The helmets feature Roux’s Cool-X integrated water cooling system and a built-in air port. The Cool-X technology recirculates 52-degree Fahrenheit water from a CoolShirt cooler to help the driver manage heat stress behind the wheel.
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The helmets also come with the company’s proprietary release system that allows emergency crews to quickly remove the helmet without putting stress on the wearer’s neck. The Pininfarina-designed Roux helmets are equipped with a “first-of-its-kind” visor system that provides an expanded field of view.
Roux currently lists four helmets by Pininfarina. The cheapest one, for karting, starts at $840 and includes two FIA-certified visors (one dark smoke and one clear), a helmet box, and an extra gasket seal. It’s available in sizes small to XX-large.
The GT Carbon Kevlar is nearly double the price at $1,575, but it comes with two FIA-certified visors, a shield bag, cheek and ear pads, an extra gasket seal, and a helmet box. It has an integrated water drinking tube and a communication system with a noise-canceling microphone and speaker pods.
The Formula Carbon version retails for $1,875 and comes with similar goodies. The GT Carbon is a tad more expensive at $1,990 and features a drinking tube, communication system, and other goodies.
Roux Helmets CEO Juan Carlos Leroux said that the company was proud to partner with Pininfarina, adding, “Together, we’ve created a product that promises to elevate driver safety, comfort, and style on the race track.
Pininfarina is an Italian car design firm that has worked with leading automakers like Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Maserati, and many others since its founding in 1930. The company has finished over 1,200 automotive projects and more than 600 in produce and user-experience design. Designing racing helmets seems quite natural as it’s not the first time Pininfarina has penned such a product, developing a new helmet concept in 2009.