Pagani Huayra

Overview

The Pagani Huayra was officially debuted online with many pictures in a press release on January 25, 2011. The official world debut was at the Geneva Auto Salon 2011 in March. It was the successor to the Pagani Zonda and it didn't disappoint. The Zonda's characterful mix of the traditional and cutting edge is taken on to the next level by the Huayra, charismatic detailing like the leather straps holding the rear clamshell and wonderfully rich, opulent interior now distinctive Pagani styling ticks. The exposed springs and linkages for the gear selector are just one exquisitely From 6.0 liters AMG managed to extract an astonishing 720hp. The power is converted to the rear wheels through a transverse sequential seven-speed gearbox with a dual plate clutch. The shifts are exactly as you would expect from a car like the Huayra’s. The performance is out of this world. The other cool thing about the Huayra is the active aero features. The four flaps placed at the ends of the bodywork independently change the aerodynamic shape of the Huayra.

They constantly react to changing driver inputs and vehicle conditions, ensuring the minimum friction coefficient and the maximum down force. A special command unit receives and processes information about speed, yaw rate, lateral acceleration, steering angle and throttle position, and acts so as to sustain neutral behavior in all conditions, the correct aerodynamic roll and braking balance.

The Pagani Huayra

The highlights include its acceleration (ludicrous), traction (amazing), steering (old school wonderful), braking (immense) and its grip mid corner. Arguably the most exclusive, best looking, best driving supercar there has ever been, Veyron included.

The body of the Huayra is once again a showcase of cutting edge automotive technology. The Huayra chassis has a new titanium laced secret. Already seen on the final Zondas, this 'Carbon-Titanium' tub is as strong as conventional carbon-fibre but the added titanium gives the structure some elasticity in one direction, making it less likely to crack on impact.

Just like the Zonda, the Huayra features an interior that is a pure work of art. It is a combination of the finest leathers and lightweight materials like carbon-fiber and brushed aluminum. Many of the details are exquisitely shaped, including the fact that ever nut and bolt on the Huayra has the Pagani insignia on it. You can see that the carbon weave runs in the same direction, even between the doors and body, that is just amazing. The cabin is a leather, carbon fiber and aluminum cocoon of obsession, just check out some of the images below for proof.

Thanks to the extensive use of lightweight materials and careful engineering, the completed Huayra tips the scales at just 1,350 kg and with over 750hp you are talking Veyron levels of performance and it is rear wheel drive, unlike the Veyron. The performance has been described by some automotive journalists as “violent is the best word to sum up a trip from 1500 to 6500 RPM” or “the engine is just phenomenally powerful, and when it’s delivering the full 737lp ft of torque, it scrambles your brain”. And the compliments keep coming; "Nothing will ever be the same again, not once you've experience the ferocious Pagani Huayra" and "a waver of turbo boost sneaks up from behind you, hooks its fingernails into your nostrils and pulls your head back hard".

The experts had a lot to say at the time: "The Huayra feels properly fast and engaging, yet it manages to deliver a stable, supple ride without feeling "old mannish." The throttle response from the AMG-sourced 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 is excellent, but the seven-speed single-clutch flappy-paddle gearbox has its fair share of low-speed refinement issues and the steering is chastised for being a bit slow and heavy." EVO Magazine (Jethro Bovingdon) and "Supreme performance and astonishing looks, there was only ever one contender for the Hypercar of the year award.

It is not going to revolutionize personal transport, reinvent motorsport or solve the looming energy crisis. It is a machine so unlikely ever to be a real, material presence in most of our lives that it may as well be a unicorn. And there it is: the Pagani Huayra. Perhaps unicorn is the best way to describe it" Top Gear (Richard Hammond)