PAGANI UTOPIA: Simplicity Meets Elegance

ACT III:

Horacio Pagani’s company is now in its third decade, and here is its third creation. The C8 project, the Zonda, began to establish the legend. The C9 project, the Huayra, built upon this on a global scale, integrating the use of active aerodynamics and Carbo-Titanium. What then, could its third model, codenamed C10, add? More power, increased performance, a better structure and aerodynamics? Absolutely, but what else? Above all, you need a goal.

AIMS AND AMBITIONS:

The alchemy of pleasure, the equation of beauty. What would be important for the next Pagani hypercar? Horacio Pagani certainly had his own ideas, but he asked his closest clients, those who eagerly await each of his creations, to express their wishes. They already had exceptionally fast and beautiful cars, what were they still missing? Three terms stood out almost each time they replied: simplicity, lightness and the pleasure of driving. In its development, the C10 project therefore went against the main trends of the time. No heavy batteries, no hybrid power, just a wonderful V12; no dual-clutch system, just a pure seven-speed manual or automated transmission.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

• DRY WEIGHT 280 Kg (2822 lb)

• POWER 864 HP (635 kW) at 6000 RPM at 18 °C

• TORQUE 1100 Nm from 2800 RPM to 5900 RPM

• ENGINE Pagani V12 60° 5980 cc twin turbochargers, developed on a bespoke basis by Mercedes-AMG

• GEARBOX Pagani by Xtrac 7-speed transversal AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) or pure manual, with electro-mechanical differential

• CHASSIS Monocoque in Pagani Carbo-Titanium HP62 G2 and Carbo-Triax HP62 with front and rear tubular subframes in CrMo alloy steel

• SUSPENSIONS Forged aluminum alloy independent double wishbone with

• helical springs and electronically controlled shock absorbers

• BRAKES Pagani by Brembo 4 ventilated carbon-ceramic discs brake unit, 410×38 mm with 6 pistons monolithic calipers at the front and 390×34 mm with 4 pistons monolithic calipers at the rear

• WHEELS APP forged monolithic aluminum alloy, 21” at the front and 22” at the rear

• TYRES Pirelli PZero Corsa 265/35 R21 at the front and 325/30 R22 at the rear;

SIMPLER IS BETTER

Every Pagani begins with an aesthetic shock. Utopia radiates simplicity. It asserts itself straightaway, affirms and imposes its lines, which are so typical of Pagani but at the same time it is so different from anything they have offered us before. A shape that is more flowing and curvaceous. From the windscreen, with its rounded upper edges, to the details of its wings and bonnet, its softer contours give it a new expression, a new outline. A shape smoothed and refined over a long time, but which sticks in your memory from the first time you see it.

The new car has very few aerodynamic add-ons yet is more efficient than ever. Where some hypercars have a multitude of spoilers, Utopia incorporates the function of these appendices into its overall shape, achieving greater downforce and reduced drag solely by means of its design.

STYLING CUES:

The details of its styling are few in number, but each is so carefully executed that it can be admired in its own right: technologically advanced, their shape is inspired by objects from the 1950s like the streamlined headlamps of Vespa scooters or the fittings of Riva speedboats. The forged wheels have a turbine-shaped carbon fiber extractor which draws hot air away from the brakes and reduces turbulence under the body. Mounted on carbon-ceramic discs, the brake calipers have a new, lightened design.

The side mirrors, as if suspended in mid-air, thanks to the airfoil-shaped support are set apart from the body for better aerodynamic penetration, showing the meticulous optimization that was carried out on them in the wind tunnel. The rear lights float at the sides of the rear wings, set into the air extractors. Each part of them, so beautifully crafted, could be displayed in the window of a jeweler’s shop. The titanium quad exhaust, a personal monument and signature of the brand, is still present. It has a ceramic coating, in order to dissipate the heat efficiently, but still sets the weight just above 6 kilograms for the complete system.

A GLANCE TO THE FUTURE, A TRIBUTE TO THE PAST

A car may be compared to a sculpture, but opening the door changes everything; a sculpture, yes, but one you can sit in. The interior of Utopia is even more original than its exterior shape. Neither modern nor retro, it is timeless. There are no screens apart from the minimal display in front of the driver; big screens would have been easier to fit and would have saved much effort in the design, but it would have taken away much of the beauty. All the instruments are purely analog and each of the easy-to-read dials subtly reveals part of its mechanism as if it were revealing the skeleton movement. For Pagani, every component needed for the car to function is an opportunity to be creative. Even the steering wheel has been reinvented: it is fashioned from a solid aluminum block, from the spokes and hollow rim to the steering column boss, which contains the airbag. The pedals are also made from a single block of metal, while the gear lever mechanism is still exposed but more sophisticated than ever.

WHAT MAKES IT WHAT IT IS

To reach this very simple final shape, the process has never been as complex. For six years, from the first sketches and computer calculations until the definitive shape was frozen for the carbon fiber molds, its internal airflows were perfected through endless hours of research in the wind tunnel and countless changes, one touch at a time. Utopia takes advantage of the mysteries of aerodynamics to maximize sure-footed handling and stability at any speed, however high. Its active aerodynamics, combined with the electronically controlled shock absorbers, ensure the optimum dynamic behavior in all driving conditions.

The carbon monocoque used on previous Pagani models sets the standard in terms of its strength, lightness and build quality. Pagani has chosen to consolidate its existing strengths, to improve how its fibers are woven and to constantly invent new composite materials such as Carbo-Titanium and Carbo-Triax. On top of that, a new type of A-class carbon fiber has been developed specifically for aesthetic applications such as the bodywork, providing 38% of additional stiffness with the same density.

ENGINE BUILT BY MERCEDES-AMG:

The Pagani V12 engine, a 6-liter biturbo specially built by Mercedes-AMG for Pagani, is the result of an enormous development work: it delivers 864 bhp and, above all, a prodigious 1100 Nm of torque. It revs higher and is both more flexible and more powerful while meeting the most stringent emissions regulations, including those in force in California.

XTRAC TRANSMISSION:

For the transmission, the choice was a philosophical one. It would not be a dual-clutch transmission which is efficient, but heavy and robs the driver of the ability to set the pace of the car’s acceleration. Instead, Pagani turned to the most prestigious motorsport and high-performance automotive transmission manufacturer, Xtrac, to develop the quickest shifting gearbox with helical gears possible. It is compact, light and transversely mounted for an optimized center of gravity. Moreover, in order to best match the wishes expressed by Pagani enthusiasts, its aficionados, a virtual manual would not be acceptable so a real seven-speed manual transmission has been developed. It was not an easy task to design such a gearbox with synchronizer rings and a mechanism able to handle 1100 Nm of torque adequate for a pure manual application, but it was an essential requirement for Utopia.

CONCLUSION:

For the lucky few who will experience driving the Utopia, the question remains: Is this art or a vehicle?