Meet The Gorgeous Pagani Huayra Roadster!

You get the sense there's no urgency in a Pagani factory; just a bunch of well-dressed Italian blokes putting together what is possibly among the best examples of modern automotive technology and design. The super-niche supercar maker is content churning out a handful of hand-built cars every year. But there's a new Pagani in the house! One doesn't get to read that very often, right? 

Lo and behold! The men from Modena have pushed the envelope – again! The Huayra has shed its top to become the Huayra Roadster. "This is Horacio Pagani's open-air tribute to the Gods of Wind", reads a statement issued by Pagani Automobili. We have to nod our heads in approval. 

The Roadster has been seven years in the making! To put that into perspective, Toyota or even Volkswagen for that matter would've sold close to 70 million cars EACH in the meantime. Here's an interesting fact about the topless Pagani: the whole concept and design idea was junked in 2013, and the team started from scratch. What the team managed in the next four years is in front of us. 

It's a fine blend of art and science. What else explains the topless version being lighter compared to its coupe cousin? The Roadster weighs in at 1280kgs – that's 80kg less than the Coupe. Pagani has fine-tuned its Carbon-Titanium mix for the body to provide additional stiffness without piling on weight. 

The design 'flows' from end to end in one clean sweep. One also gets a choice of two roofs – a lightweight carbon-fibre moonroof with a central glass, or a fabric soft-top. Roof up or down, the best bit about the Huayra Roadster's design, believe it or not, is simplicity. That said, it would still look at home on the walls of a 12-year-old's bedroom, courtesy the low-slung body, the massive 20-/21-inch wheels and the exposed carbon-fibre detailing. Then, there are the finer aspects you get to soak in, such as the geometric detailing on the air vents, and the gills that let the engine breathe. 

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Speaking of which, the Roadster carries over the maniac 'M158' from the Coupe, developed by the loony boffins at Mercedes-AMG. The 6.0-litre V12 motor is good for 764PS and over 1000Nm. That's more than the G650 we were raving about a couple of days back, in a car that weighs a third as much. It's enough to make you question the laws of physics. That's probably the reason why Pagani hasn't bothered sharing performance figures. 

The power is sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed AMT developed by X-Trac. Other mechanical wizardry includes a suspension built out of HiFrog (an aluminium alloy with an amusing name) and Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes. Pirelli developed a specific kind of rubber to make tyres for the Huayra Roadster to have lower rolling resistance, and reduce fuel consumption. Since they are custom-made, the tyres also feature the initials of Horacio Pagani – HP – on the shoulder. 

The Roadster makes its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. It will be limited to 100 units, and cost $2.4 million (Rs 16.06 crore) a piece. Don't bother breaking the bank, though. Every single one is sold!