Pagani’s latest hypercar, the Huayra

Bit of a mouthful – the H is silent – and in early July FMM was proud to host a brief visit of Pagani’s latest hypercar, the Huayra, which was on a promotional tour in the hands of Pagani’s Area Manager for the Middle East and Africa, Mansour Alyasin.

The concept was born in 2003, the year of the introduction of the Zonda S Roadster. Since the original design of the Zonda was done in the early 90s, Pagani decided it needed a new car totally different in form, dimension, dynamics and technology. “Leonardo da Vinci told us that art and science are disciplines that need to walk alongside,” says company founder Horacio Pagani. The concept was for a longer silhouette that the Zonda with a track increased by 70 mm, and a cabin position shifted rearwards by 40 mm to offer more space.

Accompanying Mansour was Pagani South Africa’s General Manager Marek Letowt and photographer John Whittle. The car was put on display and provided a thrilling surprise for the many unsuspecting visitors on the day. Heightening the occasion, later in the day the Pagani was joined by two of FMM’s prized hypercars, the McLaren F1 and Ferrari Enzo and in the afternoon the three performed demo drives around the quadrant.

This car is the prototype coupé and appeared in the Transformers 4 movie. Weighing just 1 280 kg, the futuristic-looking Huayra is powered by a Mercedes-AMG 6,0-litre twin-turbo V12 pumping out 539 kW and 1 000 N.m of torque. A single-clutch seven-speed sequential transmission is used and the car sprints from 0-100 km/h in 2,8 seconds and has a top speed of 383 km/h. The active suspension in the front and the 4 flaps allow help balance drag and downforce. Pirelli created a very progressive tyre with an exceptional grip in all situations and with low rolling friction. Every aspect of safety was treated taking into account the dynamic by which most accidents with high performance rear engined cars occur.

The car has been fitted with the track-oriented Tempesta upgrade that includes a revised front air dam, special alloy wheels, stiffer suspension incorporating custom Ohlins dampers, a freer-flowing titanium exhaust and a different rear diffuser.

Not surprisingly, the Huayra kept everyone enthralled throughout the day – transforming a visit into a unique event…