Having developed a working relationship with Daimler AG, Pagani was supplied with the latest V12 engines for his cars, and the Pagani Zonda was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1999. The Zonda was produced in various limited and special edition models, from pure racing cars to luxury roadsters, and was both a critical and performance success, cementing the Pagani marque in the cosmos of the supercar.
In 2011, Pagani introduced the successor to the Zonda at Geneva, the wind-inspired Huayra C9. Named after a South American wind god, (Pagani was born in Argentina), the Huayra follows Pagani's philosophical maxim that can be summarized as combining art and technology through precision engineering and inspired design.
The Huayra features titanium/carbon composite monocoque construction surrounding the heart of the beast: an AMG Mercedes-sourced M158 6.0 liter V12 twin-turbocharged engine that develops over 700 horsepower and over 700 foot-pounds of torque. The lightweight engine was modified at Pagani's request to reduce turbo-lag for improved acceleration response, reconfigure the intercooler assembly and other changes designed to improve performance and decrease overall weight. The massive power of this engine is transferred through a seven-speed transverse sequential gearbox that can unleash the car from 0-60 mph in less than 3 seconds and drive it to a top speed of over 230 miles per hour.
On March 8, 2012, exactly one year after introducing the Huayra, Pagani unveiled the first limited special edition of the model, the Huayra Carbon Edition. The Carbon Edition model features a carbon-fiber body, as opposed to the titanium/carbon composite of the base model, reducing the overall weight of the vehicle by several hundred pounds. Pagani chose not to hide the space-age texture of the carbon fiber composite from which the body parts are made, instead coating the entire surface in layers of high gloss clear coat acrylic. The aesthetic effect is quite stunning and unique and is sure to be a future trend to watch in car design.
The Huayra Carbon Edition is truly an exemplary specimen of an already extraordinary automobile, and while no price for this edition has been named, seeing as how the "base" model Huayra lists for about $1.5 million dollars, the Carbon Edition will surely list even higher in the stratosphere of supercar prices.
