Feature: gale force
We got up close and personal with the beautifully crafted Pagani Huayra Roadster BC as it landed in the Mother City
With its headquarters a stone’s throw away from those of Ferrari and Lamborghini and its cars named after South American air currents, it’s been a whirlwind two decades for Pagani Automobili S.P.A. Founded by Argentine Horacio Pagani, this niche brand has quickly established itself as one of the most sought-after high-end hypercar producers in the business.
Around two years away from the launch of its third model (codenamed C10), the runout plan for the Huayra has included the Coupé BC, the Roadster, the Roadster BC and the Imola track-day special. Dedicated to Pagani’s rst customer, the late Benny Caiola, the Roadster BC Pebble Beach show car stopped over in Cape Town on its way home. We sat down with Pagani head of Middle East Africa region, Mansour Al Yasin, for a catch up on the brand’s progress and plans. CAR: We’ve had more than one Italian journalist tell us Pagani is their current favourite Italian car. Why do you think your brand has captured the imagination this way? Mansour Al Yasin: We’re obviously very niche, which helps. Employing around 170 people, we produce only
45 cars per year. With his expertise in carbon- bre, Mr Pagani prides himself on attention to detail and craftsmanship, working closely with each of his customers to create bespoke pieces of automotive art. We even have customers ordering parts of the suspension and underpinnings to feature as mantlepieces in their homes.
We’re told Mr Pagani remains in contact with all of his customers, keeping each car’s speci cations and details on le for easy access and feedback.
It’s true that Pagani ownership is unique in this regard. From the rst Zonda launched in 1999, we keep in regular contact with all of our customers, offering them any number of free upgrades and updates to everything from the carbon tub to the transmission and suspension as we develop and harness each aspect of our cars. While there exists a base price for each model we sell, every car that has left our production line has featured some level of customisation. Anything is possible. If we don’t have the means at hand, we will engineer and develop the part speci cally.
Even without opening the driver’s door, it’s obvious just how much attention to detail exists in this show car. Is this what sets a Pagani apart?
Absolutely. Mr Pagani insists his cars are like a high-end wristwatch where every part, even the ones not visible, should be meticulously crafted and nished. To this end, every one of the titanium bolts used throughout is branded with the company name, as are the buckles for the leather straps used to fasten the engine lid and side-mounted luggage compartments. That fascination with carbon has led Pagani to be at the forefront of the use of this material. A closer look at the exposed Hp62-grade carbon used on the Roadster BC will reveal a level of detail and intricacy not currently found anywhere else in the automotive eld.
While Paganis are undeniably beautiful, they’re very much about the drivetrains, too.
Although it was Mr Pagani’s relationship with racing legend Fangio which
rst led him to work at Lamborghini, it was also through this friendship that Pagani gained the contract to make use of Mercedes-benz’s 6,0-litre V12 engine for the Zonda. Now, with the German brand having ceased production of this unit, Pagani has been offered the rights to continue a partnership with AMG in order to further develop the V12. Branded as such for the rst time in the Roadster BC, this 588 kw/1 001 N.m engine mated with a seven-speed Xtrac sequential transmission will form the foundation of the next-generation car. In this next application, it will also be offered with a manual transmission.
It says a lot about the brand’s reputation that Mercedes-benz would offer this kind of deal.
Certainly. And they are not the only ones that appreciate Mr Pagani’s passion, dedication and work ethic. Even though we produce so few cars per year, a company like Bosch Engineering insists on maintaining a close working relationship with us. Pirelli, too, is proud to have its name associated with our products. Look closely and you’ll note that each tyre on the Roadster BC includes the branded initials “HP” on the sidewall.