The Just-Revealed Pagani Huayra Roadster Is Even Sweeter Than We Imagined
Damn.
A convertible car will always, inherently, be heavier and less rigid than the coupe from which it derives. Seeking to adhere to its philosophy that every new model surpass its predecessor, Pagani‘s solution for the Huayra roadster was to not base this new convertible on its closed-roof forebear. Instead, the Roadster is a clean-sheet design, despite the shared name and similar styling.
The 764-horsepower Mercedes-AMG 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 carries over from the Huayra BC, and the car features an Xtrac seven-speed automated manual transmission that it says is 40 percent lighter than a comparable dual-clutch transmission.
But the Roadster’s big breakthrough comes from its innovative use of a new material for its construction. Carbo-titanium is 52 percent stiffer than conventional carbon fiber material, and its use let Pagani slash 176 lbs. from the Roadster compared to the Huayra coupe. A new lightweight aluminum alloy used to fabricate the Roadster’s suspension contributed to making those parts 25 percent lighter than those in the coupe.
The roof is a key element in a convertible, and the Huayra Roadster has two. One is a rigid carbon fiber and glass panel that gives the car a coupe-like feeling, and the other is a fabric roof that stores in the car for use in response to unexpected showers when driving with the hard top off.
List price for the Huayra Roadster is $2.41 million. Pagani is only building 100 of the cars, and they are all already sold, just as was the case when Ferrari announced the La Ferrari Aperta. It looks like if we want an exclusive supercar, we’re going to have to build our own.
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