The Latest Frenzy of Pagani

The Italian hypercar manufacturer Pagani has just unveiled its latest, and certainly most extreme, model, the Huayra R Evo.

As you’ve probably guessed from its name, this new model is the latest iteration, or simply the evolution, of the Huayra R, the track-focused version of the house’s hypercar. The most significant change made to the already very aggressive base model is immediately noticeable. The Huayra R Evo features a considerably elongated bodywork, of the “long tail” type. This configuration is totally unsuitable for road use but highly effective on the track in terms of aerodynamic performance. The same treatment applies to the front, where the carbon splitter has also been extended and redesigned. Contrary to expectations, it may be this last modification that has the biggest impact on the car, because all the aerodynamic work on a car begins the moment the airflow first touches the vehicle before trailing along its bodywork.

To illustrate this well, it must be known that the rear has been extended by 20 cm and the front by 10, even if it’s less visually obvious. A new central wing appears to provide additional support for the gigantic rear wing. The new elongated bodywork of the Huayra R Evo turns heads, but it mainly produces 45% more downforce than the R.

Long tail and wild horses

However, the modifications are not limited to the hypercar’s bodywork. It receives an updated version of the 6.0-liter V12 developed specifically by Mercedes-AMG. The new engine is called V12 R-Evo and produces 900 horsepower, all transmitted to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox. Subject to mastering its surges during acceleration, the car can now reach a top speed of 350 km/h, on the track of course.

Brutality, all in lightness

But as impressive as this technical sheet is, the most interesting figure is hardly highlighted. Horacio Pagani has managed to limit the car’s weight to 1,060 kg! That’s comparable to an Alpine A110 R with ten times more aerodynamic downforce and three times more power! As the founder of Lotus, Colin Chapman, used to say, “Light is right,” meaning light is good, or more simply, weight is the enemy of good! A lesson for some electric car manufacturers who still haven’t understood that 1000 hp is ridiculous, even pathetic, in a 3-ton car! We know the names…

Pagani has not announced a price for the Huayra R Evo, although it will undoubtedly be higher than the original Huayra R’s $3 million, but likely not by much. Pagani has always charged a fair price for its craziness. A Pagani is an aesthete’s car, not a celebrity’s car. He also did not specify how many units will be built, but we’re talking only a few dozen at most.