99 The AskMen Take

When we first alerted our friends and colleagues that we were headed to Italy to attend the official unveiling of the Pagani Huayra, we were greeted with “whos” and “whats” instead of the usual “oohs” and “ahhs” that accompany any mention of an Italian supercar. Maybe it’s because Pagani is the new kid on the block in terms of sport car manufacturers, or maybe it’s because the Pagani Zonda, the company’s flagship car that debuted in 1999, was never available in North America Markets Well, that limited availability is about to change with the upcoming release of the awe-inspiring Huayra, which Horacio Pagani, the company’s visionary founder, has assured us will be sold in the U.S.

Named after an ancient Andean god of wind, the Huayra is a masterpiece of both design and engineering, conceived of and built by a handful of specialists in Pagani’s boutique factory in Modena, Italy.

But don’t pulverize your piggy bank just yet. Unless you’re a movie star of the Will Smith variety or a filthy-rich oil scion, the Huayra may be slightly out of reach, with an estimated price tag hovering around the $1.4 million mark.  Is it worth the epic price tag? Let’s take a look.



100 Performance

It should come as no surprise that when devising the Huayra’s engine specifications, Pagani spared no expense. Powered by a 700-horsepower, 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine that produces 811 lb-ft of torque and was designed exclusively for Pagani by Mercedes Benz AMC the Huayra can hit 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds and can reach speeds in excess of 220 mph. Not only is it street legal (some editions of the Zonda were not), but the Huayra has also been engineered to meet U.S. safety and emissions standards — no small feat for a car of this nature. Along with the gobsmacking engine, the carbon-titanium body will house a customized seven-speed paddle shift transmission from Xtrac.

Even when the car is traveling at top speed, special air breaks at the rear, which are built from super-rare, super-light (and super-expensive) carbon-titanium material and assisted by massive ceramic brake discs, will ensure that the Huayra will have no trouble stopping. This is truly state-of-the-art stuff, folks.