Pagani «

Italian supercar manufacturer Pagani Automobili S.p.A. announced its highly-anticipated entrance into the U.S. market today, earmarked with the release of its latest supercar, the Pagani Huayra. The company will begin selling the Huayra in the U.S. through a dealer network beginning in 2011.

The U.S. arrival of its high-styled Huayra allows stateside enthusiasts the opportunity to obtain a Pagani automobile in the U.S. for the first time, and bolsters Pagani as a major player in the world’s largest automotive market.

The Huayra, which boasts a revolutionary design, state-of-the-art mechanics and 700 horsepower, is designed with aerodynamics of a wing in mind and considered to be the lightest sportscar in its class at 1.350 kg.

Pagani, a brand known for its intricate designs, meticulous craftsmanship and a never-ending quest for building some of the most exclusive and high performance automobiles in the world, has been long recognized as one of Europe’s top supercar makers.

The company’s previous model, the Zonda, received the 2001 “Car of the Year” award from British performance car magazine Evo and the 2002 “Performance Car of the Year” and “Specialist Manufacturer” awards from Car magazine and AutoCar respectively. The Zonda further cemented its status as one of the world’s premier high-performance cars in 2002 and 2007 by setting the Nurburgring circuit record for road homologated cars; the Zonda R currently holds the lap record. Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson crowned the Zonda R as the 2010 Car of the Year.

“We are thrilled at the opportunity to represent the Pagani brand in the United States and we look forward to the successful launch of the Huayra,” said Horacio Pagani, the company founder. “This automobile is the result of five years of dedicated effort from the Pagani team and we see this as an unprecedented opportunity to continue expanding our vision of the future for the supercar industry.”

ABOUT THE HUAYRA

Named after Huayra Tata, an ancient God of wind, the Huayra merges the past, present and future in a timeless interpretation of automotive art. The styling of the car was perfected over the course of five years to find each line’s beginning and end. During this study, eight scale models were created, as well as two 1:1 models, each an evolution of the previous in a never ending quest to perfect the form and refine the substance.

The central monocoque on the Huayra is an entirely new design made from carbo-titanium. With gull wing doors cutting deep into the roof, much research was done to achieve the highest levels of rigidity through the application of new advanced composite materials and technologies. Further, the fuel tank is located integrally in the best protected area of the monocoque, behind the driver, reinforced by safety cell made of different composite and ballistic materials.

The car’s 60 degree 12 cylinder turbocharged engine has been developed to meet the strictest technical and quality requirements while its systems have been designed and tested to stand up to the most adverse conditions of temperature and performance. With 700 horsepower and 1000 Nm of torque, the car’s turbos offer an immediate response to the slightest throttle input, giving the driver full control over the engine at any RPM, preventing unwanted delays in the delivery of power.

Another vital design tenant for the Huayra project was to ensure clean airflow over the body of the car. The shape of the two engine air intakes behind the occupants shoulders are a tribute to the supersonic aircraft of the late 1950s and 1960s, but also allow the motor breath without disrupting the flow.

The Huayra follows the brand’s overall design ethos that each Pagani vehicle should present state-of-the-art solutions, while still drawing on the rich history preceding it. In essence, Pagani believes in progress that does not deny the past.

To date, five prototypes have been built on which Pagani has been conducting road tests for the past four years. Currently, more than 300,000 miles have been covered by these prototypes and testing will reach approximately 600,000 miles before entering the U.S. market. The car complies with the strictest European and American standards in terms of safety and pollution regulations.

Official plans to unveil the Huayra in the U.S. and information for prospective buyers will be released in the coming weeks.