Pagani Huayra Roadster: A Rare, Hand-Made Hypercar Each Pagani Huayra is assembled by man, not machines—and only 40 are built a year—making these $2.4 million autos some of the rarest cars on the road. Dan Neil takes a closer look By Dan Neil Nov. 30, 2017 1:19 p.m. ET 29 COMMENTS TO APPRECIATE the Pagani Huayra Roadster I ask that you use your imagination like a zoom lens. At the moment we are standing off aways, where we can better appreciate the design’s molecular bonding of carnal and sublime. On one hand the Roadster—the latest from maestro Horacio Pagani, of Modena, Italy—is beyond bad-ass: low, wide and louche, whispering a filthy argot spoken only in the brothels of extreme speed. The $2.4-million Roadster harbors a 6.0-liter, 754-hp biturbo V12 engine and weighs practically nothing, an astonishing 2,822 pounds dry weight. Aviation-style ailerons help it stay on the ground. It’s fast enough for you, partner. (.. ) Zoom in closer. Now you can see the distinctive herringbone pattern of carbon fiber draped across the complex body panels in absolute alignment. Señor Pagani, 62, moved from Argentina to Italy as a young man to work in Lamborghini’s then-experimental composites department. Thirty-five years later the Pagani name is known to connoisseurs of fast cars as Vacheron Constantin is to chronophiles. Central to the appeal is the cars’ stupendous surface luster, the gorgeous landscapes of carbon weave under a miles-deep, glassine polymer. (.. ) It’s a great big world out there, with offshore boltholes brimming with global hyper-wealth. Ever larger numbers of financial elite are pursuing exotic cars and they basically have unlimited funds to buy them. Carmakers have been happy to oblige these arch-materialists, with seven-figure, 1,000-hp science projects like the Bugatti Veyron and its successor, Chiron; the McLaren P1; or Ferrari LaFerrari. There are also the stellar Koenigsegg Agera, built in Sweden, and the Zenvo TS1GT, built in Denmark. Soon to come are the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Mercedes-AMG Project ONE, vehicles that promise to approximate F1-level performance in a street car. Now increase magnification, until at last you are peering into the fibers of the carbon weave. Here you will see, barely, the secret to the whole affair: a millimeter-thin thread of titanium woven into the fabric and layered at 90-degree angles to provide maximum mechanical strength to the component. Pagani spent six years working with a supplier on proprietary material—some of the strongest, lightest such materials known. Alas for many would-be clients, Atelier Pagani is small and they like it that way. Production is limited to 40 cars annually. Señor Pagani built his factory in the style of an Italian piazza, and it moves on Latin time. “La piazza is a place where one goes to feel well, to relax, to bring children,” Señor Pagani told me. (.. )
Do people actually drive these cars or do they just sit gathering dust in somebody's fancy garage as a status symbol?
Alot of ultra high end/rare/limited edition things...like cars, homes, art, jewelry...are primarily bought by bored rich people looking to further confirm and reaffirm their unique status in society. But if I was rich, I'd be in their same shoes and position too. -- We poor people have to logically justify everything to make sure we are getting relatively good value for our money.
I agree, but still, cars are meant to be driven - and we're meant to enjoy that drive. It seems like a loss not to do that.