Pagani at The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering

By: Daniel Vaughan

The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering, celebrated its eighteenth year as a world-renowned motorsport event and a prominent component of Monterey Car Week. The event continued its tradition of showcasing some of the world's rarest and most exquisite collections of vintage automobiles and motorcycles; as well as delicious culinary delights and luxury lifestyle elements in an intimate gathering. This year, the Quail highlighted the 50th Anniversary of the Alfa Romeo Montreal, Automotive Couture, French Cars featuring the 50th Anniversary of the Citroen SM, and Cars of Curiosity. Traditional classes of Pre-War Sports and Racing, Post-War Sports, The Great Ferraris, Custom Coachwork, and many others were on display.

Among the many highlights that greet guests as they enter the show field was the Pagani display which traditionally showcases approximately a dozen of these exclusive examples resting shoulder-to-shoulder. Pagani Automobili S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of sports cars and carbon fiber components that was founded in 1992 by the Argentinian Horacio Pagani and is based in San Cesario sul Panaro.

The company's first model was the Zonda equipped with a mid-mounted DOHC V12 engine manufactured by Mercedes-Benz's AMG division. The exterior design was inspired by the Sauber-Mercedes Silver Arrow Group C cars and by jet fighters, incorporating several unique design elements, including its four-pipe exhaust system.

On display at The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering was a Zonda F and the first S&D approved, fully legalized Zonda F example to date, confirmed by the factory.

The Pagani Zonda was followed by the Zonda 'Cinquie' in 2009, based on the track-only Zonda R and powered by a new 678 horsepower Mercedes-Benz M297 V12 engine. Just five examples were built and each received several unique elements from the newly developed material 'carbon-titanium fibre.' An additional five examples of the Zonda Cinque Roadster followed in July of 2009, powered by the same M297 Mercedes engine.

Three examples of the Zonda Tricolore were eventually built. First introduced in 2010 at the Geneva Motor Show, the exclusive model was built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Frecce Tricolori, the Italian Air Force's aerobatic squadron. The 7.3-liter Mercedes AMG V12 engine delivered 670 horsepower endowing it with a top speed of 217 mph and capable of racing from zero-to-sixty mph in a mere 3.2 seconds.

At the Geneva Motor Show in 2011, Pagani introduced the successor to the Zonda, the Pagani Huayra named after the Incan god of wind, Huayra-tata. Its 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged M158 V12 engine from Mercedes AMG produced 730 horsepower and 1,000 NM of torque. The body was comprised of carbotanium - a lightweight composition of carbon fiber and titanium. A total of 100 examples were built with each example selling new for over a million (USD) dollars.

Thanks to its innovative characteristics, the Huayra achieved three of the most prestigious awards in the car world as Car of The Year in 2012.

In 2016, the Huayra BC was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show, with the 'BC' named after the late Benny Caiola, a friend of Horacio Pagani, and the first Pagani customer. Although the Huayra was already a paragon in the hypercar arena, Pagani raised the bar even further, improving upon the Huayra's engine with output growing to 754 horsepower. An all-new material called 'carbon-triax' allowed weight to be reduced by approximately 290 pounds, and additional weight was shed by the lightweight titanium exhaust system, new aluminum alloy wheels, and a stripped-out interior. Only twenty examples were built and each had an MSRP exceeding $2 million (USD).

Conceived primarily as a road-going car, the Huayra BC has been inspired by its 'track-focused' predecessors: the Pagani Zonda R and the Zonda Cinque. Developed as a natural evolution of the Coupe, the car is pure raw power packaged into a 1218 Kg high-performance automobile, and, at 1.8 G, is capable of the highest lateral acceleration ever seen on a car with road tires.

At the time of its launch, the Huayra BC was the most technologically advanced Huayra Coupe yet.

The Huayra Roadster followed in 2017 and 100 examples were sold prior to production coming to a close. 'Everything had to come together as though it were a car carved out of a block of Carrara marble.' - Horacio Pagani.

While the coupes had gull-wing doors, the roadsters used a conventional design, and significant updates were made throughout the vehicle, the most noticeable being the updated eyelid-like fixed flaps at the rear. Engine cooling was improved through the use of vents on the rear engine cover, and Pirelli P-Zero tires were placed at all four corners. Pure beauty in all shapes and surfaces, the Huayra Roadster is an almost fully exposed vehicle with nearly every mechanical part visible; every last piece produced to be revealed. A concept true to the Pagani philosophy, whereby each detail in the design is respected, each component in the car is given due consideration and attention.

The Pagani Huayra Roadster is the first roadster ever to be lighter than the coupe version. A goal achieved by completely revisiting all the components and, through enhanced development of the carbo-titanium combined with a new composite material Carbo-Triax HP52, the team reduced the weight of the car by 80 kg compared to the previous coupe and obtained a 52-percent increase in stiffness. An incredible achievement for such an ambitious project.

One example on display at The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering, was a made-to-measure upgraded example with a custom-made spoiler inspired by the Roadster BC design. The air scoop and the conveyor placed beneath the bonnet direct the airflow to the engine to augment its efficiency and performance. The hardtop is rigid and made of carbon fiber like the Roadster BC, as are the seats which are now single-piece. Furthermore, their stitching design recalls the pattern of the carbon-fiber details, whereas, on other Roadsters, they would be made of leather.

Tractive's new adaptive shock-absorbers were installed and the rims came from the BC Tempesta. They are lighter than those of the Roadster and foster the general handling of the car. The car also benefits from the recent installation of the Pagani LEO platform.

The first Huayra BC to ever be fitted with the all-new BC Tempesta upgrade package was on display. Upgrades were made to the aerodynamics, aesthetics, and mechanical components which fully brought out the car's racing soul and sound. The overall aerodynamic outline is improved, inheriting the most advanced learning from the latest Pagani projects. Starting from the front, the splitter is basically derived from the Huayra R; moving on to the center and back, the car features the aero pack consisting of a dedicated air scoop, new conveyors, a Roadster BC-based rear wing, a shark fin, and two aero tail lights covers.

From a mechanical point of view, the BC Tempesta pack offers a set of new suspensions, a six-pipe exhaust system, new wheels, rims, and tires. in addition, the powertrain reaches the ultimate level of the Pagani Imola.

Appearance and comfort are essential too. On the one hand,t he BC Tempesta provides a new set of stunning details for the interior, such as the gear knob and the floor mat set while, for the exterior, a new type of configuration. On the other hand, the soft model will make the driving experience incredibly pleasing.

Photo credit: Daniel Vaughan
posted on conceptcarz.com

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