Official: Pagani Huayra Makes Private U.S. Debut

Thursday, a North American audience of journalists and prospective customers were treated to a private debut of the Pagani Huayra supercar.

This gem was officially unveiled by Horacio Pagani himself, the Argentine maker of exotic Italian sports cars. This was its first official trip on U.S. Soil, at the Art Center College of Design.

Heavily based on the final Zonda R — the most performance-oriented Zonda variant produced — the Huayra, unlike the Zonda before it, achieved certification, so it will be legal for use on U.S. roads and Pagani is aiming to build sales to stratospheric heights, relatively speaking. It seems that its Mercedes-Benz AMG-sourced 6-liter V-12 engine meets California’s LEV II emissions standards, impressive in view of its 700-horsepower output.

Considering the size of the Pagani factory, the methods with which the cars are built (labor-intensive, largely by hand), a few dozen Zondas isn’t quite bad. This time Mr. Pagani, in an interview for NY Times Wheels Blog, said the Huayra would be built in quantities of 40 or so per year.

“We already have many orders from China, Singapore and the Middle East,” he said. “But for the first time, we will also be accepting orders from the United States.”

The new features of the new car include a billet-carved ignition key in the shape of the Huayra, a retro-chic push-pull shift lever for its 7-speed automatic transmission and various styling elements of its carbon fiber body.

“We have done many things to give the Huayra a personality,” Mr. Horacio Pagani said. “We have made it a comfortable vehicle in which to drive every day, if the owner so desires.”

Price: $1.2 million

Source: NY Times Wheels Blog