Pagani Huayra Roadster is Beautifully Complicated

Pagani says the Huayra Roadster is the most complicated project it has ever undertaken.

A convertible variant for the Pagani Huayra has been rumored ever since the coupe made its debut in 2011, but the company mysteriously went quiet on the version and some started to believe it would never exist. What happened, however, is that the Roadster project began in 2010 with the simple idea of removing the top and adding conventional doors, similar to what the company did with the Zonda Roadster. Three years later, the company scrapped the design and started from the beginning of the design process, essentially making the Pagani Huayra Roadster a completely new project.

The result? Well, the company did something that was seemingly impossible. Convertible variants of existing cars typically weigh more than their coupe counterparts, but that’s not the case with the Huayra Roadster. In fact, the Roadster is lighter than the coupe with a dry weight of 2,822 pounds (1,280 kilograms), making it about 176 lbs (80 kg) lighter.

To make that a reality, the Italian exotic automaker refined the development of Carbo-Titanium by combining it with a new form of composite material called Carbo-Triax HP52. The company says it is more advanced than materials used for Formula 1 cars and allowed for a 52-percent increase in stiffness.

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Power still comes from a Mercedes-AMG-sourced twin-turbo V12 engine providing 764 horsepower and paired to the same seven-speed, single-clutch gearbox found in the Huayra BC. The model’s suspension also helps shed weight, thanks to a lightweight aluminum alloy called HiForg.

Unfortunately, it sounds like the Huayra Roadster does have conventional doors and not the gullwings Pagani cars are so famous for. “From the very beginning, the Huayra Roadster door design followed in the tradition of the Mercedes-Benz models of the 1950’s, specifically the gullwing doors of the 300-SL, and its Roadster variant featuring conventional doors,” Pagani said in a press release. “In the end, the design closely follows in the tradition of Pagani – the vehicle best represented in the Huayra Roadster design: the Zonda Cinque Roadster.”

The model comes with two different roofs, one made from carbon fiber and features a glass window, while the other is a fabric unit that can be stored in the car.

Production of the Pagani Huayra Roadster is limited to just 100 units and, not surprisingly, it’s already sold out. The base price is €2,280,000 ($2.4-million) plus taxes but that hasn’t deterred the affluent from lining up and dropping deposits.

Make sure to check back with AutoGuide.com when the 2017 Geneva Motor Show kicks off next month for full coverage of the Huayra Roadster’s official debut.

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