Pagani Huayra, $1.2 Million Supercar Comes to U.S.
Horacio Pagani has unleashed his newest creation and the $1.2 million dollar Italian supercar is making its way to the United States. The Pagani Huayra, available in Europe and Asia will make its U.S. debut in 2013.
The revolutionary sports car was revealed during an exclusive preview event at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, on August 4.
Most of the manufacturer’s, Pagani Automobili S.p.A., orders come from China, Singapore, and the Middle East, said Pagani.
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“But for the first time, we will also be accepting orders from the United States,” he stated.
According to company executives about 40 models will be produced a year and they plan to sell around five to eight Huayras annually in the U.S.
Pagani originally wanted to introduce the car to Americans in 2012, but regulators put the stops on that plan because it did not meet federal guidelines. The advanced airbag feature requires airbags to adjust their force when children are sitting in the front seat of an automobile – a feature the Huayra did not have.
The company applied for federal exemption when they learned of the advanced airbag systems, but were denied by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Francesco Zappacosta, Pagani’s managing director said, the automaker expected the rejection and sped up development of child-safe advanced airbags, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.
The advanced airbag program would cost the company 4 million euros to produce, wrote the Chronicle.
The Huayra, C9 took Pagani seven years to complete and is heavily influenced by the Zonda R, the last model in the “Zonda” series. The Huayra is composed of over 4000 components, not including the engine and gearbox.
The supercar has a 6.0-liter, twin-turbo Mercedes-Benz AMG V-12 engine and makes 700 horsepower – enough to propel it from zero to 60 mph in about three seconds. The 3,000-pound car, the lightest in its class, was made to be a “comfortable vehicle to drive every day,” said Horacio Pagani.
Pagani, who employs a total of sixty people, personally designs each vehicle.
In addition to the special debut at the Art Center College of Design, the company also announced a $20,000 dollar scholarship for the school’s design program.
