One-off Pagani steals show New MG HS SUV will emerge from the shadows at Festival
● Unique edition of Huayra on display at event ● AMG-built twin-turbo V12 develops 852bhp
EXCLUSIVE supercar brand Pagani will supply a thick slice of glamour at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, with a unique version of its Huayra.
The one-off Huayra Epitome is the latest creation to come from Pagani’s special project division, Grandi Complicazioni, which is responsible for limited-edition speed machines such as the Imola Roadster unveiled last year.
This is the first and only Huayra to be fitted with a manual gearbox – a sevenspeed transverse unit produced by British company Xtrac. Pagani says it utilises the latest triple-disc clutch for better torque transmission, as well as an electronically controlled differential and “racing-derived” tripod driveshafts to deliver sharper responses from the engine.
It’s also reinforced to withstand the 852bhp and 1,100Nm of torque produced by the Huayra Epitome’s twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 engine. This has its red line set at 6,700rpm and was built by AMG to Pagani’s own specifications.
It’ll sound spectacular too, thanks to a lightweight six-way titanium exhaust system with two direct outlets that can be opened at the push of a button to create a blown diffuser, increasing downforce.
Pagani has also spent time adjusting the suspension geometry to reduce dive when accelerating, pitch under braking, and roll in corners. Meanwhile the Huayra Epitome’s new active suspension system also has a matter-of-factly named “super soft” setting for extra comfort on rougher roads. Above 93mph (150km/h), the shock absorbers will return to their default settings, in case you’re wondering.
Unique design changes for the Huayra Epitome include all-new front and rear bumpers, light clusters and vents to extract air from the wheelarches. The front end has a wider mouth to improve airflow and an integrated splitter designed, at the customer’s request, to increase downforce. Of course you can’t miss the massive rear wing or the gold forged aluminium wheels.
The Huayra Epitome will be on static display at Goodwood, which runs from Thursday to Sunday. Pagani is also bringing a Huayra Roadster and Zonda Roadster to the show, plus its Huayra R track car and new Utopia supercar, to tackle the famous Sussex venue’s hillclimb.
“This is the first and only Huayra to be fitted with a manual gearbox – a seven-speed Xtrac unit”
MG’s Festival star is a world away from the brand’s latest Cyberster roadster: a new generation of the HS family SUV.
The Chinese-owned manufacturer has issued shadowy teasers of the new model, which will continue to compete in the mid-size SUV class with rivals like the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.
Like those South Korean models, the HS will be offered as both a regular petrol model and a plug-in hybrid. A self-charging hybrid is expected to join the line-up at a later date, giving buyers a trio of options to pick from.
It’s been suggested that the plug-in hybrid model could have a much larger battery than the outgoing car, and will be capable of an electric range of up to 70 miles as a result.
That would represent a significant improvement over the current HS, which can only manage 32 miles before the petrol engine has to whirr into life. A range of 70 miles would have the added benefit of dropping the HS into the fiveper cent Benefit-in-Kind tax band for company-car drivers.
The teaser image (above) suggests a gently sloping roofline, subtle rear haunches and a large front grille with new air intakes on either side, similar in style to the recently launched MG3.