TESTED VALLELUNGA, ITALY ON SALE SOLD OUT PRICE £2,301,965
It's no exaggeration to say that the Pagani Huayra R might be the most gloriously unnecessary car in the world. The Italian company's previous creations are hardly likely to be used as daily drivers, but at least they can be used on public roads. The Huayra R is both a track-only special and a piece of automotive art, a hypercar that feels frankly too beautiful to be risked in the environment it's designed for.
Its otherworldliness is quickly proved when I arrive at the Vallelunga circuit near Rome in a rented Fiat Panda. The first thing I hear is what seems to be an old V12 Formula 1 race car on track, a howling, yowling exhaust note echoing around the empty grandstands. Are we sharing the track with a Ferrari 412 T2? Leaning over the pitwall reveals that the noise is actually coming from the Pagani factory's Huayra R demonstrator, at a volume that will surely exceed the limits at almost every track in the world. Apparently there is a quieter exhaust option, but Pagani has been allowed to come to Vallelunga with what are basically straight pipes.
Despite its name, the Huayra R has almost nothing in common with any of the previous road-legal Huayra variants. The only shared components are the door mirrors. It sits on an ultra-light carbon fibre frame built to satisfy FIA safety standards (although there are no plans to race it) plus a structural naturally aspirated V12 engine made in Germany by HWA, that being the former part of AMG that Mercedes-Benz didn't acquire.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Poster car that went from rusty to trusty
One evening, two years ago, George Pappas was being driven down his local high street by a mate and mulling over whether to replace his Mk4 Golf diesel, a recent purchase that was boring him to death, when his girlfriend, also in the car, spotted an old BMW 3 Series at the side of the road with a 'for sale' sign in the window.
THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF
The current-gen XC90 has been on sale since 2015 for good reason
GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80
Where the story begins, in the Hyundai premium marque’s luxury saloon
LEXUSLBX
Can you shrink premium quality to fit an SUV this small? We now know
Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'
Nine months into the job, Rolls-Royce CEO and car guy Chris Brownridge tells STEVE CROPLEY what he's learned and where the firm's heading
Once more, with feeling
AC Cars' recreation of the classic MkII Cobra is at first glance a faithful facsimile of a 1960s performance benchmark. SIMON HUCKNALL drives it
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE
Does a PHEV set-up work in a coupé that exudes such old-school vibes?
ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT
Lotus Elise specialist uprates 1990s icon with an eye on track days
ALPINE A290
The hot hatch is alive and well, and living in France. On both road and track, there's much to savour`
UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS
Average car age climbs as high prices dampen demand for new models
