A car may be compared to a sculpture, but opening the door changes everything; a sculpture, yes, but one you can sit in. The interior of Pagani Utopia is even more original, if that is possible, than its exterior shape. Neither modern nor retro, it is timeless. There are no screens apart from the minimal display in front of the driver; big screens would have been easier to fit and would have saved a lot of effort in the design, but it would have taken away much of the beauty. All the instruments are purely analog and each of the easy-to-read dials subtly reveals part of its mechanism as if it were revealing the skeleton movement. For Pagani, every component needed for the car to function is an opportunity to be creative. Even the steering wheel has been reinvented: it is fashioned from a solid aluminum block, from the spokes and hollow rim to the steering column boss, which contains the airbag. The pedals are also made from a single block of metal, while the gear lever mechanism is still exposed but more sophisticated than ever. All this with proper obsession paid to ergonomics, efficiency and ease of access.
WHAT MAKES IT WHAT IT IS
To reach this very simple final shape, the process has never been as complex. For six years, from the first sketches and computer calculations until the definitive shape was frozen for the carbon fiber molds, its internal airflows were perfected through endless hours of research in the wind tunnel and countless changes, one touch at a time. Utopia takes advantage of the mysteries of aerodynamics to maximize sure-footed handling and stability at any speed, however high. Its active aerodynamics, combined with the electronically controlled shock absorbers, ensure the optimum dynamic behavior in all driving conditions. The double-wishbone suspension, made from aerospace aluminum alloy, benefits from the lengthy development work carried out on the R, the track-only version of the Huayra. But Pagani Utopia, a car designed for road use, can cope with surfaces for daily use. The carbon monocoque used on previous Pagani models sets the standard in terms of its strength, lightness and build quality. Pagani has chosen to consolidate its existing strengths, to improve how its fibers are woven and to constantly invent new composite materials such as Carbo-Titanium and Carbo-Triax. On top of that, a new type of A-class carbon fiber has been developed specifically for aesthetic applications such as the bodywork, providing 38% of additional stiffness with the same density.
AT YOUR SERVICE
The Pagani V12 engine, a 6-liter biturbo specially built by Mercedes-AMG for Pagani, is the result of an enormous development work: it delivers 864 bhp and, above all, a prodigious 1100 Nm of torque. It revs higher and is both more flexible and more powerful while meeting the most stringent emissions regulations, including those in force in California. For the transmission the choice was a philosophical one. It would not be a dual-clutch transmission which is efficient, but heavy and robs the driver of the ability to set the pace of the car's acceleration. Instead, Pagani turned to the most prestigious motorsport and high performance automotive transmission manufacturer, Xtrac, to develop the quickest shifting gearbox with helical gears possible. It is compact, light and transversely mounted for an optimized center of gravity. Moreover, in order to best match the wishes expressed by Pagani enthusiasts, its aficionados, a virtual manual would not be acceptable so a real seven-speed manual transmission has been developed. It was not an easy task to design such a gearbox with synchronizer rings and a mechanism able to handle 1100 Nm of torque adequate for a pure manual application, but it was an essential requirement for Utopia.
THE STARTING POINT
As we discover his latest work, it is the path taken by its creator that fascinates us. Horacio Pagani builds the cars he has dreamt of. And it is to fulfill his highest aspirations, those closest to the impossible, that, as a very conscientious engineer, he seeks to serve the dreamer. In the land of dreams, you need a guide: the great Leonardo da Vinci has always been a crucial figure for Pagani. It is under Leonardo's aegis that he has always believed that it is possible to combine art and technology. Can you think of any more demanding mentor? An artist and an inventor, Leonardo, one of the greatest portrait painters of all time, was also interested in anatomy. It is not the case for Horacio to compare himself to the Florentine genius but of following his path: Leonardo constantly combined technical inspiration with his love of beautiful shapes. Horacio Pagani is an artist, the car is his preferred way of expressing himself. When he draws something, however beautiful it is, the shape he creates is the result of the function it will perform. For him, a shape cannot be elegant if it is technically incorrect. And when the technical difficulty has been overcome, its beauty can be found in its solution.
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