GALE FORCE HYPERCAR: This 2014 Pagani Huayra Hits With the Force of a Hurricane
December 18, 2024
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
LOT #1385 – 2014 PAGANI HUAYRA – NO RESERVE
Every artist signs his work with pride. In the automotive sphere, it used to be common for creators to name their cars after themselves – think Ford, Dodge, Porsche, Ferrari and many others – but in more recent times, that custom has fallen out of favor.
Yet even in these more modest times, there are still corners of the auto industry where entrepreneurs will affix their names to the flanks of their creations like an artist signing a painting with a flourish. One such car is the 2014 Pagani Huayra (Lot #1385) that will be offered with No Reserve at Barrett-Jackson’s 2025 Scottsdale Auction, Jan. 18-26. It is just one of the outstanding cars from the Garage X Collection that will cross the block with No Reserve in January.
Named after creator Horacio Pagani, the Pagani Huayra is the product of a career spent melding technology and aesthetics. As Pagani’s website notes: “Designed to celebrate the harmony between art and science, these cars can catch the moment.”
Pagani’s career has taken him to all corners of the exotic car world, influencing the hypercars his company now manufactures. As a young man he designed an F2 race car, and later worked with Lamborghini on incorporating the use of composite materials into their sports cars. He founded Modena Design, collaborating with a variety of carmakers on lightweight composites. After launching Pagani Automobili S.p.A., the Zonda series debuted as the company’s initial offering. The Huayra was Pagani’s next-generation model beginning in 2011.
If ever there was a car a creator would want his name on, it is the Pagani Huayra. From the dramatic gullwing doors to the distinctive interior detailing unique from any other car on the market, the Huayra is the very embodiment of high-impact motoring. The monocoque frame is constructed of carbo-titanium. Aerodynamic efficiency was a primary focus, and the car’s path through the atmosphere benefits from four active aero flaps and active suspension. “Elegant and muscular, the Huayra blends together past, present and future in a timeless interpretation of the automotive art,” Pagani says.
The mid-engine Huayra is powered by a Mercedes-AMG M158 twin-turbo 6-liter V12. Rated at 730 horsepower and 737 ft/lbs of torque, Pagani describes the acceleration as “that of the brute force of an airplane taking off.” The engine delivers a worthy symphony of internal combustion thanks to the four centrally located exhaust outlets, a signature design feature from Pagani. The example headed to the Scottsdale Auction also had exhaust and tuning modifications installed by the previous owner.
Visually, the V12 under the clamshell bonnet makes as much impact as the exterior of the car, with contrasting materials and world-class detailing. The engine is teamed with a transverse sequential 7-speed gearbox and is controlled by the distinctive Pagani shifter with exposed linkage. With a base wight of less than 3,000 pounds, the power-to-weight ratio of the Huayra will always ensure adrenalin-fueled drives.
Pagani gathered an international team of corporate partners in developing the Huayra, but the car is no mere collection of standard parts. The Mercedes-AMG V12 was developed exclusively for Pagani. Even the tires come with a distinct pedigree. “Pirelli has developed the P Zero tires, especially made for the Pagani Huayra,” Pagani states. “Pirelli has created a very progressive tire with an exceptional grip in all situations and with low rolling friction. Every aspect of safety was treated, taking into account the dynamic by which most accidents with high-performance rear-engined cars occur.”
The Huayra offered at the 2025 Scottsdale Auction is finished in the Nero Oro color, with full paint protection film. It has a Nero leather interior and comes with a five-piece luggage set.
The car also has the $180,000 Tempesta Package upgrade, developed in collaboration with race car builder Dallara, which incorporates additional lightweight components, exposed carbon fiber, a “burnt” titanium exhaust system, adjustable Ohlins shock absorbers exclusive to Pagani, and forged aluminum alloy wheels measuring 20 inches up front and 21 inches in the rear. Aerodynamic enhancements include a special front splitter and rear diffuser with additional air channels, as well as a redesigned underbody for maximum downforce. The resulting reduction in weight and improved aerodynamics elevates the Huayra’s handling prowess to an otherworldly level.
The Pagani Huayra is a car that inhabits the stratosphere of ultra exclusive vehicles. The combination of astounding performance, beautifully flowing lines, extremely low production and interior detailing that reveals something new with every glance makes each car a revelation that few will experience. The Huayra is truly automotive art, but far more entertaining than any art you’d hang on a wall.
Richard Hammond’s “Top Gear” review from when the Huayra was new captures the excitement and drama surrounding the car. “The detail is beyond excessive. Every single nut and bolt is made from titanium. The name badge takes 24 hours to carve out from a solid piece of aluminum. Each wheel, also hewn from a single aluminum block, takes five days to make,” he reported. “This fanatical attention to detail goes on and on and on. Even the body is more high-tech than the one you’ll find on a Formula 1 car.”
As for the origins of the Huayra name, we’ll let Horacio Pagani explain it himself via the company website: “Ancient Aymara legends tell us of Huayra Tata, god of the wind who commands the breezes, the winds and the snowstorms that invade the mountains, the cliffs and the hills of the Andean highlands.”
When this hypercar named after an ancient South American wind god blows across the stage in Scottsdale, expect hurricane-force bidding.
Written by Independent Automotive Journalist Steve Stathem