Things never seem to be quite extreme enough for Horacio Pagani, who says he was inspired for this design by watching IndyCar at Nashville.
The madmen at Pagani Automobili have never been accused of building a “mundane” supercar. When you have someone like Horacio Pagani at the helm, pushing boundaries is just par for the course. So then it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that the automaker has just pulled the cover off of what might be its most extreme supercar yet in the Pagani Huayra R Evo. With a unique long tail design and a bespoke V-12 engine providing nearly 900 hp, this track-only model is designed specifically for the brand’s most important (and richest) customers.
According to Horacio himself, the idea for the Huayra R Evo came to him following an IndyCar event in Nashville, Tennessee. The open-air and polycarbonate-laden cabins of the open-wheel racers were intriguing to the executive, particularly when paired with the brand’s existing Huayra platform. Further inspiration for the project came from the iconic Le Mans racers of the Sixties and Seventies, with their lovely ‘codalunga’ (long-tail) aero treatments. As such, the rear section of this latest track car is some 7.5 inches longer than the standard Huayra R that arrived back in 2021. The rear wing is now aided by a large center stanchion, complete with vintage-style metal side caps.
The tweaks help the car produce 45 percent more downforce than its predecessor with 21 percent higher aerodynamic efficiency. Taking the roof panels off for an open-air experience doesn’t hurt that performance either, bringing an additional five percent of downforce thanks to increased vertical loads. At 199 mph, the Huayra R Evo produces more vertical aerodynamic load than its listed curb weight of 2337 lb dry. A set of double wishbones suspension complete with electronic shocks sit at all four corners, now assisted by a new heave damper aimed at separating ride height changes from individual wheel control.
Under the hood of the Huayra R Evo sits a new variant of the brand’s V-12 engine, which is known as the V12-R. Developed alongside HWA AG, this unit receives new camshafts, a reworked exhaust setup and massaged intake manifold to help produce 887 hp and 567 lb-ft. That’s an increase of 50 hp over the Huayra R, with an additional 14 lb-ft to boot. Redline is set at an oh-so-sweet 9200 rpm. All of that power is routed to the wheels via a non-synchronized, dog ring, six-speed sequential box. A set of staggered 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels come wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Slicks. This is a track-only machine, after all. Behind the wheels sit a set of new CCM-R self-ventilated carbon-ceramic discs with motorsport pads. Those will be important, as the supercar has a top speed rated at 218 mph.
Even if you happened to have a few million dollars kicking around in your account, this Pagani isn’t for your “average” wealthy buyer. The car is part of the brand’s Arte In Pista program, which involves a number of curated track events on FIA circuits throughout the year. The program was initially launched back in 2021 for Huayra R customers, but also includes owners of the former Zonda R and Zonda Revolución models. There’s a good chance that the group of enthusiasts has already spoken for all of the new Evo models, though Pagani hasn’t commented on production figures at this time. I’d sure like to have one, however.
Lucas Bell
Born and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.
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