Pagani will hand the new
700 hp twin turbo AMG-powered Huayra, the long awaited
successor to its Zonda supercar, its world debut
tomorrow in Geneva following a preview at Pirelli's
Biaocca plant a fortnight ago.
The preview of the
forthcoming Huayra at Pirelli's factory this month was
designed to consolidate the technical partnership which
began in 2006 with development of the new supercar on P
Zero tyres. The event, taking place in the heart of
Pirelli’s Research and Development group, involved
Horacio Pagani, chairman and founder of Pagani
Automobili, and Francesco Gori, CEO of Pirelli Tyre.
The Huayra project
actually began in 2003. Pagani staff, Mercedes Benz-AMG
engineers and Pirelli researchers have since studied
every detail to bring Horacio Pagani’s idea to life: an
elegant, powerful car with a focus on reducing
environmental impact; a car not in contrast with the
air, but rather supporting it, becoming a part of it. In
this project, a key role was played by the tyres which
had to guarantee progression, grip and low rolling
coefficient as well as meeting particularly severe
safety standards, thereby granting maximum stability to
a high performance vehicle with a rear engine. To this
end, the Pirelli engineers developed solutions for the P
Zero destined for used on the Pagani car: optimising the
structure to maximise contact patch and improve lateral
behaviour. The materials used are also innovative: a
two-component compound that increases both grip and
rolling efficiency.
The first
collaboration between Pirelli and Pagani dates back to
2005, but it was in 2007 that the relationship between
the two brands really strengthened, when Pagani beat the
speed record on the Nürburgring circuit for the first
time, in partnership with Pirelli. The second and last
record dates back to last summer, when the Pagani Zonda
R travelled 20.83 km in just 6 minutes and 47 seconds,
wearing Pirelli P Zero Slick tyres (measuring
265/645-19TL, 325/705-20TL) that had been specifically
designed for Zonda R and that were derived from a
combination of designs and the use of innovative
Motorsport materials.
The new Huayra
consists of more than 4,000 parts, in addition to the
engine and gearbox, which are all assembled
individually. Compared with the Zonda, Huayra’s driving
position is 40mm further back and has a more spacious
driving compartment. The silhouette aims to become
sleeker and more streamlined. The engine is once again a
Mercedes-Benz AMG unit, with twin turbos fitted to
produce more than 700 HP and 1000 Nm of torque,
optimised in terms of CO2 emissions and consumption.
To strengthen and
enhance the characteristics of the new supercar Pirelli
Research developed tyres with compounds and solutions
that reduce rolling resistance whilst boosting
performance characteristics, both in terms of safety and
driving pleasure. In addition, these tyres have a
reduced environmental impact. The Huayra wears the P
Zero measuring 255/35ZR19 (96Y)XL P Zero and 335/30ZR20
(104Y) P Zero. The underlying technology is that already
used on other P Zero sizes and now boasts almost 200
official approvals as original equipment. This means
peak
performance is guaranteed for such an extreme sports
vehicle, without, however, affecting safety, which must
always be guaranteed, both for road and track use and in
the wet. Pirelli uses a new two-compound solution for
the rear, which allows lateral grip to be maintained to
the full, along with stability, even at very high speeds
indeed, increasing driving precision and eliminating
deterioration even from the front. Pirelli has also used
a new production process (already used for the slicks of
the Zonda R), which guarantees maximum precision in the
assembly of the various tyre parts.
