The Pagani Huayra R Evo is an 888bhp, 9200rpm roofless hypercar

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the new Pagani Utopia signals the end of the Huayra, but the firm’s second hypercar is still alive and kicking. This is the Huayra R Evo – an open-top version of the track-only machine that debuted in 2021, and the most powerful Pagani yet. 

Pagani has a habit of tinkering and developing its hypercars right to the edge of their capabilities, and that’s the approach it has taken with the Huayra R Evo. At its heart is a naturally-aspirated 6-litre V12 built by HWA AG, generating 888bhp and revving to 9200rpm. Peak torque of 568lb ft is spread between 5800-8200rpm, with new intake manifolds, new camshafts and a redesigned exhaust system helping to achieve those figures.

The engine drives through a six-speed sequential dog-ring gearbox, again developed by HWA AG and integrated into the chassis to support the rear suspension. Despite the heavy-hitting powertrain, the Huayra R Evo weighs just 1060kg dry – thank Pagani’s newly-developed Class A carbonfibre construction for that. 

With a ‘codalunga’ body (Italian for longtail), an extended front splitter and a redesigned rear wing with a central support fin, the Huayra R Evo generates 45 per cent more downforce than the base car, with the open-roof design contributing to this increase. The double wishbone suspension system and active dampers have been tailored to take maximum advantage of this, and the Evo gains a new heave damper for finer ride height control at speed. 

Braking is by Brembo, with new carbon ceramic discs and racing pads offering a larger contact area and improved durability. Being a track-only machine, Pagani has enlisted Pirelli to develop a new slick tyre for the Huayra R Evo, with a bespoke wet compound also available. 

The cumulative effect of these enhancements is LMP2 levels of track performance, according to Pagani. There’s no word on how much the Huayra R Evo will cost, or how many will be built, but customers will become part of the firm’s exclusive Arte in Pista programme to drive their cars at track events around the world.