The Pagani Utopia, Hypercar was unveiled at the Teatro Linico Giorgio Gaber theatre in Milan yesterday. Utopia, the latest from the Pagani stable is no ordinary car. Its aerodynamic fluidic design, a 6 litre twin turbo Mercedes Petrol Engine ( called the V12) with brute power of 864 hp, a 7 speed gear box and an analogue dashboard with hoards of traditional switches and gauges, the Utopia is one hell of a mean machine with killer looks. The car has taken 6 years in development and is an advancement to the already existing Huayra. Though the price of the hypercar was still not known, the production of the vehicle would be limited to 99 cars.
My Love for Cars & Horacio Pagani
I have been fascinated by cars since an early age and driving for me has been an experience which I have always loved and cherished. However, The post today is not about the new launch Pagani Utopia, but it it is about the man behind the hypercar, Horacio Pagani and his exemplary life which inspired me to write this post today and share an amazing story of a man who pursued his passion through thick and thin to become one of the best Car designers in the world.
Casilda, Argentina
Horacio Pagani was born in Casilda, Argentina. His father was a Baker and hailed from Italy. Lively curiosity and an unrelenting passion for cars led a 12 year old Horacio to build small model sports cars from wood and tin in his little room, and by the time he was 15 he had already built a motorbike for himself which he rode through his village. He wanted to do Engineering but got enrolled into Fine Arts( which helped him later to develop exquisite car designs ) instead, but kept taking short engineering courses too. By the age of 20, Horacio had opened a Garage in Casilda and designed and built his own racing car. His name was spreading in the vicinity and beyond and his first break was round the corner.
The Move to Italy, Tough Days & Lamborghini
Renault, the automobile giant and one of the major players in the car racing sport, hired Horacio. He was able to showcase his talent as an extremely capable craftsman, suggesting some staggering improvements in the Renault racing cars. Having taken some vital experience, Horacio on the advise of his mentor Oreste Berta moved to Italy, the land of Horacio’s forefathers to try his luck. The going was not that easy as was expected and it was just the beginning of a tough but fruitful struggle for Horacio Pagani.
From living in tents, sweeping floors, working as a welder and with only bicycles for travel, Horacio Pagani and his wife worked extremely hard. Through this difficult period Horacio continued to push his case at Lamborghini trying to convince them to hire him. Eventually, Lamborghini decided to give Horacio a chance, the break which paved the way for Horacio Pagani of today. His amazing talent and a flair for design soon saw Horacio Pagani work up his way in the company to the position of Chief Engineer. However his dreams were far bigger than what he was doing and one day he told his boss “ All right I will do as you say. But I came here to build the best and the cutest car in the world “.
The Zonda Hypercar is Born
It was not long before Horacio Pagani left Lamborghini, borrowed capital and in 1991 established his own Consultancy ‘ Moderna Design ‘ , which a year later became Pagani Automobili, a small factory for brilliantly crafted cars. There was no looking back for Horacio Pagani now. A master of the Carbon fibre element and known as the King of Carbon and Leonardo da Vinci of car design, Pagani, after 7 years of hard labor launched his first vehicle ‘ Zonda ‘. The car was exceptional in its looks with a Mercedes Engine and a carbon fibre body. Pagani excelled in producing cars having brute power, lighter in weight with supremely aerodynamic designs. His cars had to be placed in a different category and were eventually referred to as ‘ Hypercars ‘. The Zonda then made way to the Huayra and eventually the latest Utopia.
The Pagani Stable
Pagani cars are extremely expensive ( over EUR 2 million ) and are produced in limited numbers only. Every car is hand crafted and custom built with skilled artisans at work. The after sales service is of an exceptional quality and therefore owning a Pagani is no mean achievement. The company does not disclose the name of its buyers and since all cars are so exclusively made they are a rarity to be seen on the streets too.
The Grandmaster
From a small town in Argentina to being a manufacturer of the most exclusive Hypercars, the 66 year old Horacio Pagani has come a long long way and has indeed acquired legendary status in this industry. He still draws his cars with a childish passion and is driven by his emotions, a steely will and loads of patience and perseverance.
Horacio Pagani, a Grandmaster of his Art , a true inspiration.