Huayra Tricolore most powerful Pagani yet
Limited edition model gets 840hp to celebrate the Frecce Tricolori's 60th anniversary
Did you know that there are more planes in Italy’s version of the Red Arrows, the Frecce Tricolori, than any other squadron in the world? It’s been the case since the 10-plane unit first took to the skies in 1960, so with 2020 being a significant milestone, Pagani is producing a special edition version of its Huayra to celebrate. Called the Tricolore, just three examples will be made – matching the Zonda Tricolore from the squad’s 50th – with each bearing the most potent AMG V12 to go into a Pagani yet.
Not only does the reworked twin-turbo motor develop 840hp at 5,900rpm, it has 811lb ft of torque from 2,000rpm to 5,600rpm – all in the name of Frecce Tricolore jet propulsion. The 6.0-litre engine is mated to a new version of the Huayra’s seven-speed Xtrac sequential gearbox, with a lightened flywheel-clutch unit, an electronically controlled differential and a race-derived tripoid coupling system. The whole layout is said to be 35 per cent lighter than before, with the clutch unit alone 4kg lighter, allowing for faster responses throughout the rev-range. Not that the V12 needs much help.
The weight saving has impacted the 1.3-tonne car’s balance, with Pagani stating that the Tricolore’s new front-to-rear split “drastically reduces the effect of polar inertia, limiting the typical tendency to oversteer that normally affects mid-engined cars”. Handy when you’ve all that torque to manage. It’s much the same for the uprated chassis, which retains the Huayra’s part-carbon, part-titanium structure but uses new geometry for the aluminium double wishbone suspension, to match the increase in power. Additionally, the electronically-controlled active shocks are tuned with a bespoke map and work in tandem with the car’s active aero features.
This is an appropriately ramped up Huayra, then, and to emphasise that – as well as remind everyone of its link to the Frecce Tricolori – there’s a new colour scheme. Each of the three cars will wear national colours over a blue base, like the Aermacchi MB-339A jets, and get unique part-blue 20- and 21-inch wheels, wrapped in P-Zero rubber. Inside, there are bespoke seats, in white and blue like the Zonda Tricolore with white, red and green stripes to mimic you know what. There are Frecce Tricolori emblems on the four-point seat belt fastener and the headrests, so – as ever with this stuff – the special edition re-trim is all in the details.
If that’s not enough, Pagani tops off the aviation nerdery by giving each car its own number, to tie it to one of the three main leaders of the flying formation. 0 is for the commander, 1 is the head of formation and number 10 represents the soloist, who “splits off from the group in the most spectacular sequences”, according to the internet. We’re not sure how the buyers will decide which number they get; perhaps they’ll play rock, paper scissors. Either way, each will need to pay €5.5 million plus VAT for the privilege - or over five times the price of a ‘regular’ Huayra. The price of patriotism these days...
Am finding it a t€€$¥ bit ex$pensive though.
For a lot less you could buy a fleet of MB-339’s and start your own display team.
Here’s a job lot of three for sale (ex-Argentinian Air Force), just need to find another seven (plus a few spares).
https://www.trade-a-plane.com/search?category_leve...
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