Pagani’s ‘Act 3, Scene 2’… Only 130 units are in production worldwide [류청희의 젠틀맨 드라이버]

Ultra luxury car company ‘Pagani Automobili’
‘Utopia Roadster’ open sports car introduced
An attractive combination of classic design and modern technology

Pagani Automobili’s latest open-top super sports car, the Utopia Roadster. Provided by Pagani Automobili

Ryu Cheong-hee, car columnist ‘Monterey Car Week’, held every August in California, USA, is an event that arouses interest in cars and has been mentioned several times in this paper. People come from all over the world to see and enjoy the many events that are held throughout Monterrey during the week, from events that are free to the public to private auctions for just a few people. For car brands, this event is a great opportunity to promote themselves to enthusiasts of a wide range of tastes and classes.

This year, new or special models from many car brands graced the event. Although I was not able to visit the site in person, there was the Pagani Utopia Roadster, a car that caught my attention because it was featured in several media articles. Pagani Automobili, the creator of the Utopia Roadster, is not well known to the public. However, among car lovers, it is a brand that is clearly recognized as a unique personality even among ultra-luxury sports car brands.

Pagani is considered one of the few brands that make products that deserve the so-called ‘hypercar’, that is, a special car that goes beyond a supercar. Even in Korea, where sales of luxury cars and supercars have increased in recent years, Pagani cars are not easy to beat. This is partly because it is difficult to obtain a certificate, but also because it is so rare. Although production has gradually increased since the first car was produced, Pagani is still only able to produce 50 to 60 cars a year. To put it simply, this is a place that makes cars that not everyone can afford.

Setting up a production model is also simple. Since limited production is the rule, usually one model is released and production continues until the scheduled production level is met. However, like most low-volume manufacturers, improved models are often added during production or customized to meet customer needs. Therefore, even after the successor model is released, the previous model is sometimes done together for a while.

Utopia Roadster Group. It is beautifully made while maintaining aerodynamic function down to the last detail. A representative example is the C12 Zonda, which was first released by Pagani in 1999, and continued to be produced even after the release of its successor, the Huayra, in 2011. The C12 Zonda was officially discontinued in 2019. However, additional cars specially ordered by buyers were produced irregularly, and only with the Zonda Aribederci, the special model of finally released together with the Utopia Roadster, which ended 25 years of production.

Inside the Utopia Roadster. Between metal and leather, the carbon fiber composite that symbolizes Pagani technology is revealed. In Pagani’s history, Zonda, Huayra, and Utopia are the only models released so far. So Pagani refers to the Utopia Roadster as their ‘Act 3, Scene 2’. It means that this is the second version of the third model that they released. The latest model, Utopia, was first released in 2022, and the Utopia Roadster introduced this time is an open car version of Utopia. In other words, it can be said that the Utopia Roadster is a model that shares many technical aspects with the Utopia but adds style and uniqueness according to an open-top car.

The gear lever design of the Utopia Roadster clearly shows mechanical elements. Like Pagani’s previous works, the Utopia Roadster pursues beauty in the materials and forms of every visible part along with its elegant style. The details are also visually beautiful while still serving aerodynamic functions. It is said that this continues the tradition of increasing the analog elegance and charm of devices and reflecting the tastes of customers who prefer classic style and the pleasure of driving.

The gear lever with its clearly exposed mechanical operating elements, instruments that look like a mechanical watch, various switches, engine cover, and suspension are all visible elements with an artistic sense through intricate and delicate processing. Different types of special metals, such as aluminum and titanium, are used depending on the function and part, and they are all designed and processed in detail. This combination of beauty and technology is one of the reasons why Pagani was able to succeed by living in a unique position in its short history and generating many enthusiasts.

The top is a soft fabric top that can be removed and folded into a bag, which is also a classic look of an open car. However, a hard top of hard material can also be installed, which allows you to experience three styles in one car. The interior, which is revealed when the top is removed, is an elegant combination of metal and leather, with the exposed carbon fiber composite material in between. This is where you can feel the passion of founder Horatio Pagani for modern technology, especially composite materials.

Pagani, which has been dealing with advanced composite materials for a long time, uses more than 40 types of composite materials in Utopia. In particular, by using special materials such as titanium carbon fiber composite material, the strength of the car’s body structure has been increased while the weight has been greatly reduced. As a result of this, through design changes, it was possible to maintain approximately the same weight as the coupe without using the reinforcing materials normally required to build a car without a roof. The dry weight of the Utopia Roadster is 1280 kg, making it much lighter than other cars with similar features.

Excellent performance can be achieved when a lightweight car body is combined with strength. The Utopia Roadster, like the Utopia on which it is based and all previous Pagani cars, runs on engine power made by Mercedes-AMG. In addition, the fact that it is equipped with a V12 engine, which is close to disappearing in the automotive industry, and has a manual transmission, which is also disappearing, as option makes the car even more special. This also reflects the tastes of traditional car enthusiasts who feel satisfied with the feeling of handling machines.

Therefore, the Utopia Roadster can easily be considered one of today’s representatives of ‘works of art.’ It is said that Pagani made this car qualified in major regions of the world. If you can get your hands on one, you can drive it with a license plate on our country’s roads, but that doesn’t seem easy. Even setting aside the basic price of 3.1 million euros, which is about 4.6 billion won in Korean currency, it is necessary to overcome competition from people around the world who want to be owner of this car, of which only 130 units will be produced. .