This is the Huayra Codalunga Speedster: an open-air interpretation of the coupé version that won the Design Award at the 2023 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Created by the Pagani Grandi Complicazioni division, the project was sketched by Horacio Pagani as a tribute to clients seeking the perfect balance between elegant forms and powerful performance. Only ten examples will be built, fully homologated for road use worldwide, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2026.
“Every Pagani is born to bring into form the unique vision each person has of a Hypercar. For some, it must be extreme, bold, and able to captivate at first glance; for others, it embodies elegance, restraint, and harmony. From these different interpretations arise studies, research, and solutions that lead to strikingly distinct results, yet always recognizable by the Pagani signature: the purity of the lines, the absolute attention to every detail, and the balance between aesthetics and function. The Huayra Codalunga Speedster is a tribute to those who imagine their sports car as an icon of lightness and momentum, shaped by essential lines that transcend time with ease.” (Horacio Pagani, Founder & Chief Designer, Pagani Automobili)
The Origin
“In the 1950s and ’60s, racing cars could merge performance and beauty in an almost poetic balance. They had to be fast, but also light, sleek, and designed with meticulous attention to detail. Romantic lines, timeless. Then something changed. Efficiency started to overshadow elegance. With the Huayra Codalunga Speedster, we wanted to go back there. To that era of refined speed. We removed aerodynamic appendages and side air intakes. We pursued clean, tapered forms designed to cut through the air quietly, without unnecessary noise. A different kind of Pagani, built around an idea of visual and formal lightness.” (Lorenzo Kerkoc, Head of Grandi Complicazioni.
Exterior Design
The Huayra Codalunga Speedster inherits the stylistic codes of the coupé but reinterprets them decisively. It immediately stands out from any other open-top Pagani: even more streamlined, even purer. Starting with its structure, featuring an entirely new monocoque.
The visual journey begins at the front. The headlights are embedded into the bodywork like light engravings. The bumper with integrated splitter channels air with millimetric precision. The lower, softer windshield flows into the car’s profile, making it slimmer and more harmonious.
The side windows, inspired by post-war racing prototypes, have a lower shape and a gently rounded rear edge. This choice accentuates the tapered lines and fully embodies the speedster philosophy, conveying a sense of lightness and forward motion. The rear window extends this rhythm toward the panoramic hard top — a completely new element that, when mounted, creates a continuous line from the windshield to the tail. Viewed from above, the roof evokes the perfect shape of a drop, emphasized by the side pillars. The transparent section, made of polycarbonate, reduces weight without compromising rigidity.
Along the sides, every line guides the eye. The doors, with traditional opening, are a coherent choice in keeping with the philosophy of essentiality. The aerodynamic blade is integrated. The external sills are sculpted in continuity with the doors and rear hood. No visible openings: air is channeled through hidden naca ducts in the flat underbody.
Between the roof and the tail, the roll bar takes shape. It’s not just a safety arch — it’s a visual statement. It echoes the body color and carries it into the cabin, creating a cascading effect through the central tunnel, gear lever, and dashboard. A chromatic thread that connects exterior and interior, technique and poetry.
The rear hood further accentuates the car’s streamlined tail. The bumper integrates a diffuser and two aerodynamic fins. The taillights appear suspended, as if floating in the air: pure light, pure lightness. The new six-outlet exhaust system, with lower titanium pipes and upper ceramic-coated outlets, completes the technical and aesthetic signature.
Every line of the Huayra Codalunga Speedster is born from a desire to optimize airflow. CFD simulations refined the curvature of the wheel arches and the fluidity of the hood, ensuring a balanced distribution of aerodynamic load between the axles. The result? Less drag, better performance.
The Interior
The tones evoke the 1960s; the finishes are semi-matte; the craftsmanship blends old-world mastery with cutting-edge techniques. The result is an essential, measured precision, capable of surprising without ever overwhelming.
Inside, hammered and hand-stitched leathers can be combined in a variety of types and finishes, allowing for refined, distinctive color and tactile combinations, all custom-designed. The solid-milled metal parts become small sculptures, echoing the delicacy of artisan gestures, as if gently chiseled by hand.
The steering wheel and gear knob recall the spirit of classic racing, reinterpreted through the Pagani lens: a carbon fiber frame, mahogany inserts, and aluminum rivets hammered and polished by hand. A contemporary tribute to the iconic Nardi steering wheels, where form, material, and artisan touch came together in perfect harmony. The cabin is designed to convey a sense of calm and poise.
Adding an even more personal touch is an exclusive fabric created from embroidery developed specifically for this car. A refined weave that translates haute couture techniques into an unprecedented language in the automotive world. The pattern draws inspiration from the four-exhaust symbol — a defining element of Pagani Hypercars since the very first Zonda. A system of circles multiplies and overlaps, creating a dense, rhythmic texture that transforms from sign to substance.
Each embroidered element is composed of over 450,000 individual stitches, all meticulously done by hand — a testament to craftsmanship that is precise, patient, precious. This fabric dresses the seats, door panels, and center console with a delicacy that captivates at first glance and becomes even more irresistible to the touch.
The Beating Heart
Beneath the hood beats a heart forged for performance: the 60° Pagani V12, a 5,980 cc twin-turbo engine developed exclusively with Mercedes-AMG. This powerhouse delivers 864 HP (635 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 1,100 Nm (811 lb-ft) of torque, available from just 2,800 rpm, ensuring strong, effortless acceleration.
A 7-speed transverse Pagani by Xtrac gearbox manages the power, offered in both AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) and pure manual configurations — perfect for those who crave an even more visceral connection. The titanium six-way exhaust system reduces weight and provides an unmistakable sound signature, a defining hallmark of every Pagani creation.
The Engineering Behind Driving Pleasure
The Huayra Codalunga Speedster is built around a Carbo-Titanium HP62-G2 and Carbo-Triax HP62 monocoque, a masterwork of strength and lightness that ensures uncompromising structural rigidity and safety. The active suspension system, made from forged aluminum alloy, adopts a double wishbone independent layout, with variable-rate springs and coaxial shock absorbers to adapt seamlessly to any driving condition.
The braking system stems from a long-standing partnership with Brembo, a leader in high-performance braking technology. The Pagani by Brembo carbon-ceramic system guarantees power, precision, and resistance under the most extreme stresses. At the front, 410 × 38 mm discs with 6-piston monolithic calipers; at the rear, 390 × 34 mm discs with 4-piston calipers. A perfect balance between responsiveness and control, delivering lightning-fast deceleration in any situation.
Interaction with the asphalt is handled by monolithic avional wheels — 20″ at the front and 21″ at the rear — wrapped in Pirelli Trofeo R tires, 265/30 R20 at the front and 355/25 R21 at the rear. A combination that ensures maximum grip, precision, and control through every corner.
Grandi Complicazioni
Grandi Complicazioni is the Pagani division dedicated to creating Hypercars so sophisticated that they transcend the boundaries of traditional technology and manufacturing. These are pieces that demand extraordinary ingenuity and absolute dedication: time, care, and expertise. Only a few artisans in the world possess the skill to build them, often in extremely limited numbers, sometimes as a single, unique example. In Haute Horlogerie, such marvels are known as Grandes Complications. Pagani Automobili embodies this very essence, dedicating the name to the division that brings its most exclusive creations to life. A tailor-made journey, shaped through complete harmony between the client and the Pagani team, led by Horacio himself. No limits to personalization: concepts, forms, materials, colors, finishes. The only boundary is the imagination of those who dream of a truly unique, one-of-a-kind car.
Technical Specifications
- DIMENSIONS Length: 4,912 mm (193.3 in)
- Width: 2,050 mm (80.7 in)
- Height: 1,174 mm (46.2 in)
- Wheelbase: 2,795 mm (110.0 in)
- DRY WEIGHT 1,270 kg (2,800 lb)
- POWER 864 HP (635 kW) at 6,000 rpm
- TORQUE 1,100 Nm (811 lb-ft) from 2,800 rpm
- ENGINE 60° Pagani V12, 5,980 cc, twin-turbo, developed with Mercedes-AMG
- GEARBOX 7-speed transverse Pagani by Xtrac, available in AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) or pure manual
- DRIVETRAIN Rear-wheel drive
- CHASSIS Carbo-Titanium HP62-G2 and Carbo-Triax HP62 monocoque
- SUSPENSION Double wishbone independent front and rear, forged aluminum alloy, variable-rate springs, coaxial active shock absorbers
- BRAKES Pagani by Brembo carbon-ceramic system: Front: 410 × 38 mm discs, 6-piston monolithic calipers; Rear: 390 × 34 mm discs, 4-piston calipers
- WHEELS Monolithic Avional, 20″ front, 21″ rear
- TIRES Pirelli Trofeo R; Front: 265/30 R20; Rear: 355/25 R21
- TOP SPEED 350 km/h (217 mph), electronically limited
Above content © 2025 Pagani S.P.A., reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee
