

Review: Pagani Huayra - cs702
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/08/11/review-pagani-huayra/

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jdietrich
The article presents a really misleading picture of Pagani. For starters,
Horacio Pagani isn't some sort of outsider savant who came from nowhere - he
has a long history in the automotive industry and at one point was head of
composites at Lamborghini.

Pagani are a small company, but they're not tiny for their sector of the
market and have 55 employees. A niche car company can be that small for two
reasons - one is that they buy in most of their mechanicals from a mass-
manufacturer, the other is that they make chassis from composites, which can
only be manufactured by hand and have no meaningful economies of scale. Aside
from the chassis, a car like this is assembled rather than manufactured - the
engine comes in a box from AMG, the exhaust system from MHG, the interior from
Dani and most of the metal components from Aspa.

The Zonda and Huayra are phenomenal cars, but they're not the unique creations
of one special genius. They're what's possible when a clever designer is given
a blank cheque. The moveable aerodynamic elements on the Huayra are
sophisticated, but they're not unique and would be commonplace in racing cars
if the technology wasn't banned by the FIA. It's infinitely more difficult to
design a good car that costs $20,000 than a great car that costs $2,000,000.

I don't mean to take away from the achievements of Pagani, but instead
celebrate the work of the network of companies that make their cars possible.
A modern supercar is like stone soup - the designer is just a catalyst for the
expertise and resources of a whole army of manufacturers.

~~~
cs702
According to the article, "...the shape of the Huayra fell out of Mr. Pagani’s
head almost fully formed." Given how hard it is to build anything that can
zoom at 225mph without losing control or crashing, I find this a rather
impressive feat!

Edit: in response to the comments below, yes, I recognize this may be hype,
and yes, I recognize designing and building the car must have been an
interactive process involving many other people. Still, there's little doubt
that Mr. Pagani was the main creative force, and I can't help but be impressed
by his accomplishment as a company-founding "car hacker-artist" CEO.

~~~
mbesto
You don't think this is a least bit sensationalized?

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fein
No offense to Horacio here, but the guy was in with the bigwigs at Lamborghini
before Pagani was started, so the guy had all the connections he needed. It's
not like this gentleman came from nowhere.

Likewise, the Pagani motors are all from AMG, so no manufacturing there, just
tuning. If anything, we should be crediting the engineers that actually build
the chassis and body.

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nir
Very cool. Reminds me of John Britten, the Kiwi who almost single handedly
created one of the best and most innovative motorcycles of the '90s (including
the engine!)

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Britten>

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britten_V1000>

(I grew up reading about Britten in motorcycle magazines in Israel, and when
years later I got to NZ it was cool to see find one of his bikes as a well
deserved centerpiece in the national museum :)

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daeken
Pagani has been putting out truly amazing cars. The Zonda F is nothing short
of astounding; well designed, insanely well engineered, and it's simply
beautiful. I can't wait to see the Huayra; one day I'll actually be able to
afford one. Maybe.

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ThomPete
News Flash

You can learn without an education.

~~~
cobrausn
A better term is 'formal education'. By learning, you become educated.

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rabble
This is the same guy who designed DHH's Pagani HH a couple of years ago.
[http://filer.progstr.com/1/post/2012/05/dhhs-pagani-zonda-
hh...](http://filer.progstr.com/1/post/2012/05/dhhs-pagani-zonda-hh-
supercar.html)

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mjvandenbergh
He doesn't have a formal education in aerodynamics. Someone who doesn't have a
formal education is someone who didn't go to any kind of school.

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kposehn
Horacio Pagani is quite a genius - while the article doesn't go into as much
detail about how so much more is involved in the creation of the car, Horacio
is most definitely the single most important aspect of the inception, creation
and production of his cars.

Without his sheer bloody-mindedness I doubt the entire supercar industry as it
stands would exist today.

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comatose_kid
Here's an interview with him:
[http://www.casilda.com/htmltonuke.php?file=loscasildenses/en...](http://www.casilda.com/htmltonuke.php?file=loscasildenses/entrevistapaganienglish.htm)

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el_cuadrado
LOL, A Man Without Education Builds A Billion-Dollar Corporation!

Just look at that poor bastard, Billy Gates. He dropped out from [s]a
community[/s] college! This must be a sensation!

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powertower
See the car in action here - <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRBCbMy_Tw0>

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K2h
probably type-o at the bottom. article lists 0-186 at 18 seconds, and then at
the bottom lists 0-124 for 18 seconds.

That is one awesome car.

~~~
ajays
If it can do 0-60 in 3 seconds, I'd bet that it could do 0-124 in much less
than 18 seconds. Heck, my 330i can do 0-120 in less than 18 seconds... (or so
I've heard ;) ).

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rabidsnail
Did I just read the word "badass" in the Wall Street Journal? That's got to be
some kind of watershed.

~~~
mjvandenbergh
It's on the wsj's blog network, not in the paper itself.

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podperson
Seems like an amazing car, but the interior looks like it was designed by
Homer Simpson.

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bstewartnyc
Why would someone need a "formal" education to do this?

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angrow
<http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/The_Homer>

