When it came to designing the successor to the Pagani Huayra, the most critical factor was determining the engine. Horacio Pagani and his team collaborated closely with Mercedes-AMG to create a suitable powerplant: a twin-turbo V8 hybrid. However, it soon became clear that adding electrification to Modena’s latest hypercar significantly increased weight and compromised its traditional appeal. More importantly, there was a larger issue that ultimately sidelined the hybrid Pagani project.
The Pagani Utopia was finally revealed in September 2022, featuring a bold statement from the manufacturer: a 6.0-liter, twin-turbo V12 engine. This powerhouse generates 852 horsepower and can be paired with a classic manual transmission. Notably, it contains no electric motors or batteries. During the unveiling of the Utopia Roadster earlier this month, Horacio Pagani shared that the lack of customer interest in hybrids (and eventually, electric vehicles) marked the definitive end for that project.
“In truth, there is little interest in hybrid cars,” Pagani remarked to The Drive. “I personally own hybrids, like a Porsche 918 and others. However, when I wish to take a car for a drive, I choose my 911R or Carrera GT. Our clients think similarly. If you survey people, many will consider hybrids extraordinary, but they also bring the challenges of both electric and combustion vehicles, along with higher costs for development and maintenance.”
With the existing AMG V12 engine in the Utopia Coupe and Roadster designed to comply with global regulations, there was no necessity to create a hybrid or fully electric Pagani. The visionary from Argentina noted that an entire team was formed in 2017 to investigate these propulsion options, but the heavy weight increase and lack of customer interest ultimately led to the project’s cancellation.
“The hybrid V8 option was examined, but it made the car much heavier—by 400 to 500 kilos—and our clients were not interested in that,” Pagani said. “We must manufacture what our customers will purchase. Back in 2017, we formed a team to develop an EV. Everyone was focused and enthusiastic, myself included. We outlined the concept and started collaborating with Mercedes-AMG and other partners, including Lucid, which possesses excellent EV technology. However, what we discovered was that our customers were not interested.”
“It’s not simply a matter of being stubborn about whether a car is electric or hybrid; they both present unique challenges for us. Pagani is a family business; we lack a large automaker conglomerate behind us. We need to create what our customers want and ensure we have the technology to adapt quickly if necessary,” he added.
Nearby, while Pagani shared his insights, Lamborghini was unveiling its latest supercar, the Temerario, which, unsurprisingly, features a hybrid engine. While it’s unclear whether Lamborghini’s direction is influenced by its parent company Volkswagen Group or by consumer demand for electrified supercars, they remain part of a growing trend. Ferrari and Maserati are similarly expanding their hybrid and electric offerings to align with regulatory requirements.
Pagani noted that the current V12, along with its future iterations, is homologated until 2031, enabling him to “provide what the customer desires” during this timeframe. As for the future beyond 2031, Pagani stated, “We are doing all we can to preserve the V12.”
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