Behold: the Pagani Huayra Epitome, a V12 hypercar with a *manual* gearbox

Of course there’d be another one. Perhaps there’s an errant Zonda roaming the workshop floors inadvertently biting other decommissioned Paganis into life, twisting them into new, exciting, possibly terrifying forms.

Here’s the latest. It’s called the Pagani Huayra Epitome, and as the name so obviously suggests, is meant to represent peak Huayra, commissioned by a client who wanted to take Horacio’s follow-up to the Zonda to its most logical conclusion.

That being: a self-shifter mounted inside a glorious open-gate housing, er, housed inside a glorious bodyshell. Enter, for the first and only time in a Huayra, a seven-speed manual gearbox by Xtrac, harnessing the mighty power of a twin-turbo V12 developed as ever by AMG specifically to Pagani’s exacting requirements.

In this iteration, the 6.0-litre produces 852bhp and revs to 6,700rpm, that power harnessed through the aforementioned seven-speeder, an electronically controlled diff and a “racing style” tripod driveshaft to the rear wheels. There’s no word on how quickly it’ll get to 62mph, but you’ll probably expend a lot of (sweary) words trying to find out. Top speed is a limited 217.5mph.

There’s also been a tweak to the suspension, this Epitome better able to resist dive, pitch and roll, allowing for pointier dynamics. Not that it was blunt to begin with. Though, it can be blunt if you want: also new for the Epitome is a “super soft” button that, as the name so obviously suggests, softens off the adaptive dampers so rough-road driving is more comfortable. It deactivates automatically above 93mph, FYI.

The noise likely won’t be comfortable, because there’s a six-way titanium exhaust system, which also features a blown diffuser setup for more downforce. Though, you might wanna slow this one down and let others take it in, because this is, without a doubt, the finest looking Huayra ever built.

There are new designs for the front and rear bumpers, a new bonnet with different light cluster designs, vents over the arches, and that fabulous integrated rear wing. Imagine a Noughties supercar brought into 2024, and you’re about there. Also, midnight blue just looks proper on a Pagani.

Of course there’s a tonne (not literally) of aero going on, because it’s a Pagani, so the front bumper and new splitter – designed at the behest of the client – increase downforce and blow more air into the radiator. That glorious rear also betters performance but mostly just looks glorious.

The car, built by Pagani’s specialist Grandi Complicazioni division, took some nine months to work out, and then another ten months to design. “It is a long and complex process because developing components to a single car requires the same time as those for series production cars,” said Pagani Grandi Complicazioni boss Lorenzo Kerkoc.

That’s right – it’s a one-off. Well, at least for this week.