Who would’ve thought that even the hypercars of this world can suffer the smallest malfunctions you can think of? Running out of battery power is something you’d expect to see on a Dodge Neon or a run down Impala but not on a Pagani Huayra, is it? Well, that’s exactly what happened not long ago, at the 2016 CF Charities Supercar Show. Luckily, there was a BMW X6 M around with some jumper cables to get it running again.
The whole thing does seem a bit curious, especially since we all know how careful Horacio Pagani is with his creations. He is known to study every small detail before a car is delivered and every model ever built and sold was hand made, taking anything between 3 and 4 months to build. Of course, due to all this hard work, the price tag for one of these is accordingly high. With only 100 units ever made, the $1.3 Million price tag doesn’t seem like it will guarantee the usage of a perfectly good battery.
All jokes aside, the performance this car brings to the table is unbelievable. The engine is a 6-liter twin-turbo V12 unit from Mercedes-AMG that’s good for 730 HP and 1,100 Nm (811 lb-ft) of torque, all of it being sent to the rear wheels via a transverse sequential 7-speed gearbox. Being made almost entirely out of carbon fiber, the car also weighs just 1,350 kg (2,976 lbs) allowing it to post incredible performance figures. Up until this weekend, the Huayra held the title of the fastest car around the famous Top Gear track, with a lap time set back in 2012, being dethroned by the McLaren 675LT.
With an acceleration time of 2.8 seconds to 100 km/h (62 mph) and a top speed of 383 km/h (238 mph), it’s rather easy to see how the Pagani managed to hold on to that record. Furthermore, the Huayra (named after the Quechua wind god) can withstand 1.66 g of lateral acceleration at speeds up to 370 km/h (230 mph).
By comparison, the BMW X6 M that gave it a boost does seem to fade away, doesn’t it? Even though it is a 2.3-ton SUV that can reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.2 seconds, its 575 HP and limited top speed of 155 mph seem like nothing compared to the hypercar. Be that as it may, if it weren’t for the BMW, the audience might’ve never heard the Pagani’s V12 and for that, we’re thankful.
