New 764hp Pagani Huayra Roadster revealed

Pagani has taken the wraps off the Huayra Roadster ahead of its debut at the Geneva motor show. The completely redesigned hypercar now gets a choice of carbon-fibre or fabric lids instead of a fixed roof. However, it bucks the trend of most convertibles by being 80kg lighter than its coupé sibling. The car also features the same active aerodynamic flaps as the coupé.

Powering the Huayra Roadster is a Mercedes-AMG M158 twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12, reworked to produce a peak output of 764hp at 6,200rpm – 34hp more than the coupé and 15hp more than even the hardcore Huayra BC. The rear-mounted V12's turbochargers have been revised to provide more immediate throttle response, with peak torque of 1,001Nm now arriving at 2,400rpm.

The hypercar’s electronic stability control (ESC) system features five modes: Wet, Comfort, Sport, Race and ESC off. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via the same seven-speed automated manual gearbox as used by the Huayra BC. The Xtrac transmission uses a hydraulic and electronic activated shift mechanism and is said to be approximately 40 percent lighter than most dual-clutch automatic gearbox setups.

Key to the Roadster's light weight is its so-called Carbo-Titanium and Carbo-Triax HP52 monocoque. The structure, which uses a material that Pagani claims is more advanced than that used to build Formula 1 cars, is said to be 52 percent stiffer but identical in weight to the coupé’s.

The car sits on all-aluminium alloy suspension system that is said to be 25 percent lighter than that of the coupé. Pagani says the car has been set up to understeer slightly at the limit in order to make it more predictable.

Braking is by Brembo carbon-ceramic discs of 380mm in diameter front and rear. The wheels are 20-inch front and 21-inch rear forged aluminium, wearing Pirelli Pzero Corsa tyres in a specification bespoke to the Huayra Roadster.

Only 100 units of the Pagani Huayra Roadster will be built. Production is already under way and all cars have been allocated to customers.