Pagani Shows Why Hypercar Makers Need Better Standards

The Ferrari F40, considered one of the greatest cars of all time, was available only in red. The Porsche Carrera GT, one of the great modern supercars of the last 20 years, came from the factory in just five colors, two of which were grey. Their limited palettes did not stop them from becoming classics, and release-color cars have become more valuable over time. There are many repainted Ferrari F40s, but the red ones are more iconic — and worth more.Courtesy of PaganiI say all this because Pagani has unveiled a new version of the Huayra, and it should be one of the most special cars of the year. It’s a modern hypercar made by one of the most artistically interesting car manufacturers around, and this one is the only manual Huayra—made to celebrate the 70th birthday of its founder, Horacio Pagani. Only three will exist, and it should be achingly desirable.But then you look at it. The Huayra, which started as a quite classy, wind-inspired hypercar, over time added wings, fins, canards, and aggressive aero elements—and this latest edition has all of that, green-tinted raw exposed carbon fiber body, accented with orange stripes and black wheels. The front grille, rather than the more aesthetically pleasing original Huayra design, has been replaced with a square, aggressive grille. It’s a Huayra through a Need for Speed filter, not a stylish Italian supercar.Courtesy of PaganiBut this is not unique. The press photos of Paganis always look beautiful., and then customers invariably order them in the most garish configurations imaginable. Wealth sufficient to buy a limited-edition Italian hypercar does not guarantee taste— and Pagani and companies like it need to realize that this will harm their value long-term.Classic Lamborghinis look wild and extravagant because of their design, even in white, or orange. If the Countach came in exposed green carbon with orange pinstriping, it would be less valuable, less iconic, less special than it is today—despite still being bold.Even Ferrari, a brand that understood the power of a single color—classic Ferrari red—has been willing to sacrifice that for quick money. Recently, a Ferrari collection went up for auction that consisted of some of its rarest models, but made in yellow and green, or yellow and blue. They left the factory like that, and Ferrari shouldn’t have allowed it. And now even Porsche is getting in on the act, launching a Sonderwunsch program that lets Carrera GT owners repaint their cars in custom liveries—all of which, so far, have looked heinous.

Pagani Shows Why Hypercar Makers Need Better Standards

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