Well before the Pagani Utopia pictured here, Horacio Pagani started Pagani Automobili S.p.A. as Modena Design, an automotive consultancy firm in 1991. Pagani worked for Renault and Lamborghini before buying an autoclave to start his car-building journey.

He began working on his first project, the Fangio F1 prototype, in 1992 and launched the car in 1999 with a new name: the Zonda. After releasing multiple special editions, Pagani unleashed its second car, the Huayra, in 2011 as a technological showcase of exotic materials and engine savagery with a cyberpunk interior.

As Pagani Automobili enters its third decade, it does so with the aptly-named Utopia, the genuine essence of a Pagani hypercar in terms of looks, extravagance, and handling. The latter is particularly crucial, given the Zonda is not precisely known for shifting directions.
Setting The Stage

Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton famously sold his one-off Pagani Zonda LH (LH for Lewis Hamilton) in 2021 after seven years of ownership. Although reports say he sold the car for ?environmental awareness,? Hamilton claimed in a 2018 article for the Sunday Times that his Zonda is the ?best-sounding car? despite being ?terrible to drive.?

We expect no such fault from the Pagani Utopia. Instead of shoehorning electric motors and batteries to deliver mind-numbing acceleration despite the inherent weight penalties, Pagani had three main goals when conceptualizing the Utopia: simplicity, light...