Pagani Imola Roadster Gets Twin-Turbo AMG V12 With 838 Horsepower

It’s been over four years since we first laid eyes on the Imola-based hybrid Huayra and now Pagani is bringing a roadster version. Although the Codalunga is the company’s newest car, the Italian exotic roadster isn’t ready to part with the Huayra just yet. That’s not too surprising given that there have been many Zondas in the years since the Huayra’s launch. This latest design is being touted as the brand’s best open car ever.

There’s a perfectly good reason why it has a wild aerodynamic package – the design takes after the most complex Huayra ever made. We’re talking about R, a no-compromise, single-track beast. The big difference here is that Pagani has designed the Imola Roadster for street use. Before adding fluids, it tips the scales at just 2,776 pounds (1,260 kg), so it’s as heavy as a supermini. But this is no small hatchback with a three-cylinder, 1.0-liter engine as it rocks a big V12.

Equipped with a twin-turbo, 6.0-liter engine developed by AMG, the top Imola delivers a whopping 838 horsepower and 811 foot-pounds of torque (1,100 Newton meters). All that Affalterbach muscle is routed to the rear wheels via a seven-speed sequential gearbox designed by Xtrac specifically for Pagani. At rest, it will do 217 mph (350 km/h) before the electronic cruise control is set to kick in.

Like the track-focused-road-focused Audi R8 GT2 we talked about yesterday, the Imola Roadster gets Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires. The sticky rubber measures 265/30 R20 at the front axle and 355/25 R21 at the rear, wrapping forged alloy wheels. Brembo carbon ceramic ventilated disc brakes deliver stopping power at both axles. Another highlight of the large open-top car is represented by a double wishbone suspension with electronically controlled shock absorbers.

Pagani is tight-lipped on the asking price but says the Imola Roadster will be limited to just eight units. That makes it a little more exclusive than the coupe of which only five cars were made.