Geneva Motor Show: 2017 Pagani Huayra Roadster revealed

Horacio Pagani has further blurred the line between automobile and art form with the unveiling of the Huayra Roadster ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show.

Like all art, the Huayra drop-top may be divisive, however the level of detail is absolutely staggering. According to Pagani, work on the Roadster initially started in 2010, however three years later all work was scrapped and the project restarted.

Essentially, the Roadster is an open-top version of the Huayra coupe introduced in 2011, sharing that car’s dry-sumped 5980cc twin-turbo V12, produced by Mercedes-AMG and producing 464kW at 6200rpm and 1000Nm at 2400rpm.

The Roadster also uses a revised version of the seven-speed X-Trac automated manual gearbox and wild active aero, with a pair of flaps front and rear working to increase cornering performance and stability without increasing drag.

In the details the two cars differ markedly, however. The Roadster’s structure is made from a new form of composite material, made up of Carbo-Titanium (a combination of carbonfibre and titanium) and Carbo-Triax HP52 (multi-layer fibreglass meshed with carbonfibre).

Despite losing the structural rigidity of a roof, body stiffness has increased by 52 per cent while weight has dropped an impressive 80kg to just 1280kg (dry).

Some of that weight saving is courtesy of using a lightweight aluminium alloy called HiForg for the suspension, which Pagani claims is 25 per cent lighter than that used for the Huayra coupe.

Carbon-ceramic brakes are standard, with 380mm rotors at both ends clamped by six-piston calipers front and four-piston rears. Wheels are 20 inches front and 21 inches rear wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Corsas or optional P Zero Trofeo Rs, which contribute to a maximum of 1.8g cornering force.

Helpfully, the Huayra Roadster comes with a pair of roof panels, both with a carbonfibre structure but one with a glass central element and the other with a fabric cover.

As you might expect, the price for this level of engineering isn’t cheap, with each Huayra Roadster costing €2,280,000 ($A3.14m). There’s no threat to your bank account, however, as all 100 examples are already sold.