Pagani unveils 791bhp Huayra BC Roadster hypercar

Pagani has revealed the Pagani Huayra BC Roadster, a new variant of its hypercar featuring a removable roof and uprated engine with even more power.

Named to commemorate Benny Caiola, the Ferrari collector who became Pagani's first customer, the BC Roadster follows on from the Coupe version revealed in 2016, featuring a removable carbonfibre hardtop.

Pagani claims the BC weighs just 1250kg, 30kg less than the regular roadster, with a structure that incorporates conventional carbonfibre alongside even rarer and lighter materials, including a carbon-titanium mix that is both lighter and stronger.

The aerodynamic elements and the vast rear wing create a claimed peak of 500kg of downforce at 174mph. It even has flaps next to the exhaust's catalytic converters to divert gases over some of the underfloor elements like an F1 car's blown diffuser.

Horacio Pagani still works as the company's chief designer, and admits he thinks of his products as being works of art as well as cars. The Huayra Roadster's shape and form still owes a fair amount to the stance and proportions of the original Zonda, which was released 20 years ago, but the details on the BC have grown much more advanced. The exposed metal mechanism of the gear selector is a highlight of the cabin and an example of Pagani's need to prioritise design over cost.

As with other versions of the Huayra, the BC Roadster uses a version of the Mercedes-AMG-sourced M158 twin-turbo V12. However revisions, including newly designed turbochargers, increase power from the 740bhp of the last model to 791bhp. Torque peaks at 775lb ft of torque, the latter available from 2000rpm to 5600rpm.

Drive goes to the rear axle through a seven-speed single-clutch gearbox; Pagani reckons the weight saving of around 30kg over a twin-clutch justifies its use. Performance numbers have yet to be released, but the company does say the BC Roadster is capable of generating up to 1.9g of continuous longitudinal acceleration, with peaks of up to 2.2g.

Just 40 examples of the BC Roadster will be made and each will carry a price-tag of around £2.8 million before taxes. That's more than three times what the first Huayra coupe was sold for, but Pagani says it has no shortage of customers.