The Pagani Imola is the most extreme Pagani road car ever

As expected of Pagani, the figures around the V12-powered Imola are astonishing. Like 827 horsepower (816bhp), 1,100Nm of torque and a price of five million euros. Oh, plus local taxes, so in the UK expect to pay at least €6m (£5m). Although you won’t be paying that because Pagani is only making five of them and they are all sold.

The Imola is Pagani’s most extreme performance car yet and by far its most focused track orientated machine, brimming with what Pagani says is a “racing temperament”. That temperament has been honed at – where else? – the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari racetrack in Imola. Pagani says it has tested the car over 16,000km at racing speed – the equivalent of about three 24 Hours of Le Mans – at this fast and tricky circuit. 

The Imola’s extreme aerodynamics package is what sets the Imola apart from the normal exquisitely beautiful Pagani norm. 

“We wanted an efficient vehicle, and just as you’d expect if you were looking at an F1 single-seater, this led us to design a car with additional aerodynamic features. So, although on the one hand these details may detract from the lines and overall aesthetics of the vehicle, on the other, they also allow to improve lap time, ease of driving and especially safety.”

The Imola uses the active aerodynamics system introduced by the Huayra. Each of the four mobile winglets behaves according to the driving circumstances in a dynamic way. 

The power may not rival the new breed of all-electric hypercars, such as the Pininfarina Battista and Lotus Evija, but then the Imola weighs in at a trim 1,246kg. Among its weight saving secrets are a carbo-titanium monocoque and new paint system that saves 5kg. 

The Imola is conventional rear-drive and combustion-engine powered – like all Paganis, by its version of the Merc-AMG 6.0-litre, twin-turbo V12. No performance figures, or lap times, are quoted, but clearly it’s going to be quick. Although optimised for track driving, Pagani says it has been designed for road driving, with sufficient ground clearance that it shouldn’t be a total pain every time you want to take it for a spin.

The Imola has a seven-speed Xtrac transmission and its four giant Pirellis are suspended on independent double wishbones back and front, with interconnected electronically controlled dampers. It’s an active system that varies the ride height depending on how the car is being driven. 

Beyond its role as track toy for multimillionaires, Pagani views the Imola as a laboratory of future tech that will get used in its next supercars. So you never know, the next Pagani you will be able to buy could look just like this. But perhaps with rather more elegance…