How close can you get to perfection? In the case of the new Pagani Utopia Roadster, it seems that the answer is very. Based on only the third production model from Pagani after the Zonda and Huayra, the Utopia evolves the formula that the company has been working on since the late 1990s with a mixture of advancements in materials, production techniques and customer feedback shaping the new hypercar.

Plenty of brands say that they value the opinions of their clients, before continuing to ignore calls for physical controls to return to interiors - but that’s not the case with Horacio Pagani’s operation. Customers had been asking for a manual transmission, so the manufacturer obliged, installing three pedals and seven gears for drivers of the Utopia to enjoy using. A 7-speed Xtrac automated manual dispenses with one of the pedals but adds two paddles behind the steering wheel for faster and more consistent shifting. 

Regardless of which transmission is selected, the engine pumping its performance towards it is a hand-built engine from Mercedes-AMG. This 60o biturbo V12 has been specifically developed for Pagani, and continues the long collaboration between the two companies that stretches back to the very first Zonda. Codenamed M158, this engine differs from what used to be found in the AMG 65 models - and the current Mercedes-Maybach S 680 limousine - by having a dry sump layout, smaller turbochargers and a bespoke ECU which create a monumental output of 863 bhp and 811 lb ft (1,100 Nm). Peak power is reached at 6,000 rpm while maximum torque is available from 2,800 to 5,900 revs, so performance should be effortless from tickover to the red line, to say the least.

With a dry weight of just 1,280 kg and performance heading exclusively to the rear wheels, the Utopia Roadster makes use of an electronic differential, a dynamic control system and advanced traction control to “eliminate any tendency to understeer” along with ensuring “flawless movement despite the enormous power supply available.” Active damping will no doubt be able to flip from a comfortable touring setting to a maximum attack preset at the flip of a switch. As well as monitoring what the wheels are doing, the car’s brains will be able to take data directly from the tyres themselves with Pirelli’s Cyber Tyre tech that sees sensors in the rubber sending information to the stability control systems. Information can be fed to the ABS, ESP and traction control, directly from the tread of the tyres.

There are eight suspension triangles that are made of aircraft-grade aluminium and there are multiple interior features milled from metal too, but the majority of the car’s structure and body panels are made from composites. These would usually be described as carbon fibre as a catch-all term, but Pagani says that there are over 40 formulas of composite materials used in the construction of the Utopia Roadster.

The monocoque is made from a mixture of carbon and titanium, allowing for high levels of inherent rigidity while doing away with the need for additional strengthening when removing the roof from the car. To put it simply, the Roadster has the exact same dry weight as the Coupé, and this is no accident; both variants of the Utopia were developed in parallel, with the aim of offering the often thought as “compromised” convertible version with no compromises in terms of handling, performance and weight. Having the exact same monocoque explains why the car has butterfly doors on both body styles, as opposed to the Huayra which had gull wing doors on the coupé and traditional side-opening doors on the roadster.

There is only one image of the Utopia Roadster with the solid roof in place, and that’s a close-up showing the single pane of glass which differs from the twin-pane layout of the coupé. Every other image is roofless and the car looks just right to my eyes with no metalwork- sorry, carbon-work above the cabin. There is no electromechanical automatic raising or lowering of the roof, and indeed there is not enough room anywhere in the car for the hard top to be stowed. According to Pagani, “When one wishes to travel under the open sky, the hard-top can be placed on a stand, transforming it into a piece of design to be looked at and admired.” And to think everyone mocked the Citroen C3 Pluriel for needing to leave its roof bars behind for the proper roof down experience…

The Utopia Roadster may be the first car that I’ve encountered that comes with two types of roof as standard, having a second fabric roof included which can be stored in its own suitcase between the two seats. Speaking of which, the cabin truly is a sight to behold, with Pagani’s design ethos of every component being a work of art evidently clear here. Ahead of the driver are two large dials for speed and revs, with four centrally-mounted dials taking pride of place where so many brands are opting for an enormous screen. The speedo and rev counter have some of their inner workings clearly visible for the driver to enjoy, but the exposed gear linkage is also a fascinating element to see - proudly on display as opposed to being hidden away.

I could spend a while talking about the exceptional interior details such as the milled air vents with jet engine-inspired detailing, the ovular rear-view mirror that mimics the Pagani logo and the big red button to start and stop the engine, but the one that trumps them all is what is needed to gain access to the car in the first place: the key, which is shaped like the car. 

It’s nice to see the materials (mostly exposed carbon and leather in this case) and the physical features being the main talking points of an interior as opposed to a needlessly complicated infotainment system which always ends up having Apple CarPlay running over the top of it anyway. That said, the Utopia does get a digital display which is mounted between the speedo and rev counter, which can display the reversing camera feed, along with “colour therapy” and satellite navigation. As opposed to four paragraphs, Pagani’s explanation of the infotainment system is limited to just 30 words in one sentence.

With the cabin, construction and drivetrain ticked off, that just leaves one more thing to explore which is usually right at the top of my list to dive into when taking in a new car for the first time: the styling. However, I’ve not mentioned anything about it thus far because I’ve not had to. To call it simply gorgeous would be selling it short; the Utopia Roadster is intricately gorgeous, and I refuse to hear anything to the contrary.

Even at first glance, it couldn’t be anything other than a Pagani - it has all the hallmarks like the four raised headlights sat side by side, which are contrasted nicely by the stacked tail lights at the rear. These seem to be an outboard extension of the quad-tip exhaust outlets that are stacked two-by-two in true Pagani fashion. The Utopia dispenses with half of the active aero flaps of its predecessor - the Huayra - keeping two at the rear that make the flush rear spoiler rise when required. The result is a smoother nose section which features a large, full-width intake at the base. 

Just like with the interior, my favourite exterior design touch is hidden in plain sight; the small kick-up of the rear bodywork behind the rear wheel arches. This is very reminiscent of the longtail GT1 cars of the late 1990s but also some of the LMP1 racers that caught my imagination at an early age. On the Utopia, the rear bodywork is an open house to those stacked tail lights - which incidentally look like a fighter jet’s engine with the afterburner switched on - along with the meeting point for the outer edges of the oval-shaped rear wing, and the two outermost diffuser strakes.

The presentation model is finished in red exposed carbon fibre, with staggered 21” and 22” wheels. It is also fitted with an option package that comes with the most uninspiring name ever attached to anything from Pagani, as it is called the Sport Pack. The S-word is my most hated word in the automotive world, but given that this is the first case of dull naming from the marque, I’ll let them off. Meaningless five-letter words aside, the option includes interior features such as carbo-titanium seats, shifters (whether manual or auto), the floor mats (somehow), while externally the material is seen on the active rear wing and the solid roof. Ticking this option box also adds carbon fibre deflectors between the spokes, helping to remove hot air from the wheels and aiding brake cooling if a track session beckons.

Naturally, there are endless options for customisation for the new Utopia and it is highly unlikely that two will look or cost exactly the same. Only 130 will be built and each one starts at £2.6 million before options and taxes. The car will make its public debut at Monterey Car Week and I assume that any remaining build slots for the car will be quickly snapped up.

I pondered at the beginning of this article, how close can you get to perfection? I maintain that it seems as though Pagani have got tantalisingly close with the Utopia Roadster; it has an AMG engine, agonisingly pretty styling that has had me making all sorts of noises for the last few hours, endless possibilities for customisation and the option of a manual transmission (I’d take the auto, personally), so it has a lot going for it. However, I can’t seem to find any literature relating to ventilated seats anywhere.

Specifications: 2024 Pagani Utopia Roadster

Engine: Mercedes-AMG M158 60° 5980 cc biturbo V12

Max power: 864 HP (635 kW) at 6,000 rpm 

Max torque: 811 lb ft (1,100 Nm) from 2,800 to 5,900 rpm 

Transmission: Xtrac 7-speed automated manual / 7-speed manual

Suspension: Forged aluminium alloy independent double wishbone with helical springs and electronically controlled shock absorbers 

Brakes: Brembo 4 ventilated carbon-ceramic discs brake unit, 410×38 mm with 6 piston callipers at the front and 390×34 mm with 4 piston callipers at the rear 

Wheels: Forged aluminium alloy, 21” front / and 22” rear 

Tyres: Pirelli P ZERO Corsa 265/35 R21 front / and 325/30 R22 rear

Dry weight: 1,280 kg (2,822 lb) 

Dimensions: Length 4,673 mm, width 2,060 mm, height 1,165 mm, wheelbase 2,796 mm

Top speed: 217 mph (limited)