Supercar designer Horacio Pagani's latest creation, the Pagani Huayra, is inspired by Argentinian's God of Wind

Jan 7 , 2016

Each of the Pagani supercars are designed catering to the owners likings. Pagani only produces 40 cars each year.

Supercar designer Horacio Pagani has turned to the gods in his quest to merge art and science

Legendary Argentinian designer and engineer Horacio Paganienjoys cult status in the world of supercars for being the mastermind behind some of the world's most significant cars. His latest creation, the Pagani Huayra, is named after Wayra Tata, which means "god of the winds" in Quechua.

The Huayra fits in with Pagani's desire to create timeless designs for his superfast cars. It has a 730hp engine that can reach 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 370km/h. 's Richard Hammond calls it "a machine so unlikely ever to be real, it may be a unicorn".

Pagani, who was in Shanghai recently to open a showroom in the Xintiandi district that neighbours similar establishments by Lamborghini, Spyker and Rolls-Royce, says: "Pagani owners are not only buying a car, they are buying a piece of art."

"Some of my clients didn't collect cars before owning a Pagani," adds the designer, who is dressed in a casual pit crew jersey and a Challenge Pagani watch - a titanium chronograph created by Swiss luxury watchmaker Cvstos. "They were only into artwork. They now have two or three Paganis parked in their garage, though they have probably never taken the car out for more than a single ride."

Horacio Pagani is the legendary designer and engineer behind some of the world's most significant cars.

During the opening, Pagani unveiled a limited-edition Huayra Dinastia supercar featuring exquisite dragon engravings on the bonnet and calligraphic Chinese characters symbolising Baxia - the mythological dragon of the water - embroidered on the seat covers.

The Dinastia oozes exclusivity. Priced at 29 million yuan (HK$34.67 million), only three models will be made, and each will feature a different dragon inspired by Chinese fables. "Exclusivity and uniqueness is what our customers are after," Pagani says. "It also guarantees the investment value for Pagani owners."

Pagani produces about 40 cars annually - approximately one-third of the orders they receive. "Many of the cars on the market are mass-produced and all look the same, but a Huayra has her own soul," the designer says. "Every single Pagani car is unique."

To celebrate the opening of his Shanghai showroom, Horacio Pagani designed the special-edition Huayra Dinastia supercar, which features exquisite dragon engravings on the engine hood and calligraphic Chinese characters embroidered on the seat covers.

Pagani has established a solid fan base in Asia in the past decade, with Canto-pop king Aaron Kwok Fu-shing - who has a Pagani Zonda - among the proud owners.