Since its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Pagani Huayra has been the epitome of what a true supercar should be. Starting with the Pagani Zonda in 1999, Horacio Pagani has pursued a vision of what engineering art should be and the evolution from the Zonda to the Huayra is a testament of how Pagani has masterfully fused these two concepts.
With a limited series of just 100 units due to Pagani’s contract with engine manufacturer AMG, the Huayra has become the most visually striking made-to-order automobile in the world. Unlike Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, and other manufacturers who build bespoke cars in limited numbers, Pagani’s entire Huayra run was custom built to match the specifications of each customer who ordered one.
While every car is a bespoke work of art, there are several special editions that were built, which are among the most popular iterations of the car. Some of these special editions include the Carbon Edition, White Edition, La Monza Lisa, 730S/Da Vinci, Pearl, Dinastia, Serafina and most recently, the Huayra L’Ulitmo.
L’Ultimo marks a milestone in Pagani’s history and was commissioned by Brett David, CEO of Prestige Imports in Miami. Brett had been waiting for nearly 2 years to take delivery of this car, and as a member of the Prestige Imports team I wanted to make the delivery of his Pagani extra special and unlike any other Huayra delivery made to date.
I was able to arrange for Brett, myself and the Prestige Imports media team to witness the ferry flight carrying L’Ultimo land at Miami International Airport. Standing by the runway to see the Cargolux Boeing 747-400 touch down just yards in front of us as the sun went down in Miami was pretty surreal. Seconds after the aircraft touched down, we made our way to the cargo ramp to see it taxi into the cargo terminal and begin the process of unloading L’Ultimo.
Seeing the nose of a Boeing 747 open up is always a treat, but seeing a Pagani Huayra emerge from within is an image you are not likely to forget. Brett live-streamed the whole experience on Instagram and has made a highlight of the experience in case you guys want to see what it was like.
As the palette carrying L’Ultimo emerged from the cargo bay we made sure to capture the moment and take in the sights, sounds and smells of the whole experience. The loud noise coming from the 4 monster jet turbines of an imposing Boeing 747, the smell of jet fuel and of course the sight of L’Ultimo being lowered onto the ground.
Needless to say, the whole team couldn’t contain themselves and stormed the car when it was finally on the ground with Brett jumping up on the palette and teasing the nose of L’Ultimo for the very first time for everyone watching the live-stream. After a few minutes of ogling over the few exposed details of the car and showing it to the world, it was time for it to go away and go through its customs inspection. The good news was that we would come back the following day to pick it up with a welcoming committee.
The welcoming committee consisted of three Huayra Coupes, Brett’s Project Vulcan, Kris Singh’s La Monza Lisa, and Orly Terranova’s Tempesta Huayra. We departed Prestige Imports with two media team vehicles and followed three screaming Huayra’s from Prestige Imports all the way to Miami International Airport. Seeing three Huayra’s cruising down I-95 is pretty cool and seeing people in traffic snapping whatever pics they could made us all feel like rock stars.
Upon arrival at the Cargolux Terminal, a huge crowd of people emerged from the warehouse to snap pics of the cars. We lined up the cars right outside the terminal and went inside the warehouse to sign the vehicle’s release documents while it sat nicely in the background.
Finally!!! L’Ultimo emerged from the warehouse and made its debut before the world. Brett and Dasha Goncharova, Prestige Imports’ Pagani brand manager, hopped onto the palette and pulled off the cover to reveal the car in full. The bright silver paint and contrasting carbon fiber gleamed for the first time under the Miami sun. Everyone around the car was awestruck by the amazing spec; the turquoise accents, the white interior, the yellow calipers and of course the unique air scoop that gives L’Ultimo it’s defining trait.
It wasn’t long after L’Ultimo was removed from the palette before it participated in its first photo shoot alongside it’s fellow siblings. It was an amazing photo-op and one that we pretty much made happen on the spot without any planning. Needless to say, having the chance to shoot a Huayra in such a cool setting is a unique experience, but getting to shoot 4 Huayras is a rare opportunity.
Suffice it to say, the entire delivery experience was amazing and I am very happy to have been able to take Brett and Team Prestige behind the scenes for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I think it was worth the wait. L’Ultimo is finally home!
**Special thanks to the Communications Department at Miami International Airport for the unprecedented access on the AOA**
JG Photo Ventures 