Born from customer requests for a long-tail Huayra, the Codalunga Speedster follows on from the 2023 coupé, but offers roofless motoring. Drawing inspiration from racers from the 1960s, the car takes on a minimalist, streamlined form with gentle curves framing each panel. Long-tailed cars became popular for their improved aerodynamic efficiency, and the Codalunga Speedster benefits from reduced drag with its streamlined bodywork.

While contemporary hypercars make large air intakes a key part of their silhouette, the Codalunga hides them when viewed from the side. Out of sight, NACA ducts feature on the underbody, and the directional active aerodynamic flaps sit flush with the bodywork when not required to aid downforce or braking. The air intakes don’t rise far above the bodywork, but still accentuate the contours that rise and fall over the wheel arches, and guide the eye towards the stretched tail section.

Viewed from behind, six is the magic number, as a sextet of ventilation louvres feature above and below the bodywork, and two pairs of three tail lights alert other road users when the 6-piston front and 4-piston rear carbon ceramic brakes are being called upon. Four of the six exhaust pipes are clearly visible, but two more outlets are sliced at a 45-degree angle, and hide within the diffuser like on a Renaultsport Clio 197.

No car destined for European markets - no matter how exclusive or expensive - can escape the requirement for a rear fog light. Rather than spoiling the clean surfaces of the rear bumper, Pagani opted to place the light within a teardrop-shaped housing that hangs below the bodywork.

The car appears gentle - almost delicate - at first glance, but contained within is a hand-built twin-turbocharged V12 from Mercedes-AMG. In this setting the M158 engine develops 852bhp at 6,000rpm, with 811lb-ft (1,100Nm) of torque available from 2,800rpm. This is sent to the rear wheels through a 7-speed semi-automatic or manual transmission supplied by Xtrac, and the car can reach a limited top speed of 217mph.

The car features double-wishbone suspension at each corner, made of a forged aluminium alloy. Variable-rate springs shroud active shock absorbers, and staggered 20” and 21” six-spoke wheels are wrapped in Pirelli Trofeo R rubber. Whether the roof is fitted or absent, a stiff chassis is assured owing to its construction from carbo-titanium, and carbo-triax - a composite that was introduced for the Huayra Roadster in 2017.

Composites feature throughout the cabin, but in keeping with the classic racer-inspired theme, wood trim appears on the steering wheel and gear selector. The mahogany sections contain aluminium rivets which are hammered and polished by hand. A closer look at the seats reveals a new fabric with the quad-stacked exhaust design embroidered in the material, and a four-piece luggage luggage set can be commissioned to match. Elsewhere, the switchgear and air vents are machined from aluminium, and the vehicle key - a scale model of the car itself - sits within its own housing in the centre console.

Only ten examples of the new long-tail will be made, and we expect that they’ve all been spoken for at the time of writing. While the car may be the perfect addition to a hypercar collection, there is one imperfection hiding in plain sight: its name. The Codalunga Speedster isn’t a true speedster, owing to the permanent fixture of a windscreen, and the ability to drive with a roof in place, thus making it a roadster. But we’ll admit, Speedster sounds better, and befitting of a 217mph-capable hypercar such as this.