This $3.4 million hypercar drifts on ice as if it were made for it!
When you think of Pagani, you usually imagine winding mountain roads or closed circuits where every turn is an invitation to test the raw power of a twin-turbo V12. But one Ukrainian driver decided to take this hypercar out of its natural habitat and push it into extreme conditions: ice and snow. The result? A display of mastery and a video that makes all drift, driving, and hypercar fans dream.
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A drifting Pagani Utopia?
Yaroslav Veselaho, a Ukrainian drift driver and champion, got behind the wheel of a Pagani Utopia Roadster for a unique session on Switzerland’s snowy tracks. The goal? To see if this 852-hp hypercar could handle drifting on such unpredictable terrain. Needless to say, this isn’t what Pagani had in mind when designing it. But after all, some drivers say it’s only a matter of skill, and that any car can drift! So why not a Pagani worth $3.4 million? Moreover, its design makes it perfect for that. With its original Mercedes-AMG twin-turbo V12 engine, specially tuned by the Italian brand, the Utopia is more accustomed to catapulting its occupants on open roads than dancing on ice. Yet, thanks to a double-triangulated aluminum suspension, developed from experience with the ultra-radical Huayra R, the car seems to adapt to the challenge with remarkable ease.
An impressive video
The video of this drift session is captivating: both inside and out, Veselaho is seen handling the wheel with precision, sending the Utopia left and right without ever losing control. The slightest misstep could be catastrophic and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the driver manages the slides as if it were a mere formality. On such slippery ground, the lack of traction complicates things. Yet, the Utopia comes through, proving that even a hypercar designed for the road can transform into a true thrill machine when placed in the hands of an expert.
ICE: A not-so-ordinary event
If this exceptional event took place in Switzerland, it’s no coincidence. The country is currently hosting ICE St. Moritz, a concours d’élégance that brings together some of the world’s most exclusive cars and brands on snow. Pagani has showcased its finest machines there, alongside other prestigious brands like Koenigsegg, allowing Veselaho to take the wheel. A true vote of confidence from Horacio Pagani!
The Pagani Utopia, a worthy successor to the Huayra, is the brand’s third model. It retains Pagani’s DNA with a sculptural design and an almost obsessive attention to detail. Incidentally, the only plastic element in this car is the seatbelt button, a requirement for homologation. Everything else, from the cabin to the controls, is a true masterpiece of craftsmanship, crafted from leather, carbon, Alcantara, and aluminum. It undoubtedly belongs in a concours d’élégance, and someone actually drifted it… That’s crazy!
This article explores the incredible performance of a Pagani Utopia on ice, driven by a drift champion. It details the technical features of this hypercar and how it adapted to this extreme challenge, and it highlights the significance of this event in Switzerland, where the world’s most exclusive automotive brands showcase their most coveted models.
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