Imola, the famed Italian circuit, is gearing up for one of the most exclusive weekends on the European automotive calendar. Scheduled between September 13-14, the ninth edition of Historic Minardi Day will return to the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit, a track etched into Formula 1 history.
Renowned for its high-speed straights and unforgiving corners, the venue first hosted a Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1980 and then regularly from 1981 to 2006. Even today, it remains one of the most technical and emotional venues in motorsport, with the Senna and Villeneuve memorials serving as reminders of its storied past.
As for Historic Minardi Day, it launched in 2016 and honors the legacy of the Minardi F1 team, which competed in Formula 1 from 1985 to 2005. The event has since evolved into a festival of motorsport heritage, featuring Formula 1 machinery from various eras, prototypes, GT cars, and single-seaters; while attracting tens of thousands of fans each year. Unlike other high-end and exclusive automotive gatherings, this is one of the few places, along with Goodwood, where you can actually witness both classic and modern race cars at full chat, on a live race circuit.
Now that you have some context, let’s talk about how one of Italy’s most celebrated hypercar makers: Pagani, has become a mainstay at the event. It first participated in the 7th edition of the Historic Minardi Day in 2023, bringing the Huayra R, Zonda R, and Huayra Roadster BC to the track, with the newly launched Utopia serving as a static centerpiece.
Last year, in 2024, Pagani doubled down with a static display featuring the Zonda F, Zonda S, and Utopia, while the Huayra BC Roadster dominated the track with its naturally aspirated V12. These appearances have cemented Pagani as one of the event’s star attractions, setting the stage for what’s coming this year.
2025 will be no different with Pagani once again lining up four multi-million dollar hypercars, each model representing a distinct moment in the Italian marque’s evolution. On display: the Zonda F, Huayra Codalunga, and Utopia, while a Huayra Roadster BC will hit the track.
The “F” in Zonda F stands for Fangio, the five-time Formula 1 World Champion and founder Horacio Pagani’s early mentor, both having Argentinian roots. Fangio encouraged HPagani to pursue his dream of building a car under his own name and introduced him to Mercedes-Benz, which became Pagani’s engine supplier. Naming the car after Fangio was Pagani’s way of honoring that legacy.
With just 50 produced, the Zonda F remains famous for setting a Nürburgring production car record in 2007 with a 7:27.82 lap around the 12.8-mile Nordschleife. Yes, we’ve come a long way since then with several sub-7-minute times at the ‘Ring, but that feat was impressive for its day.
At just 2,712 pounds, its use of carbon fiber, titanium, and Inconel showed Pagani’s early mastery of lightweight engineering. The example coming to Imola, chassis no. 057 is finished in ‘Bianco Benny,’ a one-off color created for Benny Caiola, who became Pagani’s first customer back in 1999. Unique details in the cabin include a Nardi steering wheel, wood trim, and haute horlogerie-inspired gauges.
Moving on, the Huayra Codalunga is a five-unit long-tail homage to endurance racers of the 1960s. Weighing just 2,822 pounds, it features a titanium exhaust tipping the scales at only 9.7 pounds. It also features four active aerodynamic flaps. The system Pagani first introduced in 2011. The cabin is just as exquisite, with aged leathers, woven leather-suede details, and exposed carbon fiber.
Then you’ve got the Utopia (below), limited to 99 examples. It packs an AMG-built twin-turbo V12 that produces 864 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque. But more importantly, unlike rivals chasing hybridization, Pagani offers you a choice of pairing the V12 to a 7-speed manual transmission, a format long cherished by enthusiasts and now offered by only a handful of exotic car manufacturers. Its carbon-titanium monocoque represents the latest in Pagani’s material science, while aerospace-grade suspension and custom Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tires allow the Utopia to deliver handling precision rarely seen in hypercars.
Finally, the Huayra Roadster BC will take to the track. With 800 horsepower, 774 pound-feet of torque, and a curb weight of 2,755 pounds, it set a 2:23.081 lap around Spa in 2020. Developed over four years and tested for more than 186,000 miles, the car earned the prestigious Compasso d’Oro design award. Inside, racing harnesses sit alongside carbo-wood trim and embossed leather, while the six-pipe titanium exhaust delivers an unmistakable V12 soundtrack. If you’re in Europe, seeing it attack Imola live is the kind of experience that could make this event worth the trip.
Source: Automobili Pagani
