It’s no secret that the 12-cylinder engine isn’t long for this world. Emission regulations are getting evermore stringent the world over, and it’s simply more eco-conscious to use smaller engines with turbocharger or hybrid technology to achieve 12-cylinder levels of power. But even so, Pagani says the V-12 will live on in its handmade hypercars well into the next decade.
In a Tuesday interview with the UK’s Autocar, Pagani founder Horacio Pagani said V-12 engines will have a future and electric powertrains are coming, too. The V-12 that will soldier on for the next several years is a new twin-turbo design from Mercedes-Benz. It’s scheduled to debut in Pagani’s upcoming Huayra successor, which is set to arrive in 2022.
“It will have a traditional combustion engine, a new-generation Mercedes-AMG V-12 twin-turbo,” Mr. Pagani said, referring to Huayra follow-up. “We have a very close relationship with Mercedes already and this new V-12 engine will be homologated until 2026.”
But even though Pagani remains committed to the 12-cylinder engine, it’s not turning a blind eye to electric vehicle technology. In fact, Mr. Pagani says that the company’s upcoming hypercar, known internally as C10, will eventually be offered as a pure-electric vehicle.
“The C10 will have a regular V-12, but, at the same time, there will be a full-electric vehicle,” he said.
Interestingly, Mr. Pagani said the decision to move to full electric is as much about customer demand as it is about environmental regulations. Pagani’s customer base is skewing much younger than even a few years ago, with those new buyers asking for EV technology. Pagani said clients that used to be European car collectors in the 50s or older are now younger and from the Asia-Pacific region or Silicon Valley.
Enjoy those V-12s while you still can.