The most exotic of Italian Exotics - Pagani Huayra by Aoshima - the most challenging of modern challenging kits (picture heavy)

[mrm]

   If I was on a diecast forum, where 1/18 scale and exotics usually rule, this car would need absolutely no introduction. However, after watching some videos online of model car shows coverage, where people had no idea how to even pronounce the name Pagani and making fun of this same model (not mine) while demonstrating staggering ignorance and after experiencing similar reactions the one and only time I have shown my model, I think it would be better if I cover the basics. 

      No matter where in the world you go, everyone knows the Lamborghini Countach. Well, the argentian-born Horacio Pagani, who moved to Italy as a student worked on that very same iconic car. He had a dream of making his own super car and kept drawing sketches and designing scale models. He was the guy responsible for all the aero and design changes to the Countach when it was given a facelift for its last iteration - the 25th Anniversary Countach. As detail oriented as he was, he started a company making carbon fiber parts and eventually all the big names like Ferrari, Lamborghini and others became his clients. 

    When Lamborghini was ready to make a replacement for the Countach, few design studios came with proposals what the newest raging bull should look like. Horacio Pagani was one of them, but his radical design did not win and Giugiaro end up designing the Lamborghini Diablo. At that moment Horacio faced a dilemma. Swallow his pride and continue working for Lamborghini for a very lucrative pay but under someone else's direction or take a huge risk, quit his job at Lamborghini and put on the line his entire savings and try to pursue his dream and build his own car. He desided to follow his dreams, but credits his wife with that decision. 

    What followed was a car that turned the supercar world on its head. The first car was called Zonda C12. Since his design was originally made to be powered by a Lambo V12, he used the Mercedes 6.0L V12 found in their S class limos. The C12 carrying his wife Christina's initial for convincing him to follow his dream and 12 for the engine, which was chosen mainly because it was the same dimensions as the Lambo's unit. An unholy amount of different Zonda editions followed, making a name for Pagani for building the most exclusive and finely detailed cars ever. The second model line was introduced in January 2011 online. 

     The new car gave the term "hand built" a whole new meaning. The engine was an AMG twin turbo V12 unit hand built specially for Pagani and as per the agreement in that partnership only 100 cars were to be built. Pretty much no two Huayras are the same. And in no time they became the epitome of excess and in some cases kitsch. Pretty much anything went when Arab royalties, supercar collectors, sports stars and eccentric billionaires decided to outdo eachother. Any color carbon fiber and any upholstery pattern and material was fair game resulting in some Huayras looking like a Romanian gentleman's club inside. Still these cars are more rolling art than an automobile while still delivering some amazing performance. But enough about the car. Lets look at the model.

      The only model of this car in 1/24 scale is by Aoshima. This is my very first Aoshima kit ever and to say it was challenging is an understatement. And I find Tamiya kits mostly easy. To be honest, I am not the biggest fan of the car. I think its design is overdone and plain vulgar. But I've seen numerous reviews online, youtube videos and even a thread or two on the forums. The absolute anonymous consensus is that the kit has major fitting issues and many have claimed that it is impossible to build where all the panels fit while being functional. Well, they are almost right... My train of thought was "challenge accepted" with the hope for a "hold my beer moment". Well, I did not quite achieve that. My panels fit 95% fine. Definitely the best I have seen achieved and I am not trying to toot my horn. There is still room for improvement and if I ever mustered the courage to undertake another Huayra build, I definitely have learned some lessons I could apply and improve on the panel fitment. The point is that I am convinced that it is not impossible. 

     Anyway, this model has taken me over 300 hours over the period of 3 years or so. It has a laundry list of colors by pretty much every paint maker under the sun, from PPG to Hobby Lobby craft paint. It has about six different carbon fiber patterns and scales from Scalemotorsport plus their signature Mercedes Gullwing interior pattern, which is often used by Pagani as a homage to his idol Juan Manuel Fangio and the supplier of his engines. All the blue carbon you see is actually clear carbon decal over Tamiya blue metallic paint. Matching separate pieces into a continuous weave is a whole different ball game than with the regular carbon, as the pieces can not overlap. There are numerous scratchbuilt parts and just ver 100 photo etched pieces, which includes all emblems, grilles and interior, engine and chassis details. The exhausts are aluminum and so are some other parts. By far the most challenging part was to make all main carbon weave to have a V pattern and to match throughout the car in all the layers under the hoods and on the body . Everything is in the same direction where it should be, just like on the real car. This almost made me lose my mind and at times I felt like throwing in the towel. I believe something like 6 or seven complete sheets were wasted in the process. 

   Well, I am pretty happy with it, but it may be a while before I attempt another Huayra kit. Only someone who has built this kit could fully comprehend the feeling. LOL. I do have however another Aoshima Pagani on the bench and two more lined up. Sorry for the long write up and the dozens of pictures and I hope you enjoy the model. As always any comments, questions and criticism re more than welcome. 

 

   

Edited August 10, 2024 by mrm

[stitchdup]

Very nice work, yours is only the second i've seen that has working features. all the rest have been glued shut

[XYHARRY]

Amazing perseverance to finish this kit, and to finish it with everything working. Really well done Michael and thanks for sharing. 

Cheers, 

David. ??

[ChrisR]

Looks great!

[PappyD340]

OUTSTANDING!!

[catpack68]

Stunning work Michael!?

[SpikeSchumacher]

Outstanding build Michael!

[1hobby1]

Stunning build. I worked at a dealership for many years that sold exotics and was an authorized Pagani retailer. The details of these cars in person is beyond impressive. You did a great job bringing those details down to scale along with a sharp color combination. This is definitely one to be proud of. Great work! 

[mrm]

7 hours ago, stitchdup said:

Very nice work, yours is only the second i've seen that has working features. all the rest have been glued shut

Thank you Les.

I have never seen a built one in person. But I have seen them at shows in magazines or video coverage. The ones I have seen have always been glued all opened up.  That makes sense as there are parts provided in the kit, looking like the hinges to glue all the panels in the open position. There was a build thread on this forum by someone who made one, but I don’t quite remember the outcome. I’ll have to search it and check it out. His name was Dan I believe. 

[mrm]

3 hours ago, XYHARRY said:

Amazing perseverance to finish this kit, and to finish it with everything working. Really well done Michael and thanks for sharing. 

Cheers, 

David. ??

Thank you David. I remember seeing it being build on here about 5 years ago and then heard of all the fitment complaints. So I took it as a challenge. I finished it June last year, but started it back in Colorado. And we moved to TN four years ago. The decals and panel fitment definitely tested my commitment. I think this is one of the best things about model shows - when I decide to attend one it creates a deadline I need to finish certain model by. 

[mrm]

3 hours ago, ChrisR said:

Looks great!

3 hours ago, PappyD340 said:

OUTSTANDING!!

2 hours ago, catpack68 said:

Stunning work Michael!?

1 hour ago, SpikeSchumacher said:

Outstanding build Michael!

Thank you for the kind words gentlemen. They’re appreciated.

[mrm]

35 minutes ago, 1hobby1 said:

Stunning build. I worked at a dealership for many years that sold exotics and was an authorized Pagani retailer. The details of these cars in person is beyond impressive. You did a great job bringing those details down to scale along with a sharp color combination. This is definitely one to be proud of. Great work! 

Thank you.

I have a couple Huayras local to me that show up from time to time to the Cars and Coffee meetings. They always cause a stir more than any other car. The best description I’ve heard of them is that it is the closest experience to sitting inside a fine swiss watch. 
    I wanted my model to show the excess these cars are associated with, while keeping it within spec of something I wouldn’t mind driving if I ever had the money to afford it. Altho if that is the case, I would take a Zonda over a Huayra any day. 

[Intmd8r]

Looks great!

[Hard_2_Handle_454]

Very Nice.  The most exotic of the exotics.

[karbuildr]

Amazing work, beautiful finish and details. Well done.

[mrm]

8 hours ago, Intmd8r said:

Looks great!

 

4 hours ago, Hard_2_Handle_454 said:

Very Nice.  The most exotic of the exotics.

 

1 hour ago, karbuildr said:

Amazing work, beautiful finish and details. Well done.

Thank you guys. 

[STU111]

I take my hat off to you, the level of patience and skill required for this kit is certainly beyond my ability. It’s a masterpiece, thanks for sharing it. ??

[70 Sting]

Give yourself a pat on the back.  You are correct, that kit is a nightmare to build.  The 7th photo (rear of the car) is awesome!  ?

[beeRS]

Wow. I have no words!  The carbon fibre work alone is a masterpiece. Well done on making that kit look so good. Thanks for the detailed write up. I think you have put me off building one of these myself, but I am more than happy to look at pictures of your masterpiece. 

[mrm]

On 8/11/2024 at 4:17 AM, STU111 said:

I take my hat off to you, the level of patience and skill required for this kit is certainly beyond my ability. It’s a masterpiece, thanks for sharing it. ??

Thank you Stuart. I appreciate your kind words. We need to challenge ourselves in order to get better, so don't be afraid to grab the proverbial bull by the horns and try something outside your comfort zone. The worst that could happen is you would learn something new. If you want to try a similar kit, which would be still challenging, but without the fitment issues of this one, try the Tamiya Enzo. It's engineered beautifully and comes together really nice. 

[ATHU]

Absolutely stunning work. Fantastic attention to detail and beautiful color combo!!

[mrm]

On 8/11/2024 at 6:53 AM, 70 Sting said:

Give yourself a pat on the back.  You are correct, that kit is a nightmare to build.  The 7th photo (rear of the car) is awesome!  ?

Thank you Harry. I wouldn't call it a nightmare, but it was definitely challenging. I had to walk away from it several times for prolonged periods of time, not to lose my mind, which is why it took so long to complete. But it was worth it at the end. I am currently building the Pagani Zonda S by Aoshima, which I have absolutely never seen at a contest table. While this Huayra has door hinges and pieces that would glue in place to hold the hoods open, their Zondas have none of that even. Not even a suggestion how to open a hood or door. So that's what I'm dealing with. Then I plan on building a Zonda F. After that I am converting another Zonda F into a Cinque. After them three, if I have any energy for another kit like that, I might build the Huayra with Tempesta aero bits, which Aoshima has also released. 

You can find the Zonda WIP here:

 

[Justin Porter]

The Aoshima Paganis in some ways feel like spiritual successors to the Fujimi Enthusiast series. Daunting, challenging, frustrating, but jaw-dropping if properly realized just like yours!

[Ace-Garageguy]

Beautiful beautiful beautiful. Just the job on the carbon alone is exceptional, but the whole thing taken together, with working features that actually work...and fit...is pretty d------ impressive.  

[mrm]

9 hours ago, beeRS said:

Wow. I have no words!  The carbon fibre work alone is a masterpiece. Well done on making that kit look so good. Thanks for the detailed write up. I think you have put me off building one of these myself, but I am more than happy to look at pictures of your masterpiece. 

Thank you Sonny. The carbon definitely took a long time. It actually posted one of the biggest challenges to the fitment of the model as a side effect. This model theoretically fits like a glove. When you first start it and mock everything up, it all fits and lines up perfect. But as you start assembling it things start shifting. I guess they did not account absolutely any room for paint. And with carbon decals you need to first prime everything, then paint it gloss for the decals to stick, then decal it and then apply a good coat of clear over the decals in order for the the carbon to look realistic. These layers automatically throw fitment off on most models, let alone on this one. So I had to kinda reverse engineer it to account for that. That's a lot of sanding and dry fitting over and over, which is where most of the time was spent. 

   I am sorry if I have discouraged you building one. My intentions were the exact opposite. I am saying that it is possible to make it work and I would love to see more people take the challenge and do even better, because there is definitely room for improvement.