Pagani Automobili has entered the world of virtual reality with the launch of its new Huayra R simulator, an advanced virtual driving system created in collaboration with Racing Unleashed..
The new product, initially available to Huayra R owners only is now available to purchase to the wider public via Pagani dealers.
«We wanted to create a professional, dynamic driving simulator, with an extraordinary level of immersion and realism, which would contribute to the constant improvement of our customers’ driving style. We aimed to transform it into an authentic design object, a product of artistic value destined to occupy a prominent place in the homes of Huayra R owners. For this reason, we paid extreme attention to creating a product that reflected the extraordinary uniqueness that distinguishes our cars.» (Franco Morsino, Vehicle Dynamics Lead at Pagani Automobili)
Thanks to the simulator, each driver will be able to familiarize themselves with their car in a safe environment, accumulate kilometres, increase confidence in their skills and discover in advance the secrets of the many international circuits available.
Arte in Pista, the electrifying program of experiences on the circuit
Arte in Pista is a program designed to allow owners of Pagani track Hypercars to maximize their performance thanks to a calendar full of exclusive non-competitive events on the most prestigious FIA tracks in the world. The format provides a complete experience that combines adrenaline-filled sessions with moments of pure fun with the technical assistance of the Pagani team, which includes the technical manager, the track engineer, mechanical staff, physiotherapist, specialized nutritionist and professional coaches, who contribute to improve customers’ sports driving skills.
Individual experience, community experience
The introduction of the simulator reinforces Pagani Automobili’s commitment to taking care of its community, as it offers new possibilities for aggregation, sharing, learning and fun. The possibilities of use are many: each driver will be able to discover the circuits and drive independently, or book remote coaching sessions to train on specific aspects or tracks. Pagani will also organize virtual events in which to test oneself and interact, previewing the experiences of the Arte in Pista events with the real cars and circuits. Additionally, customers will have the freedom to organize challenges and sessions with each other independently.
The project is the result of internal and external synergies at Pagani
The project originated in 2020 involving two divisions of Pagani: the Pagani Automobili Vehicle Dynamics team, for the creation of realistic models, and the Pagani Arte team, which took on the challenge of transporting the essence of Pagani Hypercars into a design product. The two teams, united, turned to Racing Unleashed to create a synergy of skills aimed at creating an extraordinarily faithful and immersive virtual station; the joint design of hardware and software has allowed the movements of the car and the characteristics of the asphalt to be reproduced with exceptional realism.
«Racing Unleashed’s goal is to offer the most immersive experiences to motorsports enthusiasts around the world. Today we are pleased to announce this partnership with Pagani Automobili, to showcase our advanced technologies, with the aim of not only entertaining, but also improving driving skills.» (Francisco Fernandez, CEO of Racing Unleashed)
The simulator as a design object
The team of designers dedicated over a year of work to combine the research of an interior design object with the gaming nature of the device. The shapes of the Huayra R inspired the design of the entire simulator, creating an object with both plastic and soft lines; the elliptical shape, which also characterizes the Pagani logo, responded to this need. The Huayra R simulator aims to offer an authentically Pagani experience, starting from the materials used: the carbon that makes up the body comes from the same Atelier autoclaves from which the Pagani Hypercars originate. The entire driving position, including the steering wheel, pedals, seat and seat belts, is exactly the same as the Huayra R, creating an object whose construction precision is more akin to the world of collectible design than to the world of gaming. Some aluminum components of the Hi-Fi system and the VR system were machined with the same artisanal care as Pagani cars, following the solid machining approach. To establish a more meaningful connection between the car and the simulator, the typical Hypercar air vents, used to disperse brake and engine heat, have been integrated into the simulator base to optimize cooling of the software processing and contribute to the fluidity of the experience.
Cutting-edge engineering for maximum involvement
The team of engineers and designers has taken extremely meticulous care of every detail to faithfully recreate the handling, dynamics and aerodynamic effects of the real car, thanks to the three degrees of freedom that can provide the driver with pitch, roll and yaw movement cues . All these features have been tested and validated in back-to-back trials by professional drivers and development drivers, moving from the simulator to the real Hypercar. Each Huayra R customer will receive a virtual workstation that emulates the real car with meticulous accuracy: the painting of the carbon fiber structure, the advanced active seat belt system that simulates longitudinal and lateral acceleration feedback are faithfully replicated, the ABS emulator that helps modulate braking at the limit of grip, the seat.
The acoustic experience has been given particular attention: the kickers integrated into the seat and the sophisticated 5.1 audio system enhance involvement with the unmistakable sound of the Pagani V12-R and the vibrations transmitted from the road. All the sounds can be listened to with the supplied VR headphones, the result of numerous recording sessions on the track and inside the car. The hardware equipment includes a high-performance gaming computer integrated into the base, the curved screen and a dedicated wooden flight case measuring 3 m × 1.2 m (9.84 ft × 3.94 ft). At a software level, the adoption of the Assetto Corsa Pro interface stands out, the industry-leading simulation platform, which guarantees drivers an extremely realistic experience thanks to the extensive use of cutting-edge technologies such as laser scanning of the circuits. The driving simulator is 3,110 mm (122.44 inches) long and 1,700 mm (66.93 inches) wide, and is ICE 62368-1 certified for the European, North American and Asian markets.
