For a select few, the Pagani Huayra made its private US debut this past week at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Horacio Pagani, the Argentinian maker of exotic sports cars and the namesake of the company, was present for the event. However, there's some bad new for US customers. The NHTSA continues to refuse to waive airbag requirements for the supercar, making its fate in the U.S. in question at the moment; not that this is anything new for the automaker.

The Pagani Zonda was never cleared for street-legal operation in the states because it also failed to meet NHTSA restrictions. The Huayra is heavily based on the final Zonda R, which was the most performance-oriented Zonda variant ever produced. Under the hood, the Huayra gets its impressive power from a Mercedes-Benz AMG-sourced 6.0-liter V12 engine that churns out an incredible 700hp. There is also a retro-chic push-pull shift lever for its seven-speed automatic transmission. The engine also meets California's LEV II emissions standards and comes with a billet-carved ignition key in the shape of the Huayra itself.

Horacio Pagani would like to sell about 40 units per year, a decent number considering the price. Since entering production back in 1999, there have only been a few dozen Zonda's built at the company headquarters in Modena, Italy. Prices for the Zonda have ranged from $300,000 to over $1 million. The new Huayra has a base price of around $1.4 million.