IT WAS NEVER ABOUT CARS
LOOK MOM I DID A THING!
IT WAS ABOUT EMOTION, CULTURE & COMMUNITY
A day at Pagani with Hamid Mossadegh
16. Juli 2025
Written by: Mathis Maass
Carbonfibre, Leonardo DaVinci and Espresso
Some journeys unfold slowly. Others begin with a late-night paddle tennis match, a 4 AM flight and an idea: to capture something that can't quite be explained, only felt.
This one started in Köln with Hamid Mossadegh and ended inside Horacio Pagani's office, where the lines between engineering and art dissolve completely. It's a place that seems to live by Leonardo da Vinci's belief that "art and science can walk hand in hand."
A cradle of horsepower
After a layover in Munich, we touched down in Bologna, still tired but already buzzing. Bologna might not look like the home of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Pagani at first glance, it feels more like a sleepy Italian village than a cradle of horsepower. But that contrast makes what happens here all the more special.
From the airport, we went straight to Pagani's Atelier. Calling it a "factory" wouldn't do it justice. This is a cathedral of carbonfibre, brushed aluminum, espresso, and obsessive detail. Inside, everything speaks a fluent dialect of precision. Every corner, every cup, every gesture from the team felt deeply considered. Even the espresso cups are beautiful.
But nothing quite prepares you for standing in Horacio Pagani's office. It's the kind of space that doesn't need to try to impress, it just does. Art, vision, and machinery living in perfect harmony.
Chris and I set up quickly, three different cameras this time - for very diverse looks. The plan was loose by design: capture as much visual material as possible for Hamid's socials. Photos, Instagram Reels, behind-the-scenes... whatever the space gave us.
It was 35C outside, so we started with all the exterior content early, including a test drive and review of the new Pagani Utopia. The name says it all. Nothing to add.
The Soul of Utopia: A V12 Built for Beauty and performance by legendary Mercedes engineer Michael Kübler built exclusively for Pagani. It's not pulled from an existing model or repurposed from another series. This engine was developed by AMG specifically to meet Horacio Pagani's vision: raw, analog power paired with timeless elegance.
But what's truly remarkable isn't just the performance, it's how the engine looks. Pagani doesn’t hide it. They celebrate it. Every line, every valve cover, every exposed component is meticulously designed, almost obsessively so. Even the parts you'll never see once the car is fully assembled are finished with the same level of care. You can tell this is more than a machine, it's treated like a sculpture.
Carbonfibre, Leonardo DaVinci and Espresso
Some journeys unfold slowly. Others begin with a late-night paddle tennis match, a 4 AM flight and an idea: to capture something that can't quite be explained, only felt.
This one started in Köln with Hamid Mossadegh and ended inside Horacio Pagani's office, where the lines between engineering and art dissolve completely. It's a place that seems to live by Leonardo da Vinci's belief that "art and science can walk hand in hand."
A cradle of horsepower
After a layover in Munich, we touched down in Bologna, still tired but already buzzing. Bologna might not look like the home of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Pagani at first glance, it feels more like a sleepy Italian village than a cradle of horsepower. But that contrast makes what happens here all the more special.
From the airport, we went straight to Pagani's Atelier. Calling it a "factory" wouldn't do it justice. This is a cathedral of carbonfibre, brushed aluminum, espresso, and obsessive detail. Inside, everything speaks a fluent dialect of precision. Every corner, every cup, every gesture from the team felt deeply considered. Even the espresso cups are beautiful.
But nothing quite prepares you for standing in Horacio Pagani's office. It's the kind of space that doesn't need to try to impress, it just does. Art, vision, and machinery living in perfect harmony.
Chris and I set up quickly, three different cameras this time - for very diverse looks. The plan was loose by design: capture as much visual material as possible for Hamid's socials. Photos, Instagram Reels, behind-the-scenes... whatever the space gave us.
It was 35C outside, so we started with all the exterior content early, including a test drive and review of the new Pagani Utopia. The name says it all. Nothing to add.
The Soul of Utopia: A V12 Built for Beauty and performance by legendary Mercedes engineer Michael Kübler built exclusively for Pagani. It's not pulled from an existing model or repurposed from another series. This engine was developed by AMG specifically to meet Horacio Pagani's vision: raw, analog power paired with timeless elegance.
But what's truly remarkable isn't just the performance, it's how the engine looks. Pagani doesn’t hide it. They celebrate it. Every line, every valve cover, every exposed component is meticulously designed, almost obsessively so. Even the parts you'll never see once the car is fully assembled are finished with the same level of care. You can tell this is more than a machine, it's treated like a sculpture.
I found myself photographing the engine bay like I was shooting a piece of contemporary art. Because, frankly, that's exactly what it is.
After lunch, Sebastian, Paganis chief of press, gave us a tour of the workshop where the cars are built. Each Pagani takes 2-3 years to complete. Every component from the patented carbon fiber to the custom screws is made in-house. It's less an assembly line and more a series of artistic rituals.There's something radical about building even the unseen parts of a car to the highest standard of beauty. These are areas most people will never witness, and yet they're crafted like jewelry. I’d honestly hang an entire Pagani suspension on my wall and call it art. Leonardo da Vinci once said that art and science are disciplines that should walk hand in hand.Pagani doesn't just agree, he lives by that principle.
I found myself photographing the engine bay like I was shooting a piece of contemporary art. Because, frankly, that's exactly what it is.
After lunch, Sebastian, Paganis chief of press, gave us a tour of the workshop where the cars are built. Each Pagani takes 2-3 years to complete. Every component from the patented carbon fiber to the custom screws is made in-house. It's less an assembly line and more a series of artistic rituals.There's something radical about building even the unseen parts of a car to the highest standard of beauty. These are areas most people will never witness, and yet they're crafted like jewelry. I’d honestly hang an entire Pagani suspension on my wall and call it art. Leonardo da Vinci once said that art and science are disciplines that should walk hand in hand.Pagani doesn't just agree, he lives by that principle.
Among rows of clay and wood models, one car stole the show: the Huayra R. Seeing it up close sculptural, low-slung, unapologetic, was a reminder that the boundary between concept and execution is thinner than it seems, if you know how to blur it.
