Unlike in the natural world, where profound complexity often expresses itself within elegant design—think of the Fibonacci spiral found in a sunflower’s center—the modern automotive landscape is mostly an expanse of mass-market homogeneity that has taken the form right out of function. 

Pagani Automobili, however, remains synonymous with exquisite engineering and artisanship. Christopher Pagani, head of marketing and son of founder Horacio Pagani, explains what fuels the boutique Italian automaker’s approach and why its latest model—the 864 hp Utopia hypercar, which starts at just under $2 million, is limited to 99 examples and sold out a full year before launch—is a bit of a maverick.