What Kind of Sportscar Can You Buy for $1.1 Million?

Not many people can afford $1.1 million for a sports car, but for those who can, a new model is making its way to the American market.

Pagani, a company which has previously manufactured its cars in a small Italian village, announced Tuesday that it will be releasing a model called the Huayra to be sold in the U.S. According to USA Today, the two-seater Huayra will boast a 700-horsepower engine, but getting your hands on one may prove more daunting than the monthly payments:

The company only made 18 cars last year, all the outgoing model. For the new Huayra, Pagani hopes to double the rate when production reaches full swing next year. No big rush.

"We're this little small (company) that tries to make nice cars for people who love us," Zappacosta says. ...

The company was founded in San Cesario sul Panaro, Italy, in 1991 by an Argentine, Horacio Pagani. Working for years around racing and exotic cars, Pagani specialized in supplying advanced composite materials for other automakers. Composites such as carbon fiber are used in the bodies of the most expensive cars today because of their exceptional lightness and strength.

Pagani started making cars in addition to parts. However, the outgoing model, the Zonda, doesn't meet safety and emissions requirements of the U.S. "We've gotten a lot of requests from the U.S., but we've never been able to fill them," Zappacosta said.

The new model, named for a South American god of wind, is aimed at being certified as street legal in the U.S. "This automobile is the result of five years of dedicated effort for the Pagani team, and we see this as an unprecedented opportunity to continue expanding our vision of the future for the supercar industry," Pagani said in a statement.

The car uses a 6-liter, 12-cylinder engine made by Mercedes-Benz's AMG performance unit. The engine develops about 700 horsepower. Top speed is expected to be 230 miles per hour, Zappacosta says.

But Huayra isn't just about engine power. It will stand apart because of its light weight, just under 3,000 pounds, which enhances quickness and handling.

The cars are also made according to each buyer's specifications. "We see ourselves like a custom suit maker," Zappacosta says.