U.S. safety officials deny airbag exemption for the Pagani Huayra

U.S. safety officials have shot down Italian supercar maker Pagani's request that the Huayra coupe be exempted from needing advanced airbags--a move that means Pagani can't legally sell the car in the States.

Safety rules require that all new cars sold in the United States be equipped with airbags that can automatically adjust deployment force based on the height and weight of the seat occupant. Sensors in the seat help tailor the airbag's force.

Tesla and Lamborghini are among brands that have been granted waivers based on financial hardship over the past five years. Lamborghini's exemption expired in February, and Tesla's is almost up.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said earlier this year that it would stop giving such exemptions.

In February, Pagani said it hoped to sell five copies of the $1.1 million Huayra in the States this year. The company said it wouldn't sell cars in the United States until 2015 without a waiver. The denial of the petition would cost it $4.5 million in net income from 2011 to 2014, Pagani said.

By Michelle Koueiter