The
Pagani Zonda is a
mid-engined sports car produced by
Pagani in Italy. It debuted in 1999 and continues through the present, with production proceeding at roughly 17-19 cars per year. As of June 2009, 206 Zondas had been built, including
test mules. Both 2-seat
coupe and
convertible versions have been produced. Construction is mainly of
carbon fiber.
Some of the early Zonda engineering was done by
Formula One champion
Juan Manuel Fangio. The car was originally to be named the "Fangio F1" after him but, following his death in 1995, it was renamed for an
air current above Argentina.
[1][clarification needed]
1999 Zonda C12
The
C12 debuted at the 1999
Geneva Motor Show. It was powered by a model 190.3344 L 5,987 cc (365 cu in)
Mercedes-Benz M120 V12 engine and could reach speeds of 206 mph (332 km/h). The engine produces 488 PS (359 kW; 481 hp) at 5200 rpm and 521 lb·ft (706 N·m) at 3800 rpm.
Just five of the original 6.0 L Zondas were built, though it was still available in 2002 when the C12 S debuted. One was used for crash testing, while another was a demonstrator and show car. The remainder were delivered to customers during the next three years, priced at
US$320,000.
The C12 could accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.2 seconds and hit 100 mph (160 km/h) in 8.2 seconds. Acceleration through the quarter mile was 12.1 seconds at 124 mph (200 km/h). Lateral acceleration on the skidpad was 0.93 g, and the car could brake from 60 mph (97 km/h) in 110 feet (34 m).
2000 Zonda C12 S
The
C12 S uses a 7,010 cc (428 cu in)
AMG–tuned version of the engine producing 550 PS (400 kW; 540 hp). It can accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.7 secs, to 100 mph (160 km/h) in 7.5 secs and complete the
quarter mile in 11.3 secs at 131 mph (211 km/h). Lateral acceleration on the skidpad is 1.18
g (11.6 m/s²), the car is 10 kilograms (22 lb) lighter than the normal Zonda C12, it can reach a top speed of 209 mph (336 km/h), and carries a price tag of US$350,000.
The C12 S features an elongated nose, flaps at the rear for improved
aerodynamics, and new light clusters and
exhausts. Only fifteen 7.0 L C12 S cars were produced.
2002 Zonda C12 S 7.3
The 7,291 cc (445 cu in)
C12 S 7.3 of 2002 used an even larger V12 engine. The engine was designed and manufactured by Mercedes-Benz AMG, where
traction control was added to handle the 555 PS (408 kW/547 hp) and 750 N·m (553 ft·lbf) that this engine produces. The 7.3 can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of up to 220 mph (350 km/h) depending on aerodynamic configuration. The top speed can be further tweaked by adjusting the aerodynamic settings. 197 mph (319 km/h) is the car's top speed on the setting for the best handling which provides the most down force but also has the highest drag coefficient. If the aerodynamic settings were adjusted the top speed would be a bit higher. This also seems to be the reason that when EVO Magazine attempted the Pagani Zonda S's top speed on the Autobahn, that they were only able to get the car to 197 mph (317 km/h), as opposed to its claimed top speed of 220 mph (350 km/h). It would make sense that if the car was set up for maximum downforce then its top speed would drop to around 200 mph (320 km/h). Company representatives at Pagani's factory backed up this claim. However, the EVO article claimed that aerodynamic parts, specifically ones which created drag were in fact removed during the run, bringing Pagani's claims into question.
A roadster version is also built, with production limited by the company to 40 examples. As of 2005
[update], nine roadsters had been built. According to
Road & Track magazine, three more C12 S 7.3 cars had been built as of June 2005, but it is unclear whether they were roadsters or coupes.
Motor Trend reported in their January 2006 issue that 60 Zondas of all types had been built.
2003 Zonda GR
Development of the
Zonda GR started in December 2002. At this stage the Zonda was nearly four years old, but had yet to be entered in major motorsports. Tom Weickardt, owner of American Viperacing, Toine Hezemans, owner of Carsport Holland, and Paul Kumpen, owner of
GLPK, created a new company,
Carsport Zonda, to build a racing version. They secured exclusive rights to develop, build and sell competition Zondas from
Horacio Pagani, and the first GR was completed at Carsport's facility in
Modena within months.
The Zonda GR is based on the Zonda C12 S. It was built on the same carbon fiber chassis, with
tube frames in front and back. The bodywork was modified to include front and rear diffusers and louvers for improved aerodynamics. The car was 2 meters (6.6 ft) wide, in accordance with the regulations of the
FIA and
ACO. The car's weight was reduced to 1,100 kilograms (2,425 lb), and a new
suspension was designed. New wheels and brakes were also specified. The engine was equipped with an enlarged radiator, and the engine and gearbox also have new oil coolers.
The performance of the Zonda GR is well beyond that of the stock car. The car sprints from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.3 seconds and the engine produces around 600 PS (440 kW; 590 hp) at 5,800 rpm and 580 lb·ft (786 N·m) of torque at 4,300 rpm with a redline increased to 7,500 rpm.
C12 S Monza
Pagani Monza Factory Race Car.
The
Zonda C12 S Monza debuted at the 2004
Paris Motor Show as a track-day version of the Zonda for private use. Borrowing its appearance cues from the Zonda GR, the Monza included many features which could also be applied to other Zonda models. A
dry sump engine tuned to 637 PS (more than 440 kW) was used, and the cooling was improved. Modified aerodynamics, including a different wing and front diffuser, allowed greater speed, as did optimized gearing. The car was lighter, with polycarbonate side windows, and an unmuffled exhaust is fitted. The revised interior includes different pedals, steering wheel, and seats, as well as a reinforced roll cage. Larger brakes and a stiffer suspension also improve performance. Finally, an external fire extinguisher is included for safety. It reaches 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.7 seconds.
2005 Zonda F (C12 F)
The
Zonda C12 F debuted at the 2005
Geneva Motor Show. It is the most extensive reengineering of the Pagani car yet, though it shares much with its predecessors including the 7.3&nba power to weight ratio of 483 bhp/
ton (356 W/kg).
[citation needed]
With Marc Basseng at the wheel the Zonda F CS lapped the 12.9 miles (21 km)
Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:24.7.
[2]
Production of the Zonda F will be limited to 25 cars, not US compatible. The next model (codenamed C9), will be fully EPA/DOT compatible.
The
Zonda F, named after
Formula One driver
Juan Manuel Fangio, comes with an extra head light and different fog lights at the sides, new bodywork (revised front end, new rear spoiler, more aerodynamic vents all around) that improves the cars aerodynamics and different side mirrors. Further enhancements over the 'S' centre around optional carbon/ceramic brakes developed in conjunction with
Brembo,
magnesium wheels, inconel
titanium exhaust system,
hydroformed aluminum intake plenum and a redesigned 'Z preg' weave in the crash structure to improve rigidity and reduce weight.
Zonda Roadster F
The
Zonda Roadster F debuted at the 2006 Geneva show. It is similar to the coupe, but with a removable carbon fibre roof and canvas side curtains weighing just 5 kilograms (11 lb). Production of the Roadster F is suggested at 25 units. The
Zonda Roadster F also has 50 horsepower (37 kW) more than the coupe version, making the roadster faster.
The
Roadster F is able to maintain chassis rigidity without any gain in curb weight by eschewing conventional thinking by not strengthening the sills - a process which would have needed more than 35 kilograms (77 lb) of reinforcement. Pagani instead uses racing car thinking, materials and construction techniques, strengthening the firewall structure of the chassis tub together with billet alloy braces that connect the points where the roof rails would have joined. The windscreen is also strengthened for safety reasons. These techniques enable the Roadster to have virtually the same weight as the coupe, 1,230 kilograms (2,712 lb).
[3]
The
Zonda Roadster F was tested by
Top Gear's The Stig and achieved a lap time around their test track of 1:17.8, beating the
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 tested during the same episode, but lost in a quarter mile drag race against the Veyron by nearly 2.5 seconds.
Zonda R
The
R was debuted at the Geneva Motor Show 2007, using the 6.0 litre V12 engine sourced from the race version of the
Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR.
[4] The R's competition lies with track-biased cars such as the
Ferrari FXX and
Maserati MC12 Corsa rather than the original Zonda's road competitors. It is thought, therefore, that like the FXX and some models of the MC12, the R will not be road-
homologated. Since it is likely that the car will be ineligible under FIA regulations for almost any form of organized racing, the car is essentially relegated to privateer racing in nonstandard series and the owner's private track time, much like customer versions of the MC12. For comparison the FXX, which has its own race-series, is also neither road nor race homologated, and is not even delivered to the owner, instead being 'made available' by Ferrari at specified events. The Pagani-designed race-models are also far more proven and targeted racecars, so it is unlikely that even heavily-modified Rs will compete in formal racing.
Despite sharing much of the Zonda's shape, the R is almost entirely new, sharing only 10% of the Zonda F's components. It has been obliquely suggested by Horacio Pagani that this car is a testbed chassis for certain components of the Zonda's replacement (in the same vein as the
Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione and the successive
F40) and that the R accurately reflects some of the Zonda's successor's features.
Chassis
The central carbon chassis incorporates a
roll cage and a rubber
racing fuel cell with 4 fuel pumps and quick refuel filler cap, similar to GT race cars. The wheelbase has been increased by 47 mm (1.9 in) to increase stability. The front and rear subframes are brand-new, built to accommodate new suspension geometry, and produced in
Avional. The slick-shod wheels are new forged-magnesium center-lock models, which in conjunction with on-board pneumatic airjacks (again, like the FXX) allow rapid change of the entire wheel assemblies.
The car senses, displays and logs information about the amount of downforce that is generated at each wheel at all times. It is thought that this system will enable owners to adjust set-up according to track conditions and to improve their cornering technique.
Bodywork
In addition to the wheelbase increase (47 mm), overall length has increased by 394 mm (15.5 in) and track by 50 mm (2.0 in). The bodywork and aerodynamics have been altered to offer maximum downforce, featuring a longer front bonnet with flaps, a closed underbody and a new rear overhang with adjustable rear wing and race-derived diffuser. These are intended to translate into increased aerodynamic efficiency and downforce for maximum cornering speed. It is also noted that the car's new rear bodywork is minimal in the extreme, being composed mostly of vent. This is thought to be symptomatic of the need to keep the engine cool enough, even under hard track use. Again, this is similar to the gutted bodywork of the Ferrari FXX Evoluzione.
Engine
Output has increased to 750 bhp (559 kW; 760 PS) at 8500 rpm and 525 lb·ft (712 N·m) of torque. A lightweight carbon fibre high performance intake system, racing multiple disc centered clutch and Formula One-style exhaust system, hydroformed in Inconel 625 and ceramic coated for optimal heat dissipation, have been added. The engine is combined with a 6-speed transverse-mounted manual
sequential synchronized gearbox. Engine was built by Mercedes-AMG.
Interior
The car's interior is spartan reflecting the car's racetrack aspirations and intended home, and features bespoke seats, customized to the driver to offer maximum support. As before, the Digitek instrumentation provides essential information and the sophisticated
telemetry allows a variety of sensors to monitor numerous aspects of the car.
Zonda Cinque
The final Zonda in its current form is a combination of the Zonda F and Zonda R to create a road-going track-day car.
Built at the repeated request of the Hong Kong–based Pagani dealer, SPS Automotive Performance (in fact, initially it had to be called Zonda SPS), only five will be built at the cost of £1 million, with deliveries expected by June 2009 for all five cars.
The differences over other road-going Zondas are a new clutchless sequential gearchange, resulting in shifts now taking less than 100 milliseconds, dropping 0–62 mph down to 3.4 seconds, the Cinque also has a revised form of carbon fibre which uses titanium to increase strength, which Pagani calls "Carbo-tanium." Suspension will make use of magnesium and titanium components, and the engine's power has been increased to 678 bhp (506 kW), revised bodywork now creates 750 kg (1,653 lb) of downforce at 400 km/h (249 mph), the Cinque is capable of generating 1.45 G of cornering force.
Zonda Cinque Roadster
The Roadster will have specs as the Cinque Coupé, and will likely maintain the same rigidity or more, as it was for the Roadster F and F Coupé. Like the Coupé from which it derives, only 5 units are built, with a price of £1.3-million/US$2 million plus local taxes.
[5]
And, without considering other One Offs, like the Tricolore, the PS and other special Zondas which will be built, makes this and the coupè the rarest Zondas. It goes from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in only 3.4 seconds and it has a top speed of 217 mph (349 km/h).
Zonda Tricolore
The final mass-produced Zonda, originally conceived as a one-off, there will now be 3 Tricolore's built. It was built as a tribute to the country's aerobatic team. It carries a lot of the body from the Zonda Cinque. The car is unpainted except for a clear blue lacquer and red, white and green stripes that run up from the nose along the top of the car's surface. The three Tricolore's will be priced at 1.2 Million pounds. It's also 6 mph (9.7 km/h) faster than a standard Zonda at 220 mph (350 km/h).
2009/2010 Pagani Project C9
The Zonda successor, initially referred to as the Zonda R, is believed to have larger air intakes and a wider front grille. In terms of styling differences from the Zonda, the C9 is very different. Based on spy shots and videos, the prototype has a body consisting of less angles and more curves. Also instead of the typical strait Zonda tail lights, the prototype has a cluster of three lights in the shape of a circle. The Pagani C9 was seen testing with the SL65 Black Series. According to EVO, this new Pagani supercar will feature an M275 AMG twin turbo V12 along with a brand new sequential gearbox provided by ZF. The car is expected to cost over 1 million euros.
[citation needed] In an interview with the Greek car magazine Drive, Horacio Pagani revealed that the car would follow a similar direction to the Bugatti Veyron except for the fact that it will be about 800 kg (1,764 lb) lighter, in order to achieve both higher performance as well as lower fuel consumption. He argued that the way for Pagani to conform with stricter carbon emission and consumption regulations was weight reduction rather than a hybrid propulsion. Horacio Pagani was rather negative towards a smaller Pagani, in the ranks of the Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari 458 Italia, wishing on one hand to keep his cars extremely exclusive and on the other to avoid potential financial trouble as he argued that potential Pagani customers will always have enough money to buy one even in times of crisis whereas Gallardos are bought by less affluent individuals, rendering their price elasticity of demand rather elastic compared to the inelastic demand for the Pagani. The Zonda's replacement is to be named the
Pagani Huayra, Huayra meaning wind in a dormant language. Many people argue that the Pagani Zonda's replacement will not be able to compete with the Ferrari Enzo's replacement (scheduled for 2012). With the Lamborghini Murcielago's replacement making its debut at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show, some of its performance numbers have already surfaced on the web. The Lamborghini's performance statistics do not capture the same amount of excellence that the Pagani Huayra's does and with the new Lamborghini being the next Ferrari's main competiitor, many people are confident that the Pagani will hold its own against the new Ferrari.
Pagani Zonda PS
Pagani Zonda PS (Peter Saywell), company logo visible on the rear
A special one-off edition of the Zonda F chassis with a C9 gearbox was produced and personalised for English businessman and car enthusiast Peter Saywell,
[6] the car had the exhausts re-arranged into an oval and bears his company logo on the rear.
[7]
Pagani Zonda Uno
A special one-off built for an Al-Thani, a member of the Royal family of Qatar, famous for his turquoise car collection. Originally the car was a Zonda F Roadster that was crashed in Qatar and was sent back to the factory to be rebuilt.
[8] The car is speced like a Cinque with the new carbo-titanium chassis. It also has the LEDs on the front of the car like the Tricolore. Unique to this car are the darkened rear lights and the rear exhaust (the four pipes are shorter than standard). Also the black wheels with turquoise wheel-striping, and the dual-tone diffuser are real eye-catchers, together with lots of other black accents like the collector of the exhaust tail pipes.
Pagani Zonda GJ
A rebuilt Zonda S 7.3, but was made custom.
Pagani Zonda RAK
Another one-off estimated to be worth 1.5 million euros with a two-tone black and yellow colour scheme with a custom interior, fitted with sport bucket seats.
Pagani Zonda HH
The Zonda HH is a special one-off edition, in Monterey Blue, that features the engine from the Cinque and most of the bodywork from the Zonda F Roadster. The HH was commissioned by Danish businessman
David Heinemeier Hansson.
Pagani Zonda 750
The Zonda 750 was another special one-off edition Zonda for a member of the Al-Thani family. However the order for it was cancel due to a disagreement between the proposed owner and Pagani.
[9] The 750 is mainly based on the Cinque but also features several custom parts. It was expected that it would be finished in a Purple colour.
Pagani Zonda Absolute
The Pagani Zonda Absolute is a special one-off edition Zonda to be shipped to Hong Kong. It features the matte black carbon fiber body of the Pagani Zonda R, but it has the engine of the Pagani Zonda Cinque.
Pagani Zonda F roadster Final edition
A one-off special of the Zonda roadster was commissoned in 2010 to commemorate the end of the Zonda F production, it was finished in bare carbon and received upgraded horsepower.
Gallery
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Pagani Zonda PS (Peter Saywell)
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Interior of Zonda Absolute
