Pagani Zonda

Pagani Zonda
Pagani Zonda
	Pagani Zonda C12 (chassis no. 001)
Overview
Manufacturer	Pagani
Production	1999–2017
Assembly	Modena, Italy
Designer	Horacio Pagani
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car (S)
Body style	2-door berlinetta; 2-door roadster; 2-door barchetta;
Layout	Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related	Isdera Commendatore 112i; Mercedes-Benz C112; Mercedes-Benz SL600 AMG; Pagani Zonda R;
Powertrain
Engine	6.0 L M120 V12; 6.9 – 7.3 L M297 V12;
Transmission	5-speed manual; 6-speed manual; 6-speed sequential;
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,730 mm (107.5 in)
Length	4,395–4,435 mm (173.0–174.6 in)
Width	2,055 mm (80.9 in)
Height	1,151–1,141 mm (45.3–44.9 in)
Curb weight	Dry weight:; 1,210–1,280 kg (2,668–2,822 lb)
Chronology
Successor	Pagani Huayra

The Pagani Zonda is a mid-engine sports car produced by the Italian sports car manufacturer Pagani. It debuted at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show, and production ended in 2019 with the Zonda Zun. By 2018, a total of 140 cars had been built, including development mules. Both 2-door coupé and roadster variants have been produced along with a third new variant being the barchetta. Construction is mainly of carbon fibre.

The Zonda was originally to be named the "Fangio F1" after Formula One champion Juan Manuel Fangio, but, following his death in 1995, it was renamed for the Zonda wind, a regional term for a hot air current above Argentina.^[3]

Overview[edit]

Zonda C12[edit]

The Zonda C12^[4] debuted in 1999 at the Geneva Motor Show. It was powered by a 6.0 L (366 cu in) Mercedes-Benz M120 V12 engine having a power output of 450 PS (331 kW; 444 hp) at 5,200 rpm and 640 N⋅m (472 lb⋅ft) of torque at 4,200 rpm mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

The C12 could accelerate to 97 km/h (60 mph) in 4.0 seconds and to 161 km/h (100 mph) in 9.2 seconds.

Only five cars were built with the 6.0 L engine, though the C12 was still available in 2002 when the C12 S was introduced. One was used for crash testing and homologation, while another was a demonstrator and show car; the remainder were delivered to customers during the next three years. The crash test and homologation car having chassis number 001 was restored by Pagani's recently established restoration program called "Pagani Rinascimento" and was presented to the public at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show for the Zonda's 20th anniversary.^[5]^[6]

Zonda S[edit]

Pagani Zonda S

The Zonda S^[7] uses a modified version of the V12 engine used in the C12 enlarged to 7.0 L (427 cu in). Tuned by Mercedes-AMG, the engine has a power output of 550 PS (405 kW; 542 hp) and is mated to a newly developed 6-speed manual transmission in order to handle the high power output produced by the engine.^[8]

The C12 S can accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds, to 161 km/h (100 mph) in 7.0 seconds. Lateral acceleration on the skidpad is 1.18 g (11.6 m/s²). The C12 S can can attain a top speed of 208 mph (335 km/h).

Zonda S 7.3[edit]

Pagani Zonda S 7.3 Roadster

Introduced in 2002 the Zonda S 7.3 ^[9] used a new, larger naturally aspirated V12 engine displacing 7,291 cc (7.3 L; 444.9 cu in) designed and manufactured by Mercedes-Benz AMG having a power output of 555 PS (547 hp; 408 kW) at 5,900 rpm and 750 N⋅m (553 lb⋅ft) of torque at 4,050 rpm.^[10] And to better handle the power, traction control and ABS were made standard. Performance claims were unchanged from the Zonda C12 S.

Zonda Roadster[edit]

In 2003, Pagani presented the Zonda Roadster,^[11] a roadster version of the Zonda S 7.3. Carrying the same components as the coupé, Pagani promised no loss of performance, a claim supported by the minimal weight gain of 30 kg (66 lb). A total of 40 roadsters were produced.^[12]

Zonda F[edit]

Pagani Zonda F

Engine

The Zonda F^[13] (or Zonda Fangio - named after Formula One driver Juan Manuel Fangio) debuted at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. It was the most extensive re-engineered variant of the Zonda yet, though it shared much with its predecessors including the 7.3 L AMG V12 engine which through enhanced intake manifolds, exhaust and a revised ECU now had a power output of 602 PS (443 kW; 594 hp) at 6,150 rpm and 760 N⋅m (561 lb⋅ft) at 4,000 rpm. The transmission was largely the same as the C12 S but had stronger internals and differential gears.

Production of the Zonda F was limited to 25 cars, it came equipped with an extra headlight and different fog lights at the sides, new bodywork (revised front end, new rear spoiler, more aerodynamic vents all around) that improved the car's aerodynamics, and different side mirrors. Further enhancements over the "S" centered on optional carbon/ceramic brakes (measuring 380 mm) developed in conjunction with Brembo, OZ alloy wheels, Inconel exhaust system, hydroformed aluminium intake plenum, and a redesigned "Z preg" weave in the crash structure to improve rigidity and reduce weight.^[14]

Zonda Roadster F[edit]

Pagani Zonda Roadster F

The Zonda Roadster F^[15] debuted at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. Exterior wise, the roadster was similar to the coupé, but with a removable carbon fibre roof and canvas side curtains, weighing just 5 kg (11 lb) more than the coupé. Power output of the engine increased to 650 PS (478 kW; 641 hp) and 780 N⋅m (575 lb⋅ft) of torque. Production of the Roadster F was limited to 25 units.

The Roadster F maintained chassis rigidity without any gain in curb weight, eschewing conventional thinking by not strengthening the sills, a process which would have needed more than 35 kg (77 lb) of reinforcement. Pagani instead used racing car materials, and construction techniques, strengthening the firewall structure of the chassis tub together with billet alloy braces that connected the points where the roof rails would have joined; the windscreen was also strengthened for safety reasons. These techniques enabled the Roadster to have virtually the same weight as the coupé, 1,230 kg (2,712 lb).^[16]

The Zonda Roadster F Clubsport is a light weight version of the Zonda Roadster F. It has an extensive use of the new carbo-titanium material developed Pagani as well as having an upgraded engine, it was tested by Top Gear's The Stig along with James May 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.^[17] German racing driver Marc Basseng managed to lap the Zonda F Clubsport around the 20.8 kilometres (12.9 mi) Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:24.7.^[18]

Zonda Cinque[edit]

Pagani Zonda Cinque

The Zonda Cinque^[19] (Italian for five) was meant to be the last iteration of the Zonda, being a road-legal version of the Zonda R. Only five were built, hence the name, with deliveries set to June 2009 for all five cars; the Zonda Cinque was developed at the request of a Pagani dealer in Hong Kong.

The differences from other variants of the Zonda were the new 6-speed sequential gearbox, resulting in shifts taking less than 100 milliseconds, dropping the 0–100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time down to 3.4 seconds. The gearbox has three driving modes, namely Comfort, Sport and Race which optimises the gearbox for different driving conditions; the Cinque also had a revised form of carbon fibre called "carbo-titanium" which incorporated titanium in the weave to increase strength and rigidity. The suspension used magnesium and titanium components, and the 7.3-litre engine's power and torque were increased to 678 PS (499 kW; 669 hp) and 780 N⋅m (575 lb⋅ft). Revised bodywork, which included a longer front splitter, new sideskirts, rear diffuser, bumper canards, and a flatter underside as well as a roof-mounted air intake scoop, enabled the Cinque to generate 750 kg (1,653 lb) of down-force at 355 km/h (221 mph) and 1.45 G of cornering force.^[20]

Zonda Cinque Roadster[edit]

Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster

The Zonda Cinque Roadster^[21] had the same specifications as the coupé from which it was derived. Only five units were built, like the coupé.^[22]

Zonda Tricolore[edit]

Pagani Zonda Tricolore

The Zonda Tricolore,^[23] was originally conceived as a one-off but there were actually three built. It was built as a tribute to the Frecce Tricolori, Italy's aerobatic team, it carried much of the body from the Zonda Cinque. The car was unpainted except for a clear blue lacquer, and red, white, and green stripes from the nose along the top of the car's surface. Unique to this car was a small wing placed behind the cockpit which reflected the tail wing of Frecce Tricolori's Aermacchi MB-339 PAN stunt plane; the three Tricolores were priced at £1.2 million. It was also 9.7 km/h (6 mph) faster than a standard Zonda at 354 km/h (220 mph).

Zonda Revolucion[edit]

The Zonda Revolucion^[24] was a special, "final version" of the Zonda that was released in 2013 only to special clients and family members, during “Vanishing Point 2013”, the international Pagani gathering. Mercedes-AMG developed the engine, a 6.0 L (366 cu in) V12 that produced 800 PS (590 kW; 790 hp) and 729 N⋅m (538 lb⋅ft) of torque, connected to an Xtrac 672 6-speed transversal and sequential gearbox that could change gears in 20 milliseconds. The whole car weighs less than a Mini Cooper, thanks to a carbotanium tub at its core, resulting in a 1,070 kg (2,359 lb) kerb weight; the Revolucion also features DRS (Drag Reduction System), and two different operating modes: one that’s available with a minimum speed of 100 km/h (62 mph), and another that changes the rear wing, switching the maximum and minimum down-force settings. Pagani’s chief test driver Davide Testi claimed that the Revolucion could be a full 15 seconds quicker than the Zonda R around the Nürburgring.^[25] Only five of these cars were built, and they were priced at €2.2 million before taxes.

Zonda HP Barchetta[edit]

Zonda HP Barchetta

The Zonda HP Barchetta was unveiled at the 2017 Pebble beach Concours d'Elegance as a present to the company's founder, Horacio Pagani for his 60th birthday as well as to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the Zonda, it has unique exterior design cues which makes it different from other Zondas produced with the most distinguishable features being the barchetta body style and rear wheel covers inspired by group C race cars, making it the first Pagani to ever use this styling. It also has a rear spoiler, air intakes and rear lights taken from the 760 series cars. Power comes courtesy of the 7.3 L (445 cu in) Mercedes-Benz V12 engine engine producing 800 PS (590 kW; 790 hp) and 850 N⋅m (627 lb⋅ft) of torque making it the most powerful road legal Zonda ever produced. It borrows its seats and suspension from the Huayra BC along with its power output being identical to the BC with the only difference being that the BC has a Bi-turbo engine while the HP Barchetta is naturally aspirated; the wheels of the car also have different colour inlays with the wheels at the left having gold and the wheels at the right having blue inlays. Production is limited to just 3 units with one unit retained for Horacio Pagani's personal collection and the other two costing US$15M;^[26] the Zonda HP Barchetta marks an end to the Zonda's production run. The 760 series cars and other special edition Zondas can still be commissioned upon customer request. ^[27]^[28]

Zonda Zun[edit]

In 2019, Pagani produced the Zonda Zun, with over 700 bhp, new carbon air extractors and a carbon fibre arrowhead nose plus a carbon aero package including special canards and a splitter.^[29]

Technical data (all production variants)[edit]

Model	Year	Displacement	Peak power	Peak torque	Top speed	Acceleration time (seconds) 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph)
Zonda C12	1999	5,987 cc (365.3 cu in)	450 PS (331 kW; 444 hp) at 5,200 rpm	590 N⋅m (435 lb⋅ft) at 3,900 rpm	298 km/h (185 mph)	4.2
Zonda C12 S	2000	7,010 cc (427.8 cu in)	550 PS (405 kW; 542 hp) at 5,500 rpm	750 N⋅m (553 lb⋅ft) at 4,100 rpm	335 km/h (208 mph)	3.7
Zonda S Zonda Roadster	2002 2003	7,291 cc (444.9 cu in)	555 PS (408 kW; 547 hp) at 5,900 rpm	750 N⋅m (553 lb⋅ft) at 4,050 rpm	335 km/h (208 mph)	3.7
Zonda F	2005		602 PS (443 kW; 594 hp) at 6,150 rpm	760 N⋅m (561 lb⋅ft) at 4,000 rpm	345 km/h (214 mph)	3.6
Zonda F Clubsport Zonda Roadster F	2006		650 PS (478 kW; 641 hp) at 6,200 rpm	780 N⋅m (575 lb⋅ft) at 4,000 rpm	350 km/h (217 mph)	3.4
Zonda Cinque Zonda Cinque Roadster	2009		678 PS (499 kW; 669 hp) at 6,200 rpm	780 N⋅m (575 lb⋅ft) at 4,000 rpm	350 km/h (217 mph)	3.4
Zonda Tricolore	2010		670 PS (493 kW; 661 hp) at 6,150 rpm	780 N⋅m (575 lb⋅ft) at 4,000 rpm	350 km/h (217 mph)	3.4
Zonda HP Barchetta	2017		800 PS (588 kW; 789 hp)	850 N⋅m (627 lb⋅ft)	over 355 km/h (221 mph)

Special editions[edit]

Monza[edit]

Pagani Zonda Monza

The Zonda Monza shown at the 2004 Paris Motor Show is a track-day version of the Zonda built for King Moka. Borrowing its appearance cues from the Zonda GR, the Monza included a dry sump version of the Zonda S 7.3 engine tuned to 600 PS (441 kW; 592 hp) and had improved cooling. Modified aerodynamics, including a different wing and front diffuser, allowed greater speed, as did optimized gearing; the car was lighter and fitted with polycarbonate side windows along with an unmuffled exhaust. 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.

Uno[edit]

A special one-off built for Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser 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;^[30] the car specifications are similar to those of a Cinque with the new carbon-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 eye-catchers, together with numerous black accents, like those on the exhaust system unit.

HH[edit]

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 programmer David Heinemeier Hansson.

750[edit]

The Zonda 750 was another special one-off edition Zonda for a member of the Al-Thani family; however the order for it was canceled due to a disagreement between the proposed owner and Pagani.^[31] 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, but the project was left incomplete in orange with the front end left unpainted. It was later revealed that it was a Zonda Cinque development mule that appeared in the short film of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, it was upgraded to 750 bhp upon customer's request. It is now known as the Zonda 760 La Nonna and upgraded to the 760 series specifications. "Nonna" is Italian for grandmother, because it was actually the prototype for the Zonda F model.

Absolute[edit]

The Pagani Zonda Absolute is a special one-off edition Zonda shipped to Hong Kong, it features a bare carbon fibre body finished in a matte black colour along with Italian tri-colour stripe in the centre. The engine is shared with the Pagani Zonda Cinque and has the same power output; the car is the sixth one-off variant of the Zonda.^[32]

PS[edit]

The Zonda PS was a one-off special that was commissioned by Peter Saywell, it was finished in white with yellow striping on the side.^[33] The car is the only one with all four exhaust pipes placed in a row instead of a square.^[34] In January 2013 pictures surfaced of a redesigned Zonda PS; the PS has now been finished in bright blue and has the same rear-fin, air intakes, roof scoop and the spoiler as the 760RS & 760LH, but the exhaust pipes arranged in a row have now been replaced with the original layout. Also it features the same day-time LEDs as on the Tricolore, 760LH and the 760RS. What makes this Zonda unique is that its front arches are fitted with carbon-fibre fenders for improved down-force. Actually it's not a formal member of Zonda 760 series because the engine remains the same as before;^[35] the car was involved in an accident in the UK in October 2017.^[36]

GJ[edit]

The Zonda GJ was commissioned by a Scottish entrepreneur Gareth Jones whose Zonda S heavily crashed in 2009. the car originally had a silver exterior colour. He decided to get the car modified to a special edition exclusively made for him after the crash; the car was upgraded in both looks and performance, such as the addition of design elements from the Zonda F and Cinque along with a matte carbon exterior finish with red accents. The engine was upgraded to the specifications of the Zonda F Clubsport; the car was crashed again in 2017 and then sold to a Japanese owner who converted it to a 760 series car called the OLIVER Evolution.^[37]^[38]

Zonda Roadster F Club Sport Final Edition[edit]

The Zonda Roadster F Club Sport Final Edition was a special version of the Zonda Roadster F Club Sport developed to commemorate the end of the regular production of the Zonda. Commissioned by Super Vettura UK, the car features a bare carbon-fibre body finished in a matte black colour and interior finished in a grey colour; the engine in the car was tuned to have a power output of 650 PS (478 kW; 641 hp). The car was number 24 of the 25 Zonda Roadster F Club Sport cars built.^[39]

Zonda 760 One-off Series[edit]

The Zonda 760 Series is a bespoke line-up built for special customers; these models have a 7.3-litre M297 engine but with the output of 760 PS (559 kW; 750 hp) and 780 N⋅m (575 lb⋅ft) of torque. The 760-series models are considered to be the most powerful road-legal Zondas ever produced.

760RS[edit]

The Zonda 760RS is a one-off version built for a businessman in Chile, who is said to be a very close friend of Horacio Pagani, it has the engine attached to a sequential gearbox and finished with a purple tinted carbon exterior and black interior. The 760RS also features a distinctive rear fin that runs down the centre of the car, while also feature the same air ducts and roof air intake as the Cinque.^[40]

760LH[edit]

Same as the Zonda 760 RS, it features a different colour, purple, both for the exterior and the interior, and a manual gearbox instead of the sequential one,^[41] it has been commissioned upon request of Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, hence the initials LH. The car was involved in an accident in Monaco in late 2015 but was later repaired and still remains in possession of Hamilton.

764 Passione[edit]

The Zonda 764 Passione features the same appearances as that of the 760RS and the 760LH, but it is an upgraded Zonda F and features a bigger rear spoiler and bigger distinctive central rear fin, it is finished in grey carbon fibre with accents of natural carbon fibre with light grey striping on the sides and the Italian flag running alongside the nose just like on the Tricolore. The car has purple-pink interior with wooden steering wheel, all done upon customer's request; the engine is mated to the same 6-speed manual gearbox Lewis Hamilton commissioned on his Zonda. The 764 Passione was delivered to its owner in Tokyo, Japan in December 2012;^[42] the car is Zonda F chassis No.83.

760 Fantasma[edit]

The 760 Fantasma is the fourth 760-series Zonda, after the 760RS, 760LH and 764 Passione, and is a rebuilt orange Zonda F which was badly damaged in an accident in Hong Kong during 2012;^[43] the car was originally commissioned by Peter Saywell, chassis number 53, who later sold it to a Chinese businessman in Hong Kong. After the car's accident it was sent back to the Pagani factory where it was repaired and received all the 760-series upgrades; the central monocoque is the same Zonda F chassis and finished in reddish maroon with the Italian flag running up from its nose like the Zonda Tricolore with the central section left unpainted. The only details remaining unchanged are wheels which are from the Zonda F and the interior.^[44]

In 2017 the owner sent the car back to factory for a rebuild and the name was changed from Zonda Fantasma to Zonda Fantasma Evo.^[45]

760 Kiryu[edit]

A roadster dubbed the Zonda 760 Kiryu was delivered to Bingo Sports in Japan in 2015, the second 760-series model shipped to that country and the 14th produced overall; the Kiryu features a dark blue tinted carbon fibre body and gloss carbon fibre trim. Excluding the modified Zonda F roadster, the Kiryu is only the second roadster in the 760 series.^[46]

760 AG[edit]

It is the first roadster variant to be commissioned in the 760 series of one-off cars, it was commissioned by a customer in Dubai. The car has exterior features like the other 760 cars and also resembling the Zonda Cinqué. Like the other 760 series cars, the car does not have the daytime running LED lights and a sequential transmission which makes it stand out from the other one-off models; the car features a marine blue exterior paint with wheel arches, side sills and front canards in bare carbon fibre, a carbon fibre rear fin and spoiler with tricolore stripes and a black leather interior with carbon accenting throughout.^[47]

760 LM and 760 LM roadster[edit]

This one-off Pagani Zonda was the second to last edition of the Zonda made in 2015; the bespoke supercar is based on the 760 RS model and pays tribute to the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Unlike other special edition Zondas, the LM has revised headlamps (only Zonda which has different headlights) and an even bigger rear spoiler than the original 760RS; the LM also has the tricolore stripes depicting the Italian flag on the right side of the bonnet and the German flag on the other side. The rest of the body is built on standard 760 RS specifications; the car has a carbon exterior. A roadster version was also commissioned with the coupé version by the same customer with specifications identical to that of the coupé.

760 OLIVER Evolution[edit]

This one-off Pagani Zonda was the 760 edition of the Zonda made in 2016; the bespoke supercar is based on the 760 RS model and specially built for one of the big Pagani collectors. Unlike other special edition Zondas, this 760 has a uniquely designed rear spoiler and was engineered by one of the world GT champions to generate the maximum downforce to give the ultimate grip on the circuit; the car was tested by the Toyota factory driver and GT500 champion Akira Iida on Fuji Speedway during the Pagani Raduno in Japan this year. Mr Iida commented the Zonda Oliver Evolution is the best handling and closest to the Zonda Evolution R road car he has ever driven.

760 Riviera[edit]

The 760 Riviera is another addition to the 760 series of the Zonda which is based on a Zonda F; the owner sent his yellow Zonda F to the factory to get the 760 series treatment which means that it makes 760 PS; 559 kW (750 hp) from a 7.3 L M297 V12 engine. The exterior styling is inspired by the French Riviera (côte d'Azur) along with the Zonda Cinque and includes the addition of a rear spoiler, a roof scoop, rear fin and front splitters; the car has a snow white paint job with bare carbon at the centre along with blue accents throughout the car. The car was revealed in an online video from Pagani in 2017.^[48]

760 Aether Roadster[edit]

This one-off was commissioned by the same owner of the Ferrari SP38 one-off, it was unveiled at the 2018 Pagani Raduno event in Italy and draws on a lot of parts from the Zonda Cinque but has some special features. These include a rumoured 800 hp (597 kW) output and a rear-wheel drive, manual transmission layout; the car also has door straps instead of normal door handles.^[49]

Racing[edit]

Zonda GR[edit]

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 Racing, 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 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 kg (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 had 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 (441 kW; 592 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.

The car was entered into the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans, but retired after ten laps due to a gearbox failure.^[50]