Shock and Awe

What car can shock the daylights out of a McLaren F1 or inspire awe from a Lamborghini Murcielago? Only one car springs to mind right now–Italy’s Pagani Zonda. Pagani who, you might ask?

The company is Pagani Automobili, a one-model carmaker based in Modena, just a sprint away from the headquarters of the Prancing Horse. The “who” is founder Horacio Pagani, born and raised in Argentina. After designing and building a Formula 3 car at the age of 20, Mr. Pagani made his way to Modena, arguably the supercar capital of the world. He carried with him a letter of introduction from fellow Argentine and five-time F1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio. He had met Mr. Fangio at a dinner party in their home country and expressed his intention to one day build a supercar in honor of the World Champion. Mr. Pagani was hired by Lamborghini, and began to specialize in carbon fiber design and construction, working on, among other things, the Countach anniversary project.

In 1992 he founded Modena Design, a company specializing in composite materials. Customers include Lamborghini, Ferrari, race car builder Dallara, and Aprilia. Porsche, McLaren and Ferrari build racing cars–that’s what makes their road models so special. What gives Pagani’s creations their own cachet is the company’s expertise in carbon fiber. The Zonda C12 was unveiled in Geneva in 1999, followed by the C12S featuring a more powerful engine, and now, the topless C12S Roadster. Mr. Pagani changed the name from Fangio F1 to Zonda, the wind that blows in the Andes, out of modesty and respect for Mr. Fangio, who had by then passed away. The car’s main weapon is its relatively svelte curb weight of 1280 kg for the Roadster–that’s 70 kg lighter than a Honda Accord.

On the other side of the performance equation is the immense power from the AMG-Mercedes bolted behind the seats. Story has it that Mr. Fangio himself had requested that the car have a Mercedes-Benz engine, as a gesture of thanks to the company that allowed him to win many races. 7.3 liters, 12 cylinders, 48 valves and four camshafts plus much tweaking by AMG equal 555 hp and 76.5 kg-m of torque. The normally aspirated powerplant mates to a 6-speed manual transmission, channeling everything to the rear wheels. These combine for a catapult-like response, propelling the car from 0 to 100 kph in 3.7 seconds. Top speed exceeds 320 kph.

Hauling everything down are Brembo disc brakes at all four corners, equipped with ABS. Traction control also keeps watch over the drivetrain. Cornering speeds of the 2-meter wide car are phenomenal, and the sophisticated suspension and ultra-stiff chassis promise the feel of a large go-kart.

Performance counts for just part of the supercar appeal. The other part is stunning presence, worthy of space on your bedroom wall or computer desktop. If anything can make a Lamborghini Murciélago look tame, this is just the car to do it. The Zonda looks like it just drove out of the Mulsanne Straight, Mr. Pagani’s fondness for Group C racers immediately apparent. He said he was inspired by the Sauber Mercedes “Silver Arrows” cars, and wanted a mix of shocking and smooth shapes.

It doesn’t quite have the sweeping lines of the latest Pininfarina designs, but the car keeps up its end with pronounced front fenders, wide rear haunches and the stance of a cheetah ready to pounce. Acting as a sharp contrast are the four headlamps popping jauntily up from the fenders, the subtle F1 “nose-cone” bump, and the angular cooling ducts surrounding the rear fenders. A split spoiler adorns the rear deck. Seemingly as a final affront to all other motorists, four Gatling gun exhaust pipes poke out from the rear panel.

What is also striking is the small, fighter-jet like cockpit, seemingly a tight squeeze for two adults. From the inside, though, the cockpit is spacious and comfortable, with leg and elbow room tucked into the bodywork. The driving position was aligned as close as possible with the car’s center line. On the fixed-roof models, the side windows drop a fraction a few millimeters when a door is opened, and then cinch up again after the door is shut. The car’s roof is glass, providing a bright, airy feel, which is of course a given on the Roadster. To beat off the heat, there’s a sufficiently strong aircon system. There are even two small bins for luggage behind the seats, accessible by lifting the engine cover.

Apart from the main carbon fiber tub, a variety of exotic materials was used for the car’s construction. The front frame is fashioned from chrome-molybdenum steel. The frame supports the front double wishbones, steering and other accessories and acts as energy absorber in case of a frontal collision. The Zonda passed its crash test with flying colors.

The rear frame is also made of Cr-Mo steel. This was chosen to minimize noise and vibration, as the engine and rear suspension are bolted to this frame.

For Geneva 2003, Pagani launched a limited edition roadster version of the C12S. The production run will once again be made-to-measure, like the previous iterations, and promises to be the pinnacle of the “most exotic technology”. For instance, the top is made of a never-before-seen carbon fiber / carbon textile removable roof.

However, the Zonda Roaster is not just the C12S with the roof chopped off. Pagani has put safety above everything else in designing the Roadster. The chassis has reached the highest structural rigidity in the segment.

Other fine detailing has been done to give the Zonda Roadster more character. An item such as the roll bar, which is elliptical in section, is built out of carbon and chrome-molybdenum alloy that is linked to the aft section of the chassis through a handmade Ergal element.

The full carbon fiber body shows a new engine hood configuration, a new rear hood design where two NACA-style air vents work as air extractors, further differentiating the Roadster from the C12S. Furthermore, handling has been improved with the use of FOMB-APP aluminum wheels that measure 255/35 ZR 19 in front and 345/35 ZR 19 at the back, all shod with specially developed Michelin tires.

The interior is just as extreme in design and detailing. Sections of unadorned carbon fiber are still visible on the center tunnel and door frames. Machined aluminum covers the dash and center console, with the finest leather covering most other surfaces. Toggle switches activate accessories like the foglights, and small, round gauges are tucked behind a simple, squared-off steering wheel. There’s even an audio system, should the wild howl of the V12 not be to your liking for the day. Sit inside the Zonda, and between your legs, recessed into the deeply bolstered bucket, will be a large knob for adjusting the seat height. Each Zonda Roadster, like the C12S, will be perfectly tailor-fit to the taste of the individual owner.

The Zonda Roadster obviously has the looks and performance of a classic supercar. It has the price tag to match: expected price is at least USD380,000 and the requisite exclusivity: only 40 units will be produced.

The only thing missing from the Pagani pedigree is a proper racing heritage. Word is that this will soon be put right: the Zonda is headed to race at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and soon after that, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

By Jason Ang and Ulysses Ang | Photos Courtesy of Pagani SpA