When Pagani’s first product, the Zonda, released at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show It was immediately hailed for its radical styling, stunning performance, and almost inconceivable technical sophistication. It was built as a physical representation of Horacio Pagani’s insistent quest to produce “Una Macchina con Anima”, a car with a soul.
While the original Zonda was a rather exceptional machine to see in the new millennium, the potential for the chassis and engine combination seemed endless, and it wasn’t long before the Pagani started to consider the idea of a track-only, ultimate iteration of the dramatic road car.
This raw, glorious sounding, carbon fibre wearing, stretched out Zonda became the Zonda R, and could be created with absolutely no regulations to adhere to, allowing Pagani to throw quite literally everything at producing the world’s most beautiful and yet astoundingly aggressive driver’s car. The Zonda R’s structure features an advanced iteration of the Zonda F chassis with a carbon-titanium monocoque, a cutting-edge material developed by Pagani themselves, where both titanium and carbon weave are bonded together to benefit from the engineering properties of both materials.
Quite literally behind your ear lobes sits the Zonda R’s greatest asset. Powered by a naturally aspirated, Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR-derived 6.0-litre V12 engine that produces 780 horsepower, this powerplant is paired with a six-speed sequential transaxle, which features a multi-disc racing clutch and lightweight magnesium casing. It’s kept cool by F1-derived roof scoops and intake channels, allowing this rocketship to launch from 0-62mph in just 2.7 seconds, and onto a top speed of 230mph, if you’re brave enough that is.
The Zonda R “Revolución Specification” offered here is the fifth of 10 “R” examples produced by Pagani between 2009 and 2011. The car was subsequently returned to the Pagani factory under previous ownership and upgraded to Revolución specifications in December 2014. These includes engine and transmission modifications, giving the car a boost of 30 horsepower (just in case you thought the original was slow), as well as a new set of Öhlins dampers, and lightweight magnesium alloy wheels which mimic the finish and pattern of the originals. Its downforce was also increased, with a smaller, secondary rear wing underneath the standard wing, while the front bodywork was revised with additional dive planes on the front corners.
Simply put, it is truly a track weapon of the most ferocious variety. It’s a car that technically doesn’t need to exist, but we are so, so thankful that it does. It showcases Pagani’s consistent desire to create the ultimate machine, one that is beautiful crafted, one that makes spine-tingling sounds, one that is truly engineered like nothing else both on and off the racetrack. This fine example is heading to RM Sotheby’s upcoming Amelia Island Sale, on March 3rd, and we will be very intrigued to see if it’ll surpass its EUR 4,485,981 to 6,355,140 estimate!
Keyword: The Pagani Zonda R is a symbol of the ultimate pursuit of perfection