Alex Unleashed on Cars- Pagani Zonda (The Upstart that Disproves the Rule)

 

The general consensus is that upstart car makers will at some point go bust. This has very much been the case for multiple manufacturers. But if like me, you grew up in the 2000’s then there are 4 upstart brands that both resonated with us and are still here today. Those are: Noble, Ariel, Koenigsegg and Pagani.

Interestingly the story of how the Pagani Zonda both took the fight to the established supercar brands and bring about a second supercar renaissance actually starts in the 1980s. Horacio Pagani previously worked for Lamborghini in the composites department so he already knew a lot about making supercars as well as the mechanicals that go into making a good one, he also owns Moden Design which helped provide the carbon fibre used in the Zonda’s construction.  

You could actually argue the Zonda C12 came out too late as by 1999 all the 200 MPH hypercars were gone except its main rival, the Lamborghini Diablo. But on to the car. The engine is a 6 litre Mercedes V12 and its Horacio’s friendship with Juan Manuel Fangio we have to thank for that, as Fangio persuaded Mercedes to provide engines for the Zonda. The engine was not powerful by hypercar standards, 420 BHP to be precise, but because of its carbon fibre construction the C12 would still hit 60 in 4 seconds and of cause the look of the car is entirely out of this world. If the Zonda had any limits, you’d think ride comfort would be one, but no, it was the 5-speed ZF gearbox which reviewers weren’t fond of, not to mention the looming feeling that it wouldn’t take off and would end up like all other upstarts. Bust.

But no, 2 years later the Zonda was updated, it gained an extra speed in its gearbox, the engine was bored out to 7 litres power jumped to 542 BHP (and then again in 2002: 7.3 litres & 555 BHP) not to mention small aero dynamic changes, notably the singular rear wing replaced by two smaller winglets. The updated Zonda S was an even bigger hit than the original! EVO Magazine voted it Car of the Year making it one of the few cars not made by Porsche to which such an accolade. It was once again nominated for Top Gear Magazines Dream Car of the Year in both 2002 & 2003 only to be pipped by its new rivals, the Murcielago and the Ferrari Enzo but it did take the win during their “Million Quid Mega Test” beating the Lamborghini Muricelago, Mercedes SL55 AMG, Ferrari 575, TVR Cerbera 4.5 Red Rose, Aston Martin Vanquish & the Porsche 911 Turbo + X50 Package.

Though more importantly, it held the lap record around the Top Gear test track twice, as both the Westfield XTR2 & Radical SR3 were removed during series 2, letting the Zonda reclaim its title which was set on a partially wet track and with Stig mk1 at the wheel meaning it’s time of 1:23.8 could potentially have been closer to 1:20, in ideal conditions.

In fact, Top Gear is likely partially to blame for its popularity, since the Zonda appeared in the first episode when it came back on air in 2002 and I’m sure we all remember Richard blasting round in the Roadster in series 5 along with him struggling to get out of a Parisian car park in series 7. Not to mention the F also setting the lap record around the track, James finally getting to do a power test in the F Roadster and Jeremy’s very loud test of the R as well. The magazine even had the F take part in their Performance Car of the Year test in 2011 against the likes of the Bugatti Veyron SS, BMW 1M and McLaren MP4-12C, it was still that good.

EVO Magazine, were also big fans, having won car of the year, it was part of their top 10 best drivers’ cars, twice! It was listed as the best supercar on sale in the UK 3 times! And was voted one of the 10 most important cars of the first 100 issues. High praise indeed.

In such a short amount of time the Zonda and Pagani as a whole had gone from “who dat?” to “Oh my god it’s a Zonda!” And I think why is because it achieves a rare combo, it’s both nice/easy to drive and looks truly out of this world. Contrary to what you may think, journalists don’t automatically like new super/hypercars as they are notoriously difficult to control and large which makes them difficult to enjoy and drive on the road. But surprisingly (for a car of its type) everyone who drove the Zonda agreed it was easy to drive at speed and was manageable on an ordinary road, and that’s rare in this sector only the Ferrari 550 and Porsche 911 Turbo have received such praise before.

In terms of styling, the Zonda really does look like nothing else, if you ask me, were quite used to the looks of Lamborghini’s and Ferrari’s and so when the Zonda showed up with its gatling gun exhaust, periscope air vents and aluminium toggle switches it really did and still does take your breath away. Then there’s the noise, I have heard them before and the early C12 S shrieks when accelerating but then it almost sounds like it’s distorting and rippling when it reaches the rev limit. The newer Zonda F is more of a bellowing noise and more operatic, if that makes sense.

Following on from the C12 S, the F was much more thoroughly updated, the whole body was made more aerodynamic, and generally has a larger presence than its predecessor, power again went up to 602 BHP and the weave of the carbon fibre was changed to make the F lighter and stronger, it would later set a production car record around the Nurburgring, adding another trophy to its cabinet.

But by 2009 Horacio Pagani decided it was time to end the Zonda’s production and focus on the next car (the Huayra) but not before making the Zonda R and the road going Cinque.

 It’s important to note that the Cinque was the last officially sold Zonda as although several one-off’s have been made as recently as 2019, they were not actually for sale to customers. Anyways…

The Zonda R shares only 10% of its components with the F, the wheelbase and even the engine is different. It’s the 6 litre V12 that powered the Mercedes-AMG CLK GTR GT1 race car making 740 BHP, and because the R is not a road or race car, it means other elements such as tyres, ride height and noise are not limited by regulations meaning it is a fast as possible. Hence why it set an unofficial lap record once again at the Nurburgring, 6:47 to be precise around a 13-mile track with 147 corners, mind blowing.

The Pagani Zonda is one of those truly legendary cars, by being clever Horacio Pagani has made a supercar that has truly stood the test of time and is still seen as one of the best in its class and from its era by many. It’s fast, striking, has plenty of achievements and proves that it is possible for an upstart manufacturer to take on the might of the established brands and come out on top.

Year produced: 1999-2011 (officially)

Engine 6-7.3 litre V12

Power: 420-740 BHP

Torque: 420- 575 Ib.ft

0-60: 4-2.7 Seconds

Top Speed: c200-c230 MPH

Weight: 1270-1150 KG

Price: £190,000- £1,100,000

Rivals: Lamborghini Diablo/Murcielago, Ferrari Enzo, Porsche Carrera GT, Koenigsegg CC8S