The winding road of motoring folklore is littered with the sun-bleached corpses of grand ideas. Many dream about building the next F40 or an improved McLaren F1, but most end up with little more than a bankruptcy hearing and a few flashy shots of their overpriced offering in the trade press.
But Argentine Horacio Pagani did not fall into the same traps as his less fortunate brethren and has gone on to become the yardstick by which all supercars are measured. With the Zonda C12S, he has achieved what eluded so many and has taken the mantle of the best car in the world--ever.
This is no mean feat for a car that costs £312,000 ($578,000) from Euro Sportscars in the UK, which kindly handed over the keys for the test. Then again, there will always be a super-rich elite untroubled by problems such as recession or spending double the price of an average house.
Euro Sportscars' boss, Roland Hall, believes a machine like this is actually an investment for the future and that prices could rise. Those that bought into the Jaguar XJ220 collecting craze will know that the supercar market is as predictable as a rodeo bull, so the Zonda is no guaranteed pension, but it does have all the hallmarks of a car that could fetch its current value and more in a decade, and there are only just over 50 in the world. Exclusivity clearly comes at this price.
And, because the mechanical composition of the car is mainly Mercedes-sourced, a moderately brave dealer could service it. Try taking your Ferrari down to the local Fiat Tipo dealership....The fighter plane on wheels came close to a much more emotive name, the Fangio, and the five-time F1 World Champion Juan Manuel did have some input into the initial sketches. The car spent more than a decade in development, though, perhaps explaining the myriad of tricks it contains. After Fangio's death in the 1990s, however, Pagani placed his own name on the side and the name of parent company Modena Design.
Its profile isn't the Zonda's most flattering aspect, but then chances are everyone on the open road will see this only for a fraction of a second as the C12S sweeps past. And the front and back are mesmerizing.
That plunging neckline and canopy-style bubble are pure Group C sportscar, with a variety of air intakes, aerodynamic lips and a front splitter adorning the bodywork. But the rear view has become this car's signature due to the centrally housed four-barrel Gatling Gun exhaust .
The Zonda is so meticulously styled throughout--including traditional leather binding straps inside and out, on the glovebox and body panels alike--that it feels like a 1960s sci-fi projection of what cars could be like in the year 2000.
It retains elements of those brave forward-looking cartoons of the era, with air vents on stalks and machined toggle switches and the flashy Zonda logo on the satin-finish aluminium console that stars alongside brushed leather, carbon-fiber and other exotic material. It's all beautifully done; even the pedals look like they belong on a grand piano, and the seat is adjusted via a fist-sized screw in the seat.Driving it is a surreal experience. This car racks up 150 mph with consummate ease thanks to its 7.3-liter, AMG-tuned Mercedes V12, and 60 mph comes in a reality-twisting 3.6 sec.. The car just takes off. It's good for 210 mph, which was beyond our test on Britain's public roads, but it felt planted well into triple figures, with none of the usual shaking and tramlining. It's a confident car that soaks up bumps and imperfections in the road with ease, and the soundproofing is also impressive. You know you're in a loud car, but the cockpit--like the eye of the storm--is surprisingly quiet and calm.
The Zonda boasts a healthy 555 bhp, but it's the wall of torque from this basking shark of an engine that really impresses. Flog the accelerator in any gear, and the barking exhaust builds into a roar in no time, followed by a wail and a spot of judicious braking to avoid the wrath of the law. Even when cars started coming back towards me video game-style, the Zonda was still well up for it.
Any car planted close to the ground with 553 lb-ft of torque (750 Nm) and 440 bhp/ton to play with, especially one that can sprint from 500 revs, is always going to be special. It also corners on rails, due to lightweight engineering and a healthy dose of Mercedes electronics.
Pagani made his fortune in composite engineering for the aircraft industry, and so the Zonda was inevitably constructed from carbon-fiber from the chassis up. A full steel frame runs through the car, too, with obvious benefits when it comes to rigidity.The result was a machine that weighs just 2755 lb despite the extravagant 7.3-liter E 70 Mercedes unit. This is 300 lb heavier than the McLaren F1 penned by Gordon Murray, but the Zonda was always intended as a more useable supercar, and the luxurious spec even includes a CD multichanger, full air-conditioning and matching luggage.
Pagani's car, built in Modena, Italy, disturbingly close to Ferrari's gates, is also far more driveable than the McLaren. Packed with electronics including sophisticated traction control, this car will still slide but only to a certain point. That makes it perfect fun for the average driver, and the perfect sports car for its target market.In corners it will take any approach, including the favored suicidal speed in, on the brakes and turning in to the apex at the same time. Low-end mechanical grip is awesome, with the electronics kicking in to prevent the massive dose of torque sending the tail out too far.
This car genuinely generates aerodynamic grip at speed, feeling assured through sweeping bends. The steeply raked front end and sophisticated splitter affords a wealth of front downforce, and the rear boasts a split rear wing and number of different planes instead of the single-foil favored by others.
Pagani knew this would cost him in terms of end speed, but he was prepared to sacrifice record-breaking figures, clearly possible with this engine/chassis combination, to produce a useable car.
ABS and servo-assisted brakes using four-piston callipers are, perhaps, one of the bigger surprises on a car like this. They are another indicator that the Zonda is a car for the road, not the track, and they're perfectly weighted.The ABS will only kick in under emergency conditions--and if you've gone beyond the Zonda's limits, you'll need all the help you can get. It's a totally predictable driving experience, and the Mercedes' electronics will mop up bad technique and poor surface alike to provide consistent, confidence-inspiring performance. Absolute rigidity, custom suspension and intelligent electronics all combine to give this car the edge on its obvious rival--the local hero--the Ferrari Enzo.
The Pagani's user-friendliness makes it a far superior choice for all but the best driver. And around town the Zonda can cruise in sixth gear like an automatic, burbling like a contented toddler, whereas the Enzo would skulk like a huffing teenager until the road opened up once more. Anti-stall technology blips the throttle if the revs fall below the feeble 500 required to keep this lithe creation coasting round town, preventing any embarrassing moments at traffic lights.
Smoothness is the Zonda's watchword, which makes it a complete car. Two of Euro Sportscars' customers use theirs as daily transport, and having spent some time in its company I can believe that.
This is a car that elevates the driver in terms of driving ability and public stature, just as a £300,000 automobile should. It was also universally loved, with everyone on Buckinghamshire's roads craning their necks for a better look at this instant classic. That's why it's the best car in the world right now. And that's why, despite naming his price right in the highest echelon, the Pagani Zonda has left all those sun-bleached corpses behind it on his journey towards a successful horizon.