To maximize response, the AMG engine has a cable-operated, single-throttle-per-cylinder arrangement. That potentially snappy response means you have to be very careful how you unleash the mighty torque to the rear wheels, especially in damp conditions. A competition limited-slip differential is there to help keep you pointing the right way, while the fully-adjustable suspension and 12-position Bosch Motorsport traction control and ABS system allow you to tailor the driving characteristics to your liking.
There are two schools of thought on gear shifting, one favoring clutch and lever, the other biased toward F1-style paddle shifts. For nearly a decade Pagani has resisted the temptation to abandon the clutch and gear lever, and most of his clients have applauded that decision. But as a dedicated track car (or more appropriately, track day weapon) the Zonda R benefits from anything you can do to minimize lap times. At that point there's no option but to move to either a sequential lever or paddle shift system. Pagani uses the paddle-operated XTRAC 672 magnesium-cased, six-speed, dog-ring sequential race 'box, combined with Automac Engineering's AMT system that executes gearshifts in a mere 20ms.
Aerodynamics include a completely flat undertray, rear diffuser, NACA ducting, and a unique front bonnet with internal airflow perfected in the wind-tunnel with models by Ennegi. The end result is downforce in the sports prototype league. The big numbers are 650 kg front and 850 kg at the rear. Weight distribution remains the same 40/60 front-to-rear split as the Zonda F road car.
Coupled with the mechanical grip from race slicks, you can see why the serious Zonda R driver will need to be as fit as a professional racing driver just to withstand the cornering and braking forces the car is capable of generating. On the braking front, a massive 380mm cross-drilled and vented Brembo ceramic disc sits behind each wheel, clamped by huge six-pot calipers front and four-pot calipers rear.
As with the Zonda F Club Sport, the tires are 255/35R19 and 335/30R20 on lightweight forged APP alloys. Pagani has now taken on Pirelli as its tire partner, and his latest creation wears bespoke P Zero Zonda R rubber.
The Zonda F Clubsport can pull 1.4g lateral acceleration on street-legal Michelin Pilot Sport rubber. On slicks, and with its substantial downforce, the Zonda R is past 2.2g on that score.
One of the things that marks a Pagani interior from most other supercars is the fact that every single switch in the cabin is machined from solid aluminum, every other component made to measure. Despite its minimalist cabin fittings, what there is in the Zonda R is similarly bespoke. From the leather straps and buckles that secure the front clamshell and are repeated as pulls on the insides of the lightweight carbon doors, to the steering wheel with rev counter built into its central hub, the Zonda R has unique design elements that both look good and function perfectly. The figure-hugging carbon-fiber-shelled lightweight race seats, made by Toora, can be tailored individually to suit each client. They are designed to the latest FIA safety regulations to work with a five-point harness and HANS device.
The tub is carbon-titanium composite for immense strength and rigidity, further reinforced by a chrome-moly steel roll cage. The suspension is hung off the chrome-moly steel space frames bolted to the front and rear, and in true race-car style, the engine acts as a stressed member. The Zonda R's structural rigidity is more than 30,000Nm/degree of twist.