The Pagani Zonda R is a track day car developed and manufactured by Italian sports car manufacturer
Pagani. It debuted at the
2007 Geneva Motor Show, using the 6.0-litre GT 112 engine sourced from the racing version of the
Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR
The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (C297) is a GT1 sports car built and produced by Mercedes-Benz in conjunction with their then motorsport partner AMG. Intended for racing in the new FIA GT Championship series in 1997, the CLK GTR was designed primar ...
.
The Zonda R's competition lies with track-based cars, such as the
Ferrari FXX
The Ferrari FXX is a high-performance track-only developmental prototype built by Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari. The FXX is based on the street-legal flagship Enzo Ferrari. Production of the FXX began in 2005.
Overview
The FXX uses ...
and
Maserati MC12 Corsa rather than the
original Zonda's road competitors as it is not road-legal.
Despite sharing much of the Zonda's shape, the R is almost entirely new, sharing only 10% of the Zonda F's components. It has been obliquely suggested by
Horacio Pagani that this car is a testbed chassis for certain components of the Zonda's replacement, the
Huayra (in the same vein as the
Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione and the successive
F40) and that the Zonda R accurately reflects some of the Huayra's features. Only 15 Zonda Rs were produced along with an additional 5 Zonda Revolućion cars and the Zonda R prototype.
Specifications
Chassis
The central carbon chassis incorporates a
roll cage
A roll cage is a specially engineered and constructed frame built in (or sometimes around, in which case it is known as an exo cage) the passenger compartment of a vehicle to protect its occupants from being injured or killed in an accident, pa ...
and a rubber
racing fuel cell
A fuel tank (also called a petrol tank or gas tank) is a safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propel ...
with 4 fuel pumps and quick refuel filler cap, similar to GT race cars. The wheelbase has been increased by to increase stability. The front and rear subframes are brand-new, built to accommodate new suspension geometry, and produced in
Avional
Duralumin (also called duraluminum, duraluminium, duralum, dural(l)ium, or dural) is a trade name for one of the earliest types of age-hardenable aluminium alloys. The term is a combination of '' Dürener'' and ''aluminium''.
Its use as a tra ...
. The slick-shod wheels are new forged-magnesium center-lock models, which in conjunction with on-board pneumatic airjacks allow rapid change of the entire wheel assemblies.
The car senses, displays and logs information about the amount of down-force that is generated at each wheel at all times. It is thought that this system will enable owners to adjust set-up according to track conditions and to improve their cornering technique.
Bodywork
In addition to the wheelbase increase (47 mm), overall length has increased by and track by . The bodywork and aerodynamics have been altered to offer maximum down-force, featuring a longer front bonnet with flaps, a closed underbody and a new rear overhang with adjustable rear wing and race-derived diffuser. These are intended to translate into increased aerodynamic efficiency and down-force for maximum cornering speed. It is also noted that the car's new rear bodywork is minimal in the extreme, being composed mostly of vent. This is thought to be symptomatic of the need to keep the engine cool enough, even under hard track use.
Engine
![PaganiZondaR-engine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/PaganiZondaR-engine.jpg)
The engine, although shared with the Mercedes CLK-GTR, has been modified and has an increased power output of at 7,500 rpm and of torque. And a specific power output of 125 PS/litre. A lightweight carbon fibre high performance intake system, racing multiple disc centered clutch and Formula One-style exhaust system, hydroformed in
Inconel 625
Inconel Alloy 625 (UNS designation N06625) is a nickel-based superalloy that possesses high strength properties and resistance to elevated temperatures. It also demonstrates remarkable protection against corrosion and oxidation. Its ability to wi ...
and ceramic coated for optimal heat dissipation, have been added. The AMG-built engine is mated to a 6-speed longitudinally-mounted manual
sequential
In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is called t ...
synchronized gearbox manufactured by Xtrac.
Interior
![Pagani Zonda R interior](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Pagani_Zonda_R_interior.jpg)
The car's interior is mainly composed of track-related features and minimum creature comforts, reflecting the car's racetrack aspirations. It also features seats specifically customized to the body dimensions of its respective owner to offer maximum support to the owner while in use. As before, the Digitek instrumentation provides essential information and the sophisticated
telemetry
Telemetry is the in situ data collection, collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic data transmission, transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Gr ...
allows a variety of sensors to monitor numerous aspects of the car.
Performance
![Zonda R Rear 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Zonda_R_Rear_1.jpg)
The Pagani Zonda R has a claimed top speed of , accelerates to in 2.7 seconds and in 2.8 seconds. It can brake from in , and corners at 1.25 g.
Track records
On 30 June 2010, Pagani claimed a new record for production-based cars using the Pagani Zonda R and completing the
Nürburgring
The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Formula One, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around t ...
in 6:47, beating the
Ferrari 599XX
At the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari unveiled the track-only iteration of the 599 GTB, dubbed the 599XX. Designed by Ferrari's Formula-one engineers, the car has many changes over the standard car in order to make it more nimble and responsive ...
.
The Zonda R completed a lap of the
Top Gear test track in 1:08.5, but it was disqualified from the
Power Lap board on the basis of it not being road legal. This marks the 3rd fastest car to ever go around the track.
Variants
Zonda R Evolution
The Zonda R Evolution was an updated version of the Zonda R. Unveiled at the 2012
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual motorsports festival featuring modern and historic motor racing vehicles taking part in a hillclimbing, hill climb and other events, held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England, in l ...
, it features many changes over the previous Zonda R. The car takes many pieces and inspirations from the
Zonda 760RS. The exterior is finished in pearl white colour with exposed
carbon-fibre
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
on the nose. The 6.0 L V12 engine is uprated to . The bodywork is the same as the Zonda R but has improved aerodynamics. It features a bigger air splitter above the two standard air splitters on the front bumper and a pair of small splitters on the sides of the rear bumper. A bigger rear central fin and a small spoiler added below the standard Zonda R spoiler improves aerodynamics and increases down-force. 5 cars were initially planned to be produced, but only one (the original Zonda R prototype) was actually completed. The only Zonda R Evolution chassis was eventually transformed into a Zonda Revolución and still resides at the Pagani headquarters.
Pagani Zonda R Evolution
Zonda Revolución
Pagani unveiled the final version of the Zonda R, called Zonda Revolución to clients and family members during "Vanishing Point 2013", the International Pagani gathering. The central
monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
is carbon-titanium, giving the Zonda Revolución a curb weight of . The Mercedes-Benz M120 engine (bore and stroke 89 mm x 80.2 mm) is an evolution of the Zonda R's powerplant, which now develops an output of and of torque, resulting in a power to weight ratio of 758 PS per tonne. The Xtrac 672 6-speed transversal and sequential gearbox changes gears in 20 milliseconds. The 12 stage traction control developed by
Bosch and the renewed ABS system allows the car to further adapt to the driver's driving style. The aerodynamic components include new and updated canards on the front, as well as a vertical stabilizer supporting the main rear wing. Beside using the R Evolution's body, the Zonda Revolución also features a DRS (Drag Reduction System) on the rear wing. The system has two different operating modes, both can be activated by the driver at any time. The manual system is controlled with the DRS button on the steering wheel. The rear wing changes between maximum and minimum down-force settings, at the occurrence of a lateral acceleration of 0.8 g and a minimum speed of . Holding down the DRS for more than two seconds engages the DRS to work automatically according to the algorithms developed by the Pagani engineers during the development phase. The main rear wing also utilises mounts on the side of the vehicle alongside a smaller wing at the end of the vertical stabiliser. The
Brembo
Brembo S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of automotive brake systems, especially for high-performance cars and motorcycles. Its head office is in Curno, Bergamo, Italy.
History
Brembo was established in Paladina, Italy on January 11, 1961 ...
braking system adopts new CCMR discs derived from F1 technology. With a weight saving of 15% compared to the previous CCM discs, the CCMR offer higher stiffness and lower operating temperatures on extreme track use. This contributes to the life of the disc which is increased by four times, with no sign of fading and a significant overall increase in braking power. Each Revolución, of which only five were built (not including the prototype), was priced at
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...
2.2 million before taxes.
In 2021, one Zonda Revolución began an extensive conversion process to become road-legal
Pagani Zonda Revolucion
References
External links
Pagani vehicles
Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Sports racing cars
2010s cars
Cars introduced in 2007
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