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Automotive Lifestyle
AUTOS: Pagani Rolls Out Extreme Zonda R
Track-ready Evoluzione prototype was demonstrated on the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed by touring-car ace Bernd Schneider.
Touring-car champ Bernd Schneider runs the 2012 Pagani Zonda R Evoluzione on the track at Goodwood. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
One of the big surprises at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed was the public debut of the Pagani Zonda R Evoluzione. There has been no official word on the car and it did not even appear in the event's entry list.
As the name suggests, we understand it to be an evolution of the highly acclaimed Zonda R. Included in the changes are a revised body complete with an engine-cover-mounted fin and an updated engine, which is believed to be good for 760 horsepower.
The example at Goodwood was one of the original factory prototypes, so it could very well be that the 15 existing examples can be upgraded to the latest specification. We used the opportunity to capture in full detail the Evoluzione, which was piloted up the hill by touring-car ace Bernd Schneider.
Pagani launched the most extreme development of its supercar, the Zonda R, toward the very end of Zonda’s production-run. Although still based on the Zonda design, the track-day special incorporated many elements of the upcoming Huayra. The original example was commissioned by an Italian-American customer, who already owned three “regular” Zondas. It would become the first of at least 15 Zonda Rs built.
What was carried over from the previous versions was the beautiful carbon-fiber monocoque chassis. For this purpose, it was equipped with a chrome-moly tubular roll cage. On both ends of the central monocoque, aluminum subframes were fitted with the suspension, consisting of double wishbones on all four corners with rocker-actuated coil springs over dampers. Carbon-ceramic discs provide the stopping power for the high-performance machine.
Engine partner AMG-Mercedes provided a competition-bred V12 that was previously used in the CLK-GTR competition car. Displacing just under 6 liters, it produced around 750 horsepower and 527 pound-feet of torque. Despite these performance figures, it could run for 5,000 hours at race pace before requiring service.
The ceramic-coated Inconel 625 exhaust system is an absolute work of art. Like the other Zondas, the R features four exhaust pipes placed in a square at the upper center of the rear-end.
Another novelty is the transversely mounted gearbox supplied by British specialists XTrac. Sporting six forward gears, the sequential gearbox was operated through paddles behind the steering wheel. This was a break with tradition and philosophy for Pagani as the previous Zonda models used a more conventional manual gearbox with a three-pedal setup. A multiple-disc sintered clutch connects the engine and gearbox.
Built as a pure-bred racing car, the Zonda R's interior is equipped with only the bare necessities. In its original guise, the car sported a full-width adjustable rear wing, massive rear diffusor and a sizeable splitter. During the development period, much work focused on the splitter and front intakes, which substantially grew in size. Another striking feature was the roof-mounted airbox, which directly fed the big V12 engine.
Although work started late in 2006, the Zonda R did not debut until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. It was later demonstrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed where it impressed with its raw pace and the glorious howl of the race-bred V12. Even more impressive was the 6:47 lap-time recorded at the Nürburgring set in June 2010 by Marc Basseng. Pagani initially intended to produce 10 examples but due to the demand, this was increased to 15.
Well over a year after the Zonda was replaced by the Huayra, Pagani quietly revealed the Evoluzione version of the R at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Externally it can be distinguished from the earlier examples by a distinct fin on the rear deck. It is believed to be powered by a 760 horsepower version of the engine and it has already been sighted at the Nürburgring in the hands of Bernd Schneider.
For a gallery of photos, see Pagani Zonda R.
Read more stories like this at: The Ultimate Car Page.
As the name suggests, we understand it to be an evolution of the highly acclaimed Zonda R. Included in the changes are a revised body complete with an engine-cover-mounted fin and an updated engine, which is believed to be good for 760 horsepower.
The example at Goodwood was one of the original factory prototypes, so it could very well be that the 15 existing examples can be upgraded to the latest specification. We used the opportunity to capture in full detail the Evoluzione, which was piloted up the hill by touring-car ace Bernd Schneider.
Pagani launched the most extreme development of its supercar, the Zonda R, toward the very end of Zonda’s production-run. Although still based on the Zonda design, the track-day special incorporated many elements of the upcoming Huayra. The original example was commissioned by an Italian-American customer, who already owned three “regular” Zondas. It would become the first of at least 15 Zonda Rs built.
What was carried over from the previous versions was the beautiful carbon-fiber monocoque chassis. For this purpose, it was equipped with a chrome-moly tubular roll cage. On both ends of the central monocoque, aluminum subframes were fitted with the suspension, consisting of double wishbones on all four corners with rocker-actuated coil springs over dampers. Carbon-ceramic discs provide the stopping power for the high-performance machine.
Engine partner AMG-Mercedes provided a competition-bred V12 that was previously used in the CLK-GTR competition car. Displacing just under 6 liters, it produced around 750 horsepower and 527 pound-feet of torque. Despite these performance figures, it could run for 5,000 hours at race pace before requiring service.
The ceramic-coated Inconel 625 exhaust system is an absolute work of art. Like the other Zondas, the R features four exhaust pipes placed in a square at the upper center of the rear-end.
Another novelty is the transversely mounted gearbox supplied by British specialists XTrac. Sporting six forward gears, the sequential gearbox was operated through paddles behind the steering wheel. This was a break with tradition and philosophy for Pagani as the previous Zonda models used a more conventional manual gearbox with a three-pedal setup. A multiple-disc sintered clutch connects the engine and gearbox.
Built as a pure-bred racing car, the Zonda R's interior is equipped with only the bare necessities. In its original guise, the car sported a full-width adjustable rear wing, massive rear diffusor and a sizeable splitter. During the development period, much work focused on the splitter and front intakes, which substantially grew in size. Another striking feature was the roof-mounted airbox, which directly fed the big V12 engine.
Although work started late in 2006, the Zonda R did not debut until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. It was later demonstrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed where it impressed with its raw pace and the glorious howl of the race-bred V12. Even more impressive was the 6:47 lap-time recorded at the Nürburgring set in June 2010 by Marc Basseng. Pagani initially intended to produce 10 examples but due to the demand, this was increased to 15.
Well over a year after the Zonda was replaced by the Huayra, Pagani quietly revealed the Evoluzione version of the R at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Externally it can be distinguished from the earlier examples by a distinct fin on the rear deck. It is believed to be powered by a 760 horsepower version of the engine and it has already been sighted at the Nürburgring in the hands of Bernd Schneider.
For a gallery of photos, see Pagani Zonda R.
Read more stories like this at: The Ultimate Car Page.
Goodwood Festival Of Speed
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