Pagani Zonda F

The Zonda F is one of the fastest supercars ever made. Built using Pagani's extensive experience in carbon fibre construction, the Zonda is leader with regard to fit and finish. With this car, Pagani Automobili is among a small group of independent supercar manufacturers that challenge more established competition such as Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini.
During the outset of the Zonda project, Juan Manuel Fangio consulted and influenced Horacio Pagani on every aspect of the Zonda. Horacio says Fangio had great 'technical sensibility' and was a major source of inspiration for his car. Thus, it should come to no surprise that Pagani's latest work pays tribute to the late Fangio, a world champion five times over.

Zonda F is a special edition car that will be built alongside the regular production model. It takes the modifications adapted to the C12-S Monza and refines them into a more appealing package. As a result the Zonda F is lighter, more powerful and faster than its predecessor.
Aerodynamics play large role in shaping Zonda's new car. More traditional devices include a one-piece fixed wing which now gets undisturbed air thanks to relocated mirrors. To help airflow underneath, a larger front splitter and rear diffuser with twin stabilizing wings create even more downforce. At the front of the Zonda F is a much larger air intake to increase cooling effectiveness of the more potent V12 engine.
To give the Zonda F more power, a new induction system is used which replaces the standard Mercedes-Benz unit. It features larger intake apertures and, when combined with a larger, hydroformed exhaust, the 7.3 liter Mercedes-Benz engine reaches 620 bhp. This is up from 550 achieved with the standard Mercedes intake. A clubsport model is available as an option which increases power to 650 bhp @ 6200 rpm.
The chassis receives several upgrades which lighten both the overall and unspung weight of the Zonda. Newly designed 19 and 20 inch wheels make room for much larger brakes which can now be ordered in a ceramic compound for the first time. Combined with the titanium wheel nuts, and various trimmings of the carbon fiber tub, the Zonda F weighs 1230 kgs without liquids.

Did you enjoy the post???
Plz click on some ads and help me keep posting more.

100 FAVOURITE CARS - PART IX

There are days when lunchtime rolls around that I do not feel like eating pizza. These days are rare; few and far between, if you will. At the same time, there are days when the hour of writing arrives and the advent of a new supercar excites me not at all. I'm in the mood for something.... oh, I don't know, with less than 200 horsepower? Perhaps narrow enough to be used on the narrow downtown streets around GoodCarBadCar Towers, possibly high enough to exit the parking garage without undue harm?

This is the reason you'll find automobiles of all types on The Good Car Guy's 100 Favourite Cars list. The AC Shelby Cobra, Bugatti T35, Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, and the eighth car you'll read about below have little in common but remain near and dear. Have a look through the slideshow and the explanations below for cars 81-90.



MORGAN AERO 8: If retro harks back to another time, what do you call something that drives like a modern car but does much more than hark back? Call it the Aero 8.
NISSAN CUBE (GEN2): Before the Cube hit North American shores, Nissan had the design down pat. The second-gen Cube was Japan's design gift to the world in 2002.
NISSAN SKYLINE GT-R R34: Not that the new GT-R isn't desirable; but the older Skyline-based car was a brusque and bellicose steroid-infused speed machine and distinctly more enticing.
PAGANI ZONDA: In all its forms - C12, C12S, F, and R - the Zonda is a unique creation. Priced obscenely, the Zonda is the thinking man's alternative to the Bugatti Veyron.
PORSCHE 911 2.7RS '73: Before Porsche decided its customers needed 450 horsepower to be happy, the 2.7RS was a delectable device meant for charming roads into servility.
PORSCHE CARRERA GT: Ridiculously difficult to drive and frankly rather powerless compared with its contemporaries, the Carrera GT was beautiful and characterful.
RENAULT CLIO V6: Imagine Honda taking out the rear seats of a Fit, installing the Accord's 268-bhp V6, converting the car to rear-wheel drive, and selling it. Your inability to imagine it goes to show how flavourful the Clio V6 really was.
SMART FORTWO: Every car could be better. The fortwo could be a little bit better in a lot of areas. But by being so close to bang-on in every area, it is the perfect car for the right person.
SUBARU IMPREZA WRX (BUG-EYE): Sometimes it's the nasty imperfections which allow us to see shining examples of virtue. See the Impreza's front end and compare with on-road dynamics.
SUBARU LEGACY 2.5GT WAGON (GEN4): A "sleeper" or a "Q-car" travels by unnoticed. In reality, its competence would shock the common man and please the enthusiast. So it was with the turbocharged Legacy wagon.

100 FAVOURITE CARS

1-10

11-20

21-30

31-40

41-50

51-60

61-70

71-80

91-100

WATCH PAGANI ZONDA R TESTING

Pictures of Pagani's ultimate Zonda were shown on GoodCarBadCar.net recently. The beauty of the internet now allows you to listen to the Pagani Zonda R. Yowzah. Things get interesting at the 31-second mark. 2:40 is worth waiting for, as well.

We could thank evo magazine for putting the video together and sharing on YouTube. But we really ought to be grateful to Horacio Pagani. Dude has vision.

GALLERY - PAGANI ZONDA R - 17 PICTURES

"A performance machine, a track toy, a collectors item, a masterpiece", says Pagani Automobili of the new Zonda R. Engineered with the race track in mind, the latest incarnation of the spectacular Pagani Zonda is truly a hardcore performance vehicle. With a euro price that converts to about $1,800,000 USD, potential customers expect greatness.

Greatness present. 750 horsepower and 524 lb-ft of torque only start the ball rolling. Pagani owners know power is always plentiful but always just part of the whole story. Phrases like "dog ring gearbox", "12-way Bosch Motorsport traction control and ABS system", and "fully adjustable suspension and wing configuration" help make a convincing argument. For power to be placed in perspective, keep in mind the weight of the Zonda R: just under 2,400 pounds dry.

For most of us, all that matters is the view. Take a look at all seventeen pictures of the Pagani Zonda R below.

WATCH THE BUGATTI VEYRON MURDER THE PAGANI ZONDA IN DRAG RACE ON TOP GEAR

Proof that there's no replacement for displacement or for quad-turbochargers, the Bugatti Veyron and The Stig absolutely throttled James May and the Pagani Zonda F roadster in a drag race on British television show Top Gear. After seeing this clip at TopSpeed.com I thought it ought to be spread around more liberally. Not because The Good Car Guy loves the Bugatti more than the Zonda (on the contrary), but because the sight of two of the world's greatest supercars together in a straight line given full welly is a sight to behold, indeed. Who knows how long it'll work until BBC takes it down, but check it out while you can.

evo BOSS TRADES ZONDA FOR CATERHAM WITH EDITOR

Henry Catchpole decides to convince his boss at evo magazine, Harry Metcalfe, that every great garage needs a Caterham. Well, lookie there: Henry has a Caterham long-termer that Harry Metcalfe can try. The side-effect for Catchpole? He gets to drive Metcalfe's Pagani Zonda for the first time. The video from evo is below. Catchpole's facial expressions would make the video worth watching if the driving footage wasn't even as good as it is.

NECESSARY VIEWING @ SUPERCARMOVIES.COM - Zonda F Clubsport, Enzo, K'segg CCX, Maser MC12 & Carrera GT

Nobody touches SupercarMovies.com for absolutely pristine videography of the world's most exciting cars. The latest, however, is something extra special. Five cars hit the Nurburgring for joint testing in front of SupercarMovies.com cameras: Koenigsegg CCX, Ferrari Enzo, Maserati MC12, Pagani Zonda F Clubsport, and Porsche's Carrera GT.

Yowza. 

Wowzers.

Hip, hip, and indeed, hooray. 

This is all the linkage you'll need as far as SupercarMovies.com's current clips of the preview and the Enzo's package. Check out prior references to SupercarMovies.com at GCBC here and here too check out a trailer below while you're here.

HIGH-END TIDBITS II

The Targa Tasmania will feature a Pagani Zonda when the 17th running takes place a month from now. Two Queensland area brothers are owners of the Zonda, which will be used as the Targa's sweep car, doing a final check of the route before competitors cruise through.

Nissan Oz hasn't finalized anything for its GT-R importation. The car is expected to cost $150,000 Down Under, but with its sterling motorsport reputation in Australia, the real question lies on a track. First up, a GT-R will compete in the aforementioned Targa Tasmania. A full motorsport slate won't be determined until the car goes on sale next year.

Florida, California, and New York will be home to the first seven AMG Performance Centers this year. Mercedes-Benz hopes to add another 23 before 2009. This will include a dedicated area for AMG-tuned Benz's and dedicated web sites. Interestingly, Mercedes and AMG became official working partners in 1990 and Mercedes took full ownership in 1999. The wildly successful performance arm now builds a version of just about every Benz model. Typically, an AMG buyer has more than double the household income of a regular Mercedes buyer. It is also far more likely that the AMG buyer is a male, despite what Lindsay Lohan has led you to believe. Aufrecht, the A in AMG, is the last name of one founder, as is Melcher. G equals the birthplac of Hans-Weurner Aufrecht, Grossaspach. Who knows what happened to the hometown of Erhard Melcher?

"When a car is subsequently and substantially modified beyond its original design, Ferrari no longer considers such a modified vehicle to be a Ferrari. In such cases where the fundamental vehicle structure has been heavily modified beyond its original design, Ferrari will take the required steps to protect the heritage of the brand and the integrity of our products." Indeed, another sensitive Italian supercar maker wants Dan Cawley to take the Ferrari badges off his stretched, 8-seat, 170mph limousine. This isn't a Pontiac Fiero-turned-360 Modena. It's a chop and rebuild of a 360, somewhat reminiscent of this Corvette limo, but better looking.

'NUTHER PAGANI CLIP

Pagani has garnered GoodCarBadCar mentions before, but I just noticed this video and thought it worth embedding for you. The Zonda - so outlandish and extroverted - actually goes about its business in a lightweight style; not thumping out enormous levels of horsepower to simple engage the driver in straight lines. No, the Zonda's relatively low-power engine (when compared with Veyron, Enzo, Koenigsegg) works in tandem with a perfectly honed chassis to seduce any potential owner into true ownership.

PAGANI @ 'RING

Much has been made of the Argentinian who worked up through the ranks of the Italian supercar industry as a carbon fibre expert to eventually produce a supercar of his own name. Horacio Pagani even received help from the great Juan Manuel Fangio. Securing an AMG V12 for his Zonda's was a major step toward receiving world-wide renown.

Fangio won the German GP at the Nurburgring Nordschleife fifty years ago. Although Horacio had always refrained from naming his cars after Fangio (because of a lack of direct consent; his car was built after the F1 great died), he did charge a Zonda F Clubsport with setting a new 'Ring record for production vehicles.

"Production vehicles" is something of a misnomer for the ultra-low production cars that dominate this list. The Zonda F Clubsport beat the Carrera GT's time by about 4 seconds. Watch (and listen to) the clip below or see it in even better quality at an impressive website, www.7-28.net.

GOOD CAR CRAVINGS

The technology that allows you to read The Good Car Guy's view on every piece of automobilia that comes through his mind is the same piece of tech that sits at the computer repair shop. Anybody understands the reinstalling of TCP/IP protocols - please email.

For those of you who care not one whit about such things but care very much about the most beautiful, expensive, and powerful cars in the world, GCBC is supplying a taste. The Good Car Mother offered up a spiffy laptop to satisfy the yearnings of The Good Car Nation. Thanks be unto her.

Volkswagen owns the somewhat infamous, always famous Bugatti. Bugatti, after years of showing outrageous supercars with outrageous cylinder counts, actually produced an outrageous automobile. Four turbos aid an already immense 16-cylinder engine (configured in a W formation, if you care), which then feeds the power through a a 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox and on to all four wheels. A car - if you can call it that - like this Bugatti will forever be considered an immense waste of time and energy, but it will also continue to pose as an engineering feat unlike any other. 1000 horsepower, a hefty $1million+, and as much luxury as performance.



On the other hand, drop horsepower by a few... hundred, and shed a few pounds, and the still amazing driving experience can come to you by way of Porsche, Ferrari, and Pagani.

The Pagani Zonda, in all its permutations, is an ultra-exclusive supercar for the artistically-inclined rich. Horacio Pagani may equip his car with a simple Mercedes-Benz engine (ha!) but creates an interior which warrants as much attention as the wild exterior. A truly feelsome supercar.

Something that perhaps can't be said of Ferrari's Enzo. A paragon of performance; an aerodynamic tour-de-force, but perfect to the extent that the driver isn't as deeply entrenched in the experience as s/he would be with the Porsche or Pagani. The Enzo, named for the founder of the company, can hardly be considered a stylized option. Everything on this car contributes to ultimate lap-times. Strictly speaking, its ugliness has never hindered commercial success. Of the 399 or so Ferrari Enzo's which were sold, many of those which haven't been crashed are trading substantially above list price.

Porsche's entry into this class, the Carrera GT, is such a beauty. Just look at her, especially with the top off. Proportions... perfect. Engine noise... sublime. Interior simplicity and ergonomics... untouched by criticism. Clutch takeup? Horrible. However, once the Carrera GT gets moving, who cares about the clutch? Not I, my friend, not I. Over 600 horsepower out of the Porsche and Ferrari. And Pagani's slightly lower figured matter little, considering its light weight.



Videos via Youtube from evo, the best car magazines you can buy.