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Performance counts for just part of the supercar appeal. The other part is stunning presence, worthy of space on your bedroom wall or computer desktop. If anything can make a Lamborghini Murciélago look tame, this is just the car to do it. The Zonda looks like it just drove out of the Mulsanne Straight, Mr. Pagani’s fondness for Group C racers immediately apparent. He said he was inspired by the Sauber Mercedes “Silver Arrows" cars, and wanted a mix of shocking and smooth shapes. It doesn't quite have the sweeping lines of the latest Pininfarina designs, but the car keeps up its end with pronounced front fenders, wide rear haunches and the stance of a cheetah ready to pounce. Acting as a sharp contrast are the four headlamps popping jauntily up from the fenders, the subtle F1 “nose-cone” bump, and the angular cooling ducts surrounding the rear fenders. A split spoiler adorns the rear deck. Seemingly as a final affront to all other motorists, four Gatling gun exhaust pipes poke out from the rear panel. What is also striking is the small, fighter-jet like cockpit, seemingly a tight squeeze for two adults. From the inside, though, the cockpit is spacious and comfortable, with leg and elbow room tucked into the bodywork. The driving position was aligned as close as possible with the car’s center line. On the fixed-roof models, the side windows drop a fraction a few millimeters when a door is opened, and then cinch up again after the door is shut. The car’s roof is glass, providing a bright, airy feel, which is of course a given on the Roadster. To beat off the heat, there’s a sufficiently strong aircon system. There are even two small bins for luggage behind the seats, accessible by lifting the engine cover. Apart from the main carbon fiber tub, a variety of exotic materials was used for the car’s construction. The front frame is fashioned from chrome-molybdenum steel. The frame supports the front double wishbones, steering and other accessories and acts as energy absorber in case of a frontal collision. The Zonda passed its crash test with flying colors. The rear frame is also made of Cr-Mo steel. This was chosen to minimize noise and vibration, as the engine and rear suspension are bolted to this frame. For Geneva 2003, Pagani launched a limited edition roadster version of the C12S. The production run will once again be made-to-measure, like the previous iterations, and promises to be the pinnacle of the “most exotic technology”. For instance, the top is made of a never-before-seen carbon fiber / carbon textile removable roof. However, the Zonda Roaster is not just the C12S with the roof chopped off. Pagani has put safety above everything else in designing the Roadster. The chassis has reached the highest structural rigidity in the segment. Other fine detailing has been done to give the Zonda Roadster more character. An item such as the roll bar, which is elliptical in section, is built out of carbon and chrome-molybdenum alloy that is linked to the aft section of the chassis through a handmade Ergal element. |
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