Pagani Zonda R officially unveiled

One final version of the Pagani Zonda R has been revealed to send the groundbreaking car out with a bang. The supercar that proved that the supercar world didn't just belong to Lambourghini and Ferrari. The Zonda will be replaced with a new model next year.



After 24 months of development, and at the urging of an unnamed Italo-American customer that already owns three Zondas, the Pagani Zonda R was created as a lightweight, track-only variant of the iconic coupe. Production is limited to ten examples with a price tag of 1.4-million euro.



Although the carbon fiber exterior is deceiving, the Pagani Zonda R only carries over 10% of its structure from its predecessors. The wheelbase has grown by 47mm, the overall length is 394mm longer and the track has been widened by 50mm. An all-new carbon fiber monocoque resides underneath the wind-tunnel tested body, along with a forged aluminum suspension, new six-speed sequential gearbox and four aero-spec fuel pumps that feed a Mercedes-Benz AMG-sourced 6.0-liter V12.



Pagani claims the new heart – nestled into the 2,425-pound R – will produce 750 hp at 8,000 rpm and 524 lb-ft of torque, for a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 248.54 mph. Air is fed into the bent-twelve through a carbon fiber air intake system, while an Inconel manifold and "F1-style" exhaust releases spent hydrocarbons and keeps engine temps in check.



Pagani makes it clear that the Zonda R is a not street legal, and one owner is taking that to the illogical extreme. One of the first Zonda Rs to be delivered will be installed in the customer's living room and fitted with a bespoke stereo system to play the R's swan song as it rips around the Nurburgring and LeMans.



PRESS RELEASE



Zonda R



While we certainly cannot say the Zonda F lacks performance figures, driving around the Nürburgring in 7:27:82 and achieving lateral G forces of almost 1.5 G, it is however a road car, easy to drive, intuitive and setting the benchmark for comfort, safety and lightweight. Paired with a quality finish and the attention to detail this made the Zonda F one of the most desirable supercars resulting in the 25 Coupé models being sold out in record time.



This did not seem to fulfil the requirements of our most demanding customers, who adore the weekend drive on a racetrack.



The spark has been set by an Italo-American customer, enthusiast and already proud owner of 3 Zondas. He describes the project this way: "The thought has been on my mind for quite some time, but I am not interested in racing".



The Zonda R is born with full liberty. The target: the ultimate performance at the racetrack without any implications of rules, except for safety, where no compromise is allowed.



In September 2006 the first drawings were ready, but it was crucial to have the support of Mercedes-AMG for a high revving engine with a power output of 750hp, dry sump, light and with a low centre of gravity. The basis was the self supporting engine of the mighty CLK GTR, which has dominated the GT championships.



Eve at constant racing pace the engine would have to cover over 5.000 km before servicing. The challenge has been accepted without hesitation.



The Zonda R is a car designed from scratch, with only 10% of the Zonda F components to be carried over. The suspension forged in Avional, a new Pagani six speed transversal sequential gearbox, carbon fibre monocoque, aeronautical four pump fuel tank are only part of the equation.



The wheelbase has grown by 47mm, the overall length by 394mm and the track is increased by 50mm. The bodywork and aerodynamics have been studied to offer maximum downforce. Even though built for the track, the project would not have received kick off, if the quality and finish of the car and its details was not up to the level of the Pagani road cars.



One of the first cars to be delivered however will be kept in a living room, designed by Pagani and built with the same materials as the Zonda F, beautifully textured carbon fibre, avional, titanium, inconel and other state of the art materials. Additionally it will feature a bespoke HiFi System that will allow the customer to listen to the sound of this car at Le Mans and the Nürburgring.



Technical Specifications



This Zonda is purpose made for track use, without restrictions of any competition rules or homologation, with the only exclusion of the passengers' integrity, where no compromise is tolerated according to our philosophy and state-of-the-art safety measures are featured.



A new heart



The engine is built by the racing specialists at Mercedes AMG, where the championship winning DTM cars are born, as well as the CLK GTR, probably the most devastating and effective weapon ever to compete in the GT series. From it's engine the Zonda R borrows the basic architecture including an ingenious dry sump allowing a low centre of gravity. This self-supporting engine with 750 hp at 8000 rpm and 710 Nm of torque carries a lightweight carbon fibre high- performance intake system, a racing multiple disc sintered clutch and Formula 1 style exhaust system, hydroformed in Inconel 625 and ceramic coated for optimal heat dissipation. The power unit combined with a 6 speed transversal manual sequential synchronised gearbox is designed to satisfy the most ambitious drivers.



The chassis



The central carbon chassis will incorporate a roll cage and a rubber racing fuel tank with 4 fuel pumps and quick refuel filler like on GT race cars. The wheelbase has been increased by 47mm to offer the best stability. The front and rear subframes are brand-new, built to accommodate a new suspension geometry, produced in avional. The magnesium forged rims with central wheel nut and a quick pneumatic lifting system allows fast and effortless changes of the slick tyres.



Bodywork and aerodynamics



The new bodywork has been honed to offer elevated downforce even in low speed corners. The longer front bonnet with flaps, closed underbody and the rear overhang with the adjustable rear wing and race derived diffusor translate into shattering aerodynamic efficiency and will let you experience cornering speeds beyond imagination.



The car displays and logs information about the amount of dowforce that the car is generating at each moment. Combined with the adjustable wings you can easily find the best setup for each track.



Workstation



The interior is designed to accommodate the driver and passenger in bespoke seats, built to offer the best support, when the G-forces from the vehicle dynamics come into question. The Digitek instrumentation provides the essential information and a sophisticated telemetry allows through a variety of sensors to monitor every single component of the car.



technical data

Type V12 - M120

V - angle 60°

Displacement 5987 ccm

Stroke 80,20 mm

Bore 89,00 mm

Valves per cilinder 4

Horse Power 750

Power output 551 KW at 7.500 1/min

Torque output 710 Nm

Aspiration Single throttle bodies, mechanically

operated

Lubrification Dry sump with separate oil tank

Firing order 1-12-5-8-3-10-6-7-2-11-4-9

dati tecnici

Tipo V12 - M120

V 60°

Cilindrata 5987 ccm

Corsa 80,20 mm

Alesaggio 89,00 mm

Valvole per cilindro 4

CV 750

Potenza max. 551 KW at 7.500 1/min

Coppia max. 710 Nm

Aspirazione corpo farfallato singolo, azionato

meccanicamente

Lubrificazione a carter secco con serbatoio olio separato

Ordine di accensione 1-12-5-8-3-10-6-7-2-11-4-9

Superformance Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe and GT40 MKI

Nothing gets our blood boiling quite like a Shelby creation, even when it's a repop. There's just something infinitely awesome about old school performance, and in the case of this Superformance duo, it lives on today in a couple of recreations.



In 1961 Carroll Shelby convinced Lee Iacocca (then with Ford) to let him have access to a new aluminum truck engine being built in Canada. His plan was to stuff the engine into a British roadster then called the AC Ace. After a lot of hammering the car worked out and a bonafide legend was born.



Shelby called it the AC Cobra. The British car with the Canadian heart simply dominated American races. Sebring, Daytona — you name it Carroll and his Cobra won it. But in Europe? Not so much. The lightweight but topless roadsters had lousy aerodynamics and simply couldn't’t hit high enough speeds on the straights. Particularly the infamous Mulsane Straight at Le Mans. And yeah, it’s ironic that an American car could kick snot out of the competition in the curves, but then lose it when the road fails to wind. What to do?



Enter the Daytona Coupe. Shelby knew he needed a closed cockpit car if he was going to challenge Ferrari at Le Mans. The 250 GTOs were hitting 180 mph. Shelby put 23-year-old Pete Brock in charge of the Coupe’s design. Shelby didn’t trust Brock’s results. He brought in an aerodynamics specialist that agreed — Brock’s odd-looking Kammback body wouldn’t work. Miraculously, Shelby went with his boy Brock and this now classic design.



The results? Total domination. The new Coupe simply ran away from the field at Daytona (before being hobbled by busted differential). So much so that Shelby named it the Daytona. And when he brought his new Coupes to France in 1964, they hit 196 mph on the Mulsanne straight, humiliating Ferrari at Le Mans by finishing first in class and fourth overall. The Daytona Coupes achieved such complete supremacy that Enzo intrigued to get the 1964 Monza race cancelled thereby securing Ferrari’s overall season victory.



Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe

Well, not quite. The real Le Mans veteran Coupes are worth about $5 million a pop. The Superformance Coupe is a replica intended for street use. As such, it’s bigger. The length has grown from 163 inches to 175. Width is wider (67 inches vs. 73) and the wheelbase is up 3 inches from 90 to 93. But Superformance claims that the increases are proportional and match GT40 and 427 Cobra chassis designer Bob Negstad’s original intent for the Coupe’s wheelbase — i.e. 93 inches. The new car’s heavier, too. The racing version weighed just 2,300 pounds. The Superformance Coupe? 2,900-3,000 lbs., depending on the engine you pick.



The beauty of the redesign is that the already excellent aerodynamics have actually improved over the original. Moreover, instead of the 289 cid motor making 380 hp and 283 lb-ft Bob Bondurant and Dan Gurney had to work with in the 1964 Coupes, the new car has a Roush 427 SR that delivers 566 hp and 563 torques. Not to mention that it's a downright comfortable car to drive, and with cold A/C to boot.



All of this power, coupled with a car that weighs less than a Z06 equals 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds, and the quarter mile flashes in 11.8 seconds at 122 mph. The Coupe also turns in a 1.07 on the skidpad, better than a Ferrari Enzo.



GT40 MKI

Is there a more legendary sight than a GT40 bathed in Gulf Oil colors? I would say no. This car is what is says it is: a beast. No power steering or power brakes. All the MKI has is an engine, a wheel and two seats. This particular beauty belongs to Superformance owner Lance Stander and he has it outfitted with a fuel-injected Roush 427 IR good for more than 500 horses at the wheels.



Driving the GT40 on the street is a waste. This thing is a full blown race car. Just how serious is it? 90% of the components are interchangeable with the original Le Mans winning race cars. Bury the throttle and not only are the Webber-style 8-stack inductors trying to suck the air out of your ears, the engine is trying to burrow into the passenger compartment.



Literally. Under full cane the motor pushes itself away from the transaxle and right into the small of you back. Not only that, but gravity is pushing you into the engine bay simultaneously. Sounds like a good time to me! This particular GT40 is good for a 3.3 second trip to 60mph, if you can handle it.