Pagani Zonda C12
Debut: 1999 |
 We
haven't talk about supercars for a long time. I believe since Mercedes
CLK-GTR I have never written about any new supercars. While Diablo 6.0
isn't exactly new, Saleen, Ultima, Ascari etc. are barely trying to
"exist",
without giving us confidence that they will live healthily for a few
years
and their makers will continue to survive. Day 1, they appear in press'
headline; day 2, they die in bankruptcy; On day 365, car-loving
teenagers
still debate which one is the fastest without knowing they were already
dead. I won't waste time to discuss about such supercars.To me, Pagani is different. If any new-born supercar specialist is to succeed, it must be the Italian Pagani. You can see from the C12 and C12 S, which are well-finished enough to beat Ferrari in terms of build quality. They do not have the rough edges commonly found in other short-lived supercars. Now Pagani has delivered 4 C12 and 13 C12 S, at a supercar price yet there are at least another 25 firm orders to be fulfilled.  What
made Pagani succeed ? firstly, financial stability. Before expanding
into
supercar business, Pagani is already a successful composite parts
manufacturer,
which supplies many other supercars and race cars. Secondly,
engineering
talents and quality control know-how. The composite factory provides
engineering
and manufacturing support, supplying carbon-fiber chassis and panels to
the Zondas supercars. Thirdly, good location. The car factory is in
Modena,
the global capital of supercars. Nowhere could be more convenient for
sourcing
high-quality sports car components. Fourthly, relationship. Pagani
secured
supply of powerful V12 engines from Mercedes AMG, without needing to
develop
its own (too costly) or compromising with American V8s (too rough).
Other
rivals can only dream of that. Lastly but not least, determination.
Boss
Horacio Pagani not only has deep passion about supercars but also a
serious
manner to polish his cars until perfect.Both Zonda C12 or C12 S have stunning good look which are penned by Horacio Pagani himself. For your information, Mr. Pagani is the one who styled the 25 Aniversary edition of Lamborghini Countach. Yes, this is a real supercar shape - futuristic, imaginative and aggressive. The wedge front end and bubble glass cockpit are not unlike endurance racing cars. The split rear spoilers in C12 S (in contrast to the C12's conventional one-piece wing) are unique and beautiful. The jet-engine-like exhaust pipes are even the car's trademark. It set every viewer on fire. Facing the Zondas, Lamborghini Diablo and all Ferraris seemed barely warm. Simultaneously, you'll find Pagani's cars are artistically styled and carefully crafted like the pre-war Bugatti. You can feel the heart and soul put inside the car. Pagani's customers must be laughing at those buying the cheap-looking and raw-feeling Mercedes CLK-GTR at 1.1 million pounds. They paid a quarter of that to get a real high-quality supercar. The cockpit is concept-car-like, covering with colourful leather, aluminium and carbon fiber, the latter is the most obvious evidence of carbon-fiber chassis. It might not employ as many carbon-fiber as McLaren F1, especially for load bearing, but the whole cockpit is a carbon fiber survival cell, not just chassis tub. Load bearing is more conventional - tubular steel frames mount the suspensions and powertrain. This is less rigid than McLaren or F50 but reduce the vibration transmitting to cockpit a lot. Unsurprisingly, suspensions are all double-wishbones for optimum control. Aluminium control arms hold 18-inch wheels wearing wide rubbers. As a whole, the car tips the scale at just 1250 kg (dry weight), at least 200 kg lighter than the stripped-out Diablo GT, thus benefit acceleration, handling and braking a lot.  <<
C12 SWhat separate C12 and C12 S ? apart from the slightly different nose and rear wing, they look nearly identical. Open the engine lid will see the real difference: the warmer C12 is powered by a standard Mercedes V12. It is not today's 5.8-litre unit, but the older and more powerful dohc 4-valve unit displacing 6.0 litres. Without any modifications, it outputs a healthy 394 hp, enabling the Zonda a 911 Turbo-matching performance. C12 S is hotter and newer, powered by an AMG-enhanced 7.0-litre version of the dohc V12, pumping out a strong 550 horsepower and 553 lbft of torque. The engine is similar to the ones using in SL73 AMG and CLK-GTR, being tuned to somewhere between them. Compare with McLaren F1’s V12, the AMG mega engine is less revvy - it delivers maximum power at just 5,550 rpm - and less responsive to throttle action. However, the extra cubic inches give it tremendous torque, pulling the car strongly from 1,000 rpm at top gear. Engine noise is always loud, if not very characterful. It becomes increasingly deep and intensive as rev rise, especially since 4,500 rpm. Flat out, the C12 S can reach 60 mph in 3.5 sec and top 210 mph, beating all supercars on sale today (admittedly, not many left today) and even the mighty XJ220, EB110, F40 and F50. Only the F1 is comfortably ahead of the Zonda, while the heavier CLK-GTR is also likely to be beaten. It feels really that quick, thanks to low inertia and strong torque, acceleration is always astonishing. Like the best sorted supercars, Zonda’s shape is the outcome of wind tunnel testing. Deep chin spoiler, rear wing and rear diffuser contribute to 500 kg of downforce at 185 mph, and it is distributed to match weight distribution too. Therefore high speed stability is a strong card to Zonda.  How
does it handle? early impression is remarkable. Most controls are well
tuned: steering feels sharp and communicative, with least power
assistance
to meet basic demand; AP twin-plate clutch has a heavy pedal but so do
all traditional Italian supercars; self-made 6-speed manual
transmission
shifts precisely; long throttle travel allows more precise control of
torque,
so no afraid of spinning the rear wheels accidentally. Pushing to the
extreme
remains a question because I have yet to see a test report did so.
However,
judging from the suspension and tyres, and the precision of controls
displayed
at low speed, there is no reason to doubt its all-out handling.Is there any flaws? yes, I can criticise it as lack of innovation. Basically, its chassis is not the most advanced; the AMG V12 is conservative (no VVT and drive-by-wire throttles, remember); the cockpit is race-car narrow... apart from styling, the Zonda stuns us far less than F1, EB110, 959 and F40 ever did. |
| The above report was last updated on 10 June 2001. All Rights Reserved. |
In
the past few years Pagani Zonda C12S has been AutoZine's favourite
supercar, thanks to its communicative chassis, amazingly supple ride,
exotic look, elegant cabin and unrivalled build quality. However, one
thing it trails behind its rivals is: power. Although the Mercedes AMG
V12 displaces 7.3 litres, it produces "only" 555 horsepower. This is
some way off the 100 hp / litre standard set by other supercars. Now an
updated version Zonda F is going to correct this problem. 
If not
enough, Pagani also offer a Club Sport version, which has titanium
exhaust to boost 650 horsepower, 575 lbft of torque and additional aero
kits for even more downforce. Of course, the Club Sport is more biased
towards racing tracks, thus it is not as drivable on the road as the
regular Zonda F.
After
more than 10 years, Pagani Zonda is finally coming to the last days of
its life. The next generation car, C9, is being finalized and is
expected to arrive in a year's time. However, that does not dry up the
demand for Zonda. On the contrary, Pagani received many requests to
create special editions of the car, usually came from the richest
people in the world. One of the requests came from its Hong Kong
dealer, and it eventually resulted in this car, Zonda Cinque. 
The Cinque is the last evolution of the road-going Zonda.
Compared to the previous Zonda F, it is even more powerful and
simultaneously even lighter, so it brings performance to the highest
ever level. The basics remain the same, but many parts have been
polished. For example, the 7.3-liter AMG V12 is enhanced to produce 678
horsepower (up 76hp) and 575 lb-ft of torque (up 15 lb-ft). To save
weight, Pagani developed a new kind of carbon-fiber materials called
"carbon-titanium", which has titanium threads woven into carbon-fiber
to achieve even higher stiffness-to-weight ratio than ordinary
carbon-fiber. Consequently, the Cinque has its already light dry weight
reduced by a further 20 kg. At 1210 kg (no matter coupe or roadster),
it is the lightest among current generation supercars.
Otherwise, the Cinque is near perfect. The
mega V12 is as tractable low down as before. Once you prod the
throttle, it unleashes insane power – the same horsepower as
Lamborghini LP670-4 SV but at nearly 2000 rpm lower down the rev !
and don't forget it carries 350 kg less than the Lambo ! You can
imagine how hard its straight line acceleration is. Pagani's usually
credible figures say it goes from 0-200 km/h (124 mph) in 9.6 seconds.
That's the same time taken by McLaren F1. Bugatti Veyron and Koenigsegg
CCX are faster still, but I would say neither deliver the same exciting
experience as the Pagani. Why? because the 4-wheel-drive Bugatti is
rather undramatic to do so, while the Koenigsegg is too laggy and
inflexible at low rev to be enjoyed. For pure driving thrill, nothing
compares with the classic combination of a big naturally aspirated V12
and rear-wheel drive. 
The handling and ride is also nothing short of amazing. No
matter the massive aero kits, roof-mounted engine intake, lower ride
height and stiffer suspensions, the Cinque lies between the track-only
Zonda R and the road-going Zonda F. It generates an incredible 750 kg
of downforce at 300 km/h (186 mph), ensuring the car to stick on the
ground at high speed. With harder suspensions and extra weight comes
from the downforce, the steering becomes even more responsive and
intimate. With 380mm ceramic discs at each corner and so little weight
to cope with, its braking performance is phenomenal. With lower and
harder suspensions, the car reacts to driver input more sharply and
responsively. However, such a race-car experience does not come at the
expense of ride quality. Quite incredibly, the Cinque overcomes bumpy
surfaces cleanly, thus it is still a very usable supercar. How is this
achieved ? The answer lies on the titanium springs and magnesium
dampers developed by Swedish suspension expert Ohlins, and also the
magnesium-aluminum wheels. They cut
unsprung weight considerably, offsetting the effect of stiffer
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| Performance
tested by: *Autocar, **Sport Auto |
Copyright©
1997-2010
by Mark Wan @ AutoZine