AUTO MODIFIED 2011

The hypercar nameplate is pronounced as ‘wirer’, which stands for ‘god of wind’. CEO Horacio Pagani, claims the vehicle offers a different flavour of supercar to the Zonda.

The spark of the supercar potentials has been set by an Italo-American customer, enthusiast and already proud owner of 3 Zondas. He describes the project as: "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 equation is set forth by the automaker to bring out the best performance without any compromising comfort and safety. In September last year, the first sketches were ready, but the support of Mercedes-AMG for a high revving engine cannot be overemphasized. The engine was inspired by the CLK GTR, which has dominated the GT championships.

The Zonda R's suspension and wing arrangements are fully adjustable providing individual drivers a setup appropriate for individual taste. There is also a fresh hood that supplements rear end performance, the design of which was derived from Ennegi models, together with a closed underside and rear aid diffuser. The adaptable aero configuration can be set to a maximum downforce of 1.500kg and to a ceiling speed of 350kmh Weight reduction measures include Aspa forged AvionAl suspension components plus machined structural ErgAl parts to hold the engine and gearbox, and with the entire car screwed on by PoggipoliniTitanium screws. The result is a 1.070kg dry weight for the Zonda R.

With the supercar equipped with a 7.3 liter V12 engine sourced from AMG by Mercedes-Benz, it also debuted at this year's Geneva Motor Show. The said variant is intended to rival cars like the Ferrari FXX. Compared to its sibling - the Zonda F, the R variant is designed from scratch. It only carried over 10 percent of Zonda F's components.

On the inside the cabin design had the driver in mind where the controls are restricted only to the essential while the finish mirrors Pagani's high-quality standards. The interior comes with customized Toora sports seats which are FIA approved and meet the current HANS standards, five-point safety harness and a roll-cage from CrMo.

What is found under the hood increased output of the supercar to 750 horsepower at 8000 rpm and 523lb-ft of torque. The power of Zonda R is complemented by its high performance parts that include a racing multiple disc sintered clutch, a lightweight carbon fire intake system and a Formula 1 style exhaust system. To boost optimal heat dissipation, the hydroformed in Inconel 625 was integrated to the car. The power is mated to a 6 speed transversal manual sequential synchronized gearbox to satisfy the craving of enthusiast for a nerve-racking driving.

The Zonda R comes with a Mercedes-Benz AMG 6.0-liter racing V12 bolted straight to the chassis and generating 750 hp and 710 Nm of torque. Instantaneous throttle response is achieved through a direct throttle actuation utilizing a mechanical cable. Through a steering wheel-mounted shift paddle, the driver is able to shift gears at speeds of 20 milliseconds made possible through a dog ring gearbox incased in Xtrac Magnesium and paired with the Automac AMT system. The driver can also totally adapt the settings of the Zonda R while driving through a 12-way Bosch Motorsport traction control and ABS system.