2009 Pagani Zonda R

This is quite possibly the most ferocious looking car to ever roll off a production line and it is called the 2009 Pagani Zonda R. Underneath the rear body “clamshell” (similar to the body of a Lotus Elise) lives a Mercedes Benz AMG V12 engine with a rating of 750 horsepower at a screaming 8000 RPM; power is transmitted through a six speed manual sequential gearbox.

The idea to create this car comes from an ambitious and loyal customer who already has a rich stable of three Zondas in his garage. Naturally, Pagani was keen to embark and please his best client. This isn’t the first time Pagani has created such a car, in 2004 the Zonda Monza was shown at the Paris Motor Show for the very same purpose, but if the recently released drawings are anything to go by, this new Zonda goes much, much further.

In 2006, these drawings were laid out and Mercedes-AMG had come on board to offer a dry-sump version of their potent V12 – the same used in the CLK GTR LeMans racecar. Pagani outfits this unit with a new carbon fibre 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. These, along with AMG’s internal upgrades offer 750 hp (559 Kw) at 8000 rpm and 523 ft lbs (710 Nm).

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 highperformance 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 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.

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