If the recent onslaught of spy shots is any indication, development is well under way for the successor to the Pagani Zonda. AMG is once again developing the engine especially for the supercar – tentatively known as the C9 – which means that the new Zonda has to undergo the same exhaustive battery of tests as any new Mercedes. Just as well, because the new C9 is expected to be produced in far greater numbers than its extremely exclusive predecessor. To gear up for that kind of production, which, aside from the engine, is built entirely in-house, Pagani is preparing to open a brand new factory. The new facility in Modena, Italy, the heartland of supercar country, will be three times larger than the existing factory and is slated to begin operation in 2010 when the new C9 will hit the streets.
Following the previous shot alongside the Mercedes SL65 Black test mule in Colorado, the developmental next-generation Pagani Zonda has shown up again in the lenses of spy photographers right here in the good old U.S. of A. The undisguised test mule of the upcoming AMG-powered supercar has sent the online automotive community scrounging for speculation over the nature of the new Zonda, and we'll throw our ten-gallon hat into the ring.
The test mule is all but completely undisguised, giving us what's being touted as an accurate look at the second iteration of the Zonda. The front airdam is slightly enlarged, the flanks resculpted and there are some new vents added to the rear. There'll likely be a transparent engine cover to give onlookers a good view of the engine – be it the SLR's supercharged V8, the SL65 Black's twin-turbo V12 or another power plant entirely – however, the decklid window was taped over to prevent prying eyes from getting a premature glimpse. By and large this Zonda test mule, which reportedly carried a Zonda F badge, looks like the model it will replace, leaving us to wonder if Horracio Pagani might not be playing a little game with us, putting slightly revised body panels from the existing model onto the test mule to throw us off from a more radical restyling when the second-generation Zonda – if indeed it will even be called that – is finally unveiled about a year from now.
Eyebrows were raised when a photograph from the Rockies began circulating the interwebs. The rare shot shows a pair of delectable supercar test mules – the next-generation Pagani Zonda and the new Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series – undergoing testing side-by-side on public roads. Aside the from the rare occurrence of a non-homologated Zonda on American tarmac, speculation began to ramp up as to what the two were doing together. Conclusion: they must be sharing the same engine.
While that may be the case, it could be a simple instance of AMG doubling-up on their test time, since Pagani renewed its engine deal with the Mercedes tuning house. Previous reports suggested that the supercharged V8 from the outgoing SLR McLaren could be flipped around for duty in the next-gen Zonda, however the SL65 Black uses a much larger 600hp twin-turbo V12. Of course it's impossible to tell at this point, but we'll be keeping our eyes peeled in the meantime.
The word "cinque," as in Pagani Cinque, means "five." The newest Pagani is the road-legal version of the racetrack-only Pagani Zonda R, and there will sadly be but five of them made for which all are already spoken. Not that we would have bought one, but it would have been nice to have had the opportunity.
The Cinque, with 678 horsepower and 575 lb. ft. of torque will teleport from 0-to-60 in 3.4 seconds, and at 186 MPH the car creates more than half its own weight in downforce. It also gets a sequential 6-speed transmission, and you can flick through the gears with paddles or a gear shift on the center console. That console and the racing buckets that face it will probably be made entirely of carbon fiber.
Pagani has created a bespoke titanium and carbon fiber material that means the Cinque weighs 40 pounds less than the Zonda F. Weight savings are also achieved with titanium monobloc wheels, as well as the magnesium and titanium Ohlins suspension. It is the very definition of a supercar: fast, light, rare, hot. Be sure to check out the new gallery of hi-res photos of the Pagani Cinque below, because that's probably as close as you'll ever get to one.
Back in February, we opined the fact that the production Pagani Zonda R, a track-only carbon fiber supercar powered by a 750-horsepower V12 to go along with its 1.2 million euro price tag, didn't make the trek to Geneva. It seemed at the time that there just weren't enough orders for the vehicle for Pagani to be able to offer it. That issue could soon be rectified, if rumors floating around on the Teamspead forums prove accurate. It seems that five roadgoing versions of the Zonda R will be created, known as the Zonda Cinque, which, appropriately enough, means five in Italian. Could this version of the Zonda be what we've seen testing in spy shots these last few months? It's hard to say for certain, but we do detect the pairs of triple headlights on both the spied cars and the supposed image above of the Cinque. Draw your own conclusions, but we think there is always room for another carbon fiber supercar in our dream garages.
Spies have caught a Pagani Zonda mule during a brief respite from testing and at first glance, not much has changed. The greenhouse looks similar to the current version, while the front end benefits from a revised splitter and a softening of the previous model's hard creases. While these changes are minimal at best, it's not until you scope out the massive air intakes above the rear fenders that you realize that big things are afoot. Those new inlets are rumored to feed a supercharged version of an AMG-sourced 5.4-liter V8 – the same 680-hp mill that powers the McLaren SLR. Partnered with Pagani's extensive use of carbon fiber and other lightweight components, there's little doubt that the new Zonda will crack the three-second mark to 60 and continue on to a top speed of well over 200 mph. No production dates are available yet, but expect the new model to debut sometime next year.
The Pagani Zonda is still one of the most eminently desirable supercars on the street today, making Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches look downright plebian. But after eight years on the market, the Zonda is due for replacement, with test mules popping up here and there. Following the spy video we brought you earlier this month, this shot of a suspicious-looking Zonda test mule was caught undergoing testing. Although it wears the same bodywork as the outgoing model's, the suit fits a little looser after the Pagani's gotten back to the gym, and there's all sorts of vents and air ducts popping out all over the place. While Pagani seems hard at work in Modena preparing the successor to the current Zonda, AMG is reportedly working in Affalterbach on flipping the SLR's supercharged V8 around for the Pagani's mid-engine application.
AMG put too much work into developing the engine for the Mercedes SLR McLaren for the mighty motor to be tossed aside when the ill-fated supercar is replaced by the SL65 Black Series. So what will become of the SLR's supercharged V8? An amateur spy video posted on YouTube might have the answer.
A couple of weeks ago we brought you news that Pagani had renewed its engine partnership with Mercedes AMG, but what we didn't know then was what powerplant the wizards in Affalterbach were planning for Pagani's next exotic supercar. In the spy video after the jump, you can see a developmental test mule running around near the Pagani workshop wearing the Zonda's body panels like a kid in his father's suit. It's conspicuously missing the Zonda's trademark high-mounted garbage-pail exhaust tunnel. Speculation based on the engine note suggests that the test mule could be running the SLR's kompressor eight, which could hold promise for a more compact and nimble successor to the ferocious Pagani Zonda.
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We've been waiting to see the production version of the Pagani Zonda R for about a year now. The track-only version of the Zonda was announced around this time last year and in July we got word that it was headed for production. We're clearly excited to be in the presence of a car boasting 750 horsepower, a bare naked carbon fiber body and a price of 1.2 million euro. Unfortunately, while we'll be in attendance early next month at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, the Pagani Zonda R will not be.
Word has it that Pagani's intentionally delayed the development and official reveal of the Zonda R to focus on other projects, not the least of which is the car slated to replace the Zonda, internally known as the C9. The boutique exotic automaker originally claimed that it planned to sell only 10 examples of the Zonda R, but needed to sell all of them to cover the cost of the project. According to the source we linked, the last count was at six to eight buyers who had paid a deposit for the car. We're not sure if failing to meet the target number of buyers (if true) has derailed progress on the ultimate Zonda to some degree, but regardless, Pagani reportedly promises to provide more official specifications for the Zonda R, as well as photos, in the coming months. But for now, we've been stood up by the prettiest car at the show, and that hurts.
