Pagani Zonda Revolucion - the Zonda R's final evolution

It may be the end of an era, but that hasn’t stopped Pagani’s Zonda going out on a high. ‘Revolucion’ is the name given to its final evolution, which was unveiled during the 9th Vanishing Point International Pagani gathering in Tuscany.

Based on the Zonda R, the Pagani Zonda Revolucion weighs just 1070kg and is powered by a 6.0-litre V12 AMG Mercedes engine producing 789bhp and 730 Nm (538lb-ft) of torque. The resulting 737 bhp per tonne is enough to make nonsense of most performance figures, but then Pagani make a car in which straight-line performance is almost a secondary quality.

They describe the Revolucion as “a concept of art applied to pure speed”, which roughly translated means the functional components of its performance are also its source of beauty.

Aerodynamics are a key feature of the Revolucion’s artisan appeal, with new deflectors on the front bonnet as well as a vertical stabilizer mounted on the rear.

The rear wing features a DRS (Drag Reduction System) which operates through two modes – the first which can be controlled with the DRS button on the steering wheel and switches between maximum and minimum downforce settings at speeds greater than 62mph and lateral acceleration of +/- 0.8 g. Holding the button down for more than 2 seconds engages automatic DRS control, which then operates according to the algorithms developed by Pagani’s development engineers.

Huge Brembo CCM-R discs provide the stopping power, which are 15% lighter than the previous CCM (carbon ceramic material) discs. Using their experience gained in making carbon discs for F1, Brembo’s CCM-R discs were developed using the most innovative computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modelling techniques and offer higher stiffness and lower operating temperatures during extreme use. Pagani claim a four-fold increase in the disc’s lifespan combined with unfaltering performance.

There’s a new 6-speed sequential gearbox which changes gears in 20ms and the Bosch traction control system now offers 12 different settings. In combination with its revised ABS system, the driver is now able to adapt the behaviour of the transmission to suit their individual driving style.

The fastest Pagani vehicle ‘ever’

Horacio Pagani, founder and chief designer of Pagani Automobili, speaks of his pride in what the engineers have created “.. we knew that Pagani Zonda R was already a fast car, the fastest ever on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. We knew it would be very difficult to design and build a car that was even more extreme. But thanks to the creativity of our designers, engineers, and the whole Pagani family, we created a beautiful object and the fastest Pagani vehicle ever. A car that I am sure will electrify all our customers and fans all over the world.”

Last June, the Pagani Zonda R recorded a lap of 6 minutes 47 seconds around the Nordschleife, a time which it is rumoured was recently bettered by McLaren’s P1 (6:33.26). The P1 costs £866,000 while the new Pagani Zonda Revolucion is priced at £1.89 million (plus taxes), but then you can never put a price on true art.

The Pagani Zonda R lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in June 2012 in a record time of 6:47.