This 1-of-10 Pagani Zonda R Might Be the Closest You'll Get To Track-Focused Perfection

The story of Pagani started in 1992, when Lamborghini Chief of Composites Horacio Pagani founded the company that bears his name in San Cesario sul Panaro, a small town near Modena, Italy. His pursuit for absolute automotive perfection might have sounded like an overly ambitious goal to the ordinary mind, but nothing would stop Horacio from creating the ultimate racing machine. He commented on the Zonda, “We do not just build supercars, we build ‘Una Macchina con Anima’,” which translates to “a car with a soul.”

Pagani spent seven years developing its first vehicle, the Zonda C12, and unveiled it at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show. It immediately won the hearts of car enthusiasts with its impressive performance, radical styling, technical sophistication, and build quality.

It didn’t take long for the machine to achieve legendary status among supercar collectors and enthusiasts. Although it has evolved throughout time, the concept is still the same, and even the first example of the Pagani was an engineering marvel with fine attention to detail.

Most supercars have a production run of a few years, as automakers usually come up with entirely new models to satisfy their customers. Well, not the Zonda – this vehicle had a surprisingly long production run of over 20 years, reflecting the brand’s perfectionist approach to product development.

In 2007, Pagani revealed its first track-focused model, the Zonda R – it was the epitome of the company’s technological capabilities at that time. Pagani was free to design and develop the vehicle just as it wanted, without abiding by race and governmental regulations. And so, the marque created the ultimate driver’s car.

The Zonda R was built based on the Zonda F – it featured an advanced iteration of the F’s chassis with a carbon-titanium monocoque. The brand developed this material by bonding titanium and carbon in order to benefit from the engineering properties of both materials.

Several elements were explicitly engineered for the Zonda R, such as the powertrain, suspension geometry, chassis structure, and bodywork. According to Pagani, only 10% of preexisting parts were used to construct the Zonda R.

This vehicle perfectly blends an aggressive, artistic design with phenomenal engineering – even though it was built solely to achieve record-breaking performances, the car’s body, interior, and engine bays are genuinely spectacular.

At the core of the Zonda R is a Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR-derived 6.0-liter V12 engine with an output of 780 hp (582 kW or 791 ps). It’s connected to a six-speed sequential transaxle with a multi-disc racing clutch and lightweight magnesium casing. Furthermore, a roof-mounted, F1-derived carbon fiber intake channel feeds air directly to the engine. As you’d expect, the Zonda R is stunningly fast – its power-to-weight ratio and lightning-quick gear changes allow it to reach 60 mph (97 kph) in 2.7 seconds, with a reported top speed of more than 230 mph (370 kph).

Amazingly, the Zonda R still holds the record as the fastest non-series, production-based, gasoline-powered car to lap the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife – a Pagani factory driver, Marc Basseng, achieved a record time of 6:47:00 in July 2010.

Now that you’re all caught up with what the Zonda represents, I’d like to tell you about a specific vehicle soon going for sale – a 2010 Pagani Zonda R ‘Revolución Specification.’

The final version of the R, the Zonda Revolución, was revealed in 2013 – as its maker describes it, it’s “the apex of the celebration of performance, technology and art applied to a track car.” It featured a bump of 30 hp over the stock configuration, a new set of Ohlins dampers, and lightweight magnesium alloy wheels. Furthermore, more downforce was provided via a refined front bodywork with extra dive planes on the front corners, as well as an addition of a smaller secondary rear wing underneath the standard one.

This 2010 Zonda R example was the fifth of the 10 R examples manufactured by Pagani between 2009 and 2011. However, the vehicle was returned to the Pagani factory and upgraded to Revolucion specs in December 2014. It’s finished in a striking exposed carbon fiber livery, complete with “Tricolore” accents.

Last year, this Zonda R 'Revolución Specification' was treated with $27,000 (€25,186) worth of servicing from Pagani of Beverly Hills. The car was fitted with a brand new set of Pirelli tires, a new fuel tank, and a complete fuel system flush. Moreover, it was equipped with the brand’s latest factory-recommended Zonda R driveshaft updates.

Chances are you haven’t seen Pagani Zonda R and Revolución examples in real life, as most are hidden away in private collections. The fact that one is going for sale is a pretty rare occurrence - of course, its price reflects the car’s capabilities. The auction house recommends a price between $4.8M - $6.8M (€4.5M and €6.5M) for this 2010 Pagani Zonda R ‘Revolución Specification,’ and I believe it’s safe to say that its value will only increase in time.

Pagani has built a machine that will forever remain in the automotive history books. If the future owner attends any track, exhibition, or concours, they should expect the Pagani to be the center of attention. Even for someone who doesn’t know a thing about cars, the Pagani is sure to catch their eye.