Name a car from 2005 that is more desirable today than this Pagani Roadster!
This car is one of 25 Zonda Roadsters ever produced, and features a sweet combination: the ultra-rare manual gearbox option and the updated and quicker-revving 7.3-liter V12. Packing more displacement but a lighter weight than the original 7.0-liter AMG units, the Zonda F is still an icon of performance, design and artful beauty ten years after it was first sold.
This very car earned about $750,000 when last sold by RM Auctions in London in 2010, but we suspect it might even go for more than that in 2015.
What the Zonda F Roadster has that no other hypercar can match is a pure, true roadster feel. No giant pillars behind your head like the Ferrari 458, Porsche 918, Koenigsegg, Lambo or McLaren Spiders. The flat rear deck ensures a pure, unimpeded symphony of mechanical bliss around every corner and with every throttle blip.
True to Pagani form, the roof it as exceptionally-engineered as every other nut and bolt on the car. (That it has a real roof at all is fairly unique versus some Lambo cabrios.)
The top consists of a carbon-fiber overhead piece paired with fabric for the tiny folded corners. The combination means that you can always flip the roof upward if it rains while you are out. Little flashes of brilliance throughout the Pagani experience are what make the brand such a smash-hit success for all who love exotic cars.
2005 Pagani Zonda S Roadster
Tech Specifications
| Engine | Mercedes-Benz M 120 7.3 AMG; 12 cylinder V 60°, displacement 7291 cc |
|---|---|
| Max. power | (kW) hp/rpm: (408) 555/5900 |
| Max. torque | Nm/rpm: 750/4050 |
| Transmission | Longitudinal mid engine; rear wheel drive with self-locking differential; TCS standard |
| Clutch | Twin plate clutch |
| Gearbox | Mechanical 6 speed (+ reverse) |
| Brakes | 4 ventilated Brembo disks: front 355 four piston caliper rear 335 four piston caliper; hydraulic power brake; ABS standard |
| Steering | TRW rack and pinion power assisted |
| Wheels | 19” Fomb APP forged in aluminium |
| Tyres | Michelin Pilot Sport: front 255/35/19 rear 345/30/19 |
| Suspensions | 4 independent wheels with double A-arm; helical springs and Ohlins adjustable; hydraulic dampers; anti-roll bar; aluminium alloy suspension arms |
| Structure | Central carbon fiber chassis; front and rear Cr Mo steel space frames; carbon fiber “MD system” bodywork panels |
| Roof | Removable, in carbon fiber and cloth; weight 5 kg |
| Dimensions | Lenght 4395 mm; width 2055 mm; height 1151 mm; wheelbase 2730 mm; dry weight 1280 kg |
| Performances | Acceleration 0-100 km/h 3.7 sec.; weight to power ratio 2.30 kg/hp |
Lot 244
2005 Pagani Zonda C12 7.3 S Roadster
To be auctioned on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Sold for £425,600
- Chassis no. ZA9C820C11OF76044
555 bhp, 7.3-litre, mid-mounted Mercedes-Benz M120 E73 60-degree DOHC light-alloy V-12 with four valves per cylinder and Bosch Motronic ME7 sequential electronic fuel injection, six-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel independent suspension with double wishbones, coil-over hydraulic dampers and anti-roll bars, and hydraulic four-wheel ventilated disc brakes with ABS. Wheelbase: 2,730 mm
• One owner and well maintained
• One of only 25 hand-built examples produced
• Zero-to-60 mph in only 3.7 seconds!
• Desirable colour combination, six-speed manual gearbox
Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.
He holds a Journalism JBA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his two amazing dogs, Drake and Tank.
Mr. Burkart is available for all questions and concerns by email Tom(at)car-revs-daily.com.