The Pagani Zonda’s->ke942 history begins in 1999 with the Zonda C12. That model paved the way for models like the Zonda S 7.3, Zonda Roadster, Zonda Cinque, and the Zonda R, to name a few. The best model of all, however, was produced in just five examples and was called the Zonda Revolucion. As Pagani put it, the Revolucion was “The evolution of the species, the revolution in the concept of art applied to pure speed.” In comparison to the Zondas that came before it, the Revolucion brought about new features and a new aerodynamic package that included a new rear wing and a new drag reduction system. More importantly, the Mercedes-sourced mill that powers the beast also got a little updating as well.

At the time of its release, Horacio Pagani – the Owner and chief designer of Pagani – said, “Limits are made to be overcome. We knew that Pagani Zonda R was already a fast car, the fastest ever on the Nuerburgring 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.”

The Zonda Revolucion was unveiled at the 2013 Vanishing Point during the International Pagani Gathering. It was priced at €2.2 million, which translates to roughly $2.8 million at the currency conversion rate back in 2013. With only five examples produced, four of them were sold during the private presentation, which made a very good weekend for the Pagani family. With that said, let’s take a look back at what is, arguably, the best Zonda model ever made.

Continue reading for our full review of the Pagani Zonda Revolucion.

2013 Pagani Zonda Revolucion

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2013 Pagani Zonda Revolucion
  • Engine/Motor: V12
  • Horsepower: 800
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

On the outside, it is clear that the Revolucion was an evolution of the Zonda R. Aside from different color layouts, the Revolucion is almost identical to the Zonda R in the front. The most notable difference was the front spoiler, which was less pointed and slanted upward compared to the outer corners of the fascia. Otherwise, the corner vents were redesigned to be more rectangular, and the flics on the sides of the fascia were just a little bit wider.

Moving over to the sides, there is more of the same. The recessed area below the doors still exists, which helped to channel air through the body. There is a red and gold stripe that runs from the front fascia to the rear, elevating progressively as it gets closer to the rear. The big news here came closer to the rear where the lower flic remained, but gained a companion flic above it, helping to increase downforce in the rear. The air intakes for the engine retained the same shape and size as the models that came before.

To the rear, the most notable change was the new spoiler attached to the rear. Now, the sides extend from the wing down to the body where they are held in place by rivets. There is also a smaller spoiler like element below the spoiled, right in the middle. Outside of this, the Revolucion had the same taillights, exhaust pipes and rear diffuser as the Zonda R.

The most important part of the body is the drag-reduction system that is integrated into the rear wing. The system has two different operating modes that could be activated at any time. The wing is able to change between maximum and minimum downforce settings with a lateral acceleration of just 0.8 g as long as the vehicle is traveling at least 62 mph. In automatic mode, the wing automatically adjusts itself based on the current operating conditions to provide optimal downforce on the rear at all times. All told, the Revolucion was the ultimate Zonda and is the combination of all the knowledge gained through the Zonda’s brief but wild existence.

Interior

On the inside, the Zonda Revolucion had a remarkably similar interior to the Zondas of the past as well. Inside carbon fiber could be found just about everywhere, including the center console, dashboard, center stack, and the outer edges of the door. The racing seats were wrapped in leather and featured a diamond-quilted pattern in the center of the seat and seatback. The carpeting had the same design throughout the cabin.

The handbrake handle and gear shifter knobs feature a glossy wood insert, as do certain parts of the flat bottom steering wheel. The rest of the hand brake, shifter, the plate around the shifter, the faceplate on the center stack, the vents, and the instrument cluster are all composed of brushed aluminum. The parts of the steering wheel that aren’t covered with wood are wrapped in black leather with white contrast stitching. The shifter boot also gets the same treatment.

The doors were trimmed with a certain amount of leather and also had leather pull handles. There was a 6.5-inch speaker mounted in each door. The outer edge of the speaker was finished in brushed aluminum. All told, it was a pretty luxurious cabin for a vehicle that was more at home on the track than it was on the street. Keep in mind that while this specific Revolucion features this interior design, the interior of each one was customized to the customer’s specification, so the other four models are likely different as far as materials, stitching layout, color.

Drivetrain

The drivetrain department is where things really got interesting for the Revolucion. Hidden deep within the carbon-titanium monocoque lies a Mercedes-AMG 6.0-liter V-12 engine that pumped out 800 horsepower and 539 pound-feet of torque. Power was sent to the rear wheels via an XTRAC 672, six-speed magnesium transversal and sequential transmission that could change gears in a mere 20 ms. The transmission had a magnesium casing and an Automatic Engineering AMT system. The rear axle house a self-locking differential for the best traction possible.

Speaking of traction, the Revolucion also had a 12-stage, Bosch Motorsport traction control system, with a Brembo brake system that had F1-derived CCMR discs at all four wheels. These offered a weight reduction of 15 percent over previous models and were paired with a Bosch Motorsport ABS system. Six-piston calipers were used in the front, and four-piston units were mounted in the rear. The car rode on forged alloy APP wheels that measured 19 inches in the front and 20 inches in the rear. The wheels were wrapped with 255/25-series Pirelli P Zero tires in the front and 335/35-series Pirelli P Zero tires in the rear.

Under the body, the Revolucion was supported by a double A-arm suspension system with Forged Avional suspension arms, pull rod helical springs and Ohlins adjustable shock absorbers. The central chassis was made from carbon-titanium with front and rear Cr Mo space frames. All told, the car had a dry weight of just 1070 kg or 2271 pounds. It was able to make the 62 mph sprint in just 2.6 seconds with a top speed that was said to be greater than 217 mph. The weight to power ratio clocking in at 2.95 pounds per horsepower, which isn’t bad at all.

Prices

With only five examples being built, it is impossible to put an actual value on the car now. When new, the car was priced at $2.8 million. Four of them were sold when the car debuted, and information about the remaining model has managed to evade the bowels of the internet up to this point in time.

Conclusion

When you really think about it, the Zonda Revolucion was the ultimate iteration of the Zonda. Sure, the Huayra->ke3763 had already been around for a couple of years, which one could argue was just another evolution of the Zonda, but there was something really special about the Zonda name. It had a soul and a heartbeat, and to this day anytime you see a Zonda you can’t help but stop for a second and stare. With the Revolucion having 800 horsepower on tap, it was the most the most powerful Pagani at the time, even overpowering the Huayra by 70 horsepower. If one were to be auctioned off in today’s market, I would expect it to approach eight figures before the hammer officially drops.