Famous five

The Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster, just look at it! I doubt when Enid Blyton penned her well known kids books that she had a 678bhp Italian supercar in mind. But, such is the outrageous nature of the Zonda, that it could very well have been dreamed up by one of her audience.

The Zonda has always had a bit of fantasy about it, almost as if it is a child’s creation that found its way into a grown up’s world. Crazy curves and massive power make it all look a bit ungainly it has to be said. But somehow, a bit like Serena Williams, it all just works and the Zonda has etched its name into the history books as one of the most effective hypercars ever made.

Which brings us to the Cinque Roadster. As the name suggests just five examples have been thrown to the kiddies with the promise that they could do whatever they wanted to the already brilliant Zonda.

Some red crayon got spalshed about, you know, to make it go faster. Raw carbon fibre gets a pretty good airing. Just because it looks cool. And it has all been finished off with a lairy paint job and massive fat wheels.

In adult, that means the extra pace is courtesy of over 500kW and a plain greedy 780Nm supplied by the AMG enhanced Mercedes-Benz 7.3-litre V12. The carbon fibre helps reduce weight, and the 335mm rear wheels are there to give the driver at least some chance of taming the wild beast lurking behind.

No surprise, then, that all five models have already been sold. Global Financial Crises don’t exist in a child’s world.

Zonda Cinque Roadster

The Pagani roadcar model range would not be complete without a Roadster version of the Zonda Cinque. As the name implies it is created in the
Modenese Atelier in a limited production run of merely five exclusive pieces like its coupé sister.

All weight reduction measures adopted by Pagani to improve driving pleasure, performance and emission of the Zonda Cinque have found use in the
Cinque Roadster as well. The Carbon-Titanium chassis has been redesigned for the compensation of a missing roof.

The Cinque experience is enhanced with the roof stored in the front bonnet, when the storm of air being fed to the 678hp Mercedes AMG V12 engine through the massive intake just inches over the passengers’ ears, accompanies the exhaust note of the bespoke Zonda Cinque Inconel and Titanium exhaust system.

Whether you opt for a relaxed country drive in Tuscany’s hills, visiting Florence and other centres of the Italian Renaissance, or a record hunt at the Nürburgring, this 1.3 milion Euro + taxes jewel will reward with every day driveability and ultimate performance thanks to the different drive modes of the sequential robostised gearbox and an adjustable suspension setup that feels at home as well at the racetrack as on bumpy roads.

The constant efforts of Horacio Pagani and his team shows once again how art and engineering can be combined in the Zonda Cinque Roadster.

Technical Specifications:

• Mercedes Benz AMG engine, Power: 678 hp, Torque: 780 Nm
• Carbon-titanium monocoque
• ECU, Traction control, ABS by Bosch Engineering
• Inconel/titanium exhaust system coated with ceramic
• Suspensions in magnesium and titanium
• Cima sequential gearbox (6 speed), robotized by Automac enginnering
• APP monolitic wheels forged in aluminium and magnesium
  Size: front 9×19 – rear 12,5×20
• Pirelli PZero tyres. Size: front 255/35/19 – rear 335/30/20
• Pagani leather/carbon fibre racing seats
• Brembo brakes in carbo-ceramic self ventilated with hydraulic servo brake,
  Size: front 380×34 mm, monolitic 6 piston caliper; rear 380×34 mm, monolitic 4 piston caliper
• Dry weight 1.210 kg
• Weight distribution in driving condition: 47% front, 53% rear
• Acceleration: 0-100 Km in 3.4 sec., 0-200 in 9.6 sec.
• Braking: 100-0 km in 2.1 sec., 200-0 km 4.3 sec.
• Maximum side acceleration: 1,45 G (with road tyres)
• Downforce at 300 kph: 750 kg

An extra PDF of specifications can be downloaded here.