A visit to Pagani Automobili - Page 3/4

Construction and Assembly The Zonda chassis is comprised of three main elements: a front chro-moly assembly and a rear welded engine cradle all mounted to the carbon fiber safety cage. While there is additional carbon fiber in the form of body panels, it is these three elements that make up the chassis of the car. We were advised during our visit that the use of carbon fiber for the front and rear elements was considered, but scrapped since there is no weight savings over chro-moly steel due to the thickness the carbon fiber components would have to be in order to achieve the same structural integrity as steel. In fact, the carbon would need to be at a level of thickness such that it would actually weigh more than the steel components used on the car.

Each of the Zonda models follow the same manufacturing schedule. After the customer places the order, the first components built are the safety cell as well as the front and rear subframes. While the subframes are subcontracted to another vendor (as discussed above), the safety cell is built in the Pagani facility. It takes over one week to lay all the carbon fiber for one Zonda into the mold. Subsequent to that, the mold is baked in a high-pressure autoclave oven at 100-130ºC for eighteen hours. (This process is very similar to the process used to form the safety tubs of modern Formula One and Indy cars.) Once these items are complete, the full complement of the other carbon fiber parts are assembled onto the chassis for a fit check. Only after the fit of all the components has been verified do the individual components leave the facility for painting.

After the painted components return to the facility, the car is scheduled for final assembly. All of the wiring looms and harnesses are installed by hand into the chassis structure. The Zonda’s wiring path is so intricate that none of the wiring harnesses are pre-made. All wiring is done only at the point of assembly to guarantee absolute quality of fitment. After the wiring is completed, the engine and drivetrain, along with their required cooling system, is assembled into the car, followed by the final fitting of interior trim and seats.

Once the car has been assembled, it is subjected to a shakedown drive by Pagani’s lead development driver. At this point, any customer specific adjustments, to include adjustments to suit the road conditions in the customer’s home country and/or preferences for type of ride, are completed. Reliability will never be an issue once the car has been delivered to a customer as the car will have been subjected to approximately 100 kilometers of “shakedown” and verification driving tests to ensure the highest level of quality upon delivery. Once the verification drives have been completed, the car is again inspected at the junctions between the subframe and safety cell to verify that no cracks to the carbon structure have appeared.

At this point, the car, whether a C12S, Roadster or new Zonda F, is ready for delivery to the customer.

The Roadster, released in 2004, is fundamentally identical to the C12S coupe – a testimony to the excellent engineering practices employed by Pagani Automobili. In fact, though most convertibles are often substantially heavier than their coupe counterparts, the Pagani Roadster is only thirty kilos heavier than the C12S. A few minor revisions to the engine support system were undertaken to tie the crossbraces to the rollbars, which are subsequently attached to the more rigid floor structure. Furthermore, the Zonda Roadster is a true convertible, in that the roof will remain attached at “normal” cruising speeds and can be attached in less than thirty seconds!

The latest Zonda, the “F” model was released to international press in June of 2005. The car uses a much refined version of the Pagani proprietary 7.3L V12 powerplant found in the C12S Zonda, developed in conjunction with AMG and MHG. In a process identical to Formula One, the exhausts and intake for the Zonda F’s engine are hydroformed. The process of hydroforming allows the production of entire components which would ordinarily require the use of several pieces joined together, usually through welding. As a result, the part produced is generally much lighter as well as being more rigid due to the absence of welds.

Other technological advancements in the Zonda F’s powerplant include substantial revisions to the airbox which allows equal air distribution to each of the twelve cylinders all of the time. The car can also be equipped with an Inconel exhaust system, as used on Formula One cars to save weight, as well as titanium mufflers which both save weight and improve tonal quality. Both of these items are optional, and not included in the base price, but in our opinion, are well worth the extra money.

Four versions of the Zonda supercar have been produced since the first vehicle in 1999. The C12 (1999), was replaced by the C12S in 2001, which increased the capacity of the engine from 7.0L to 7.3L and included updated engine management software to bring the car in compliance with new emissions regulations. In 2004, Pagani introduced the revolutionary convertible version of the C12S, followed very shortly thereafter by the fastest Zonda of them all, the “F”, released in June 2005.

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