The Italian Hypercar Atelier, Pagani, does a takeover of the iconic New York location for one week, beginning on November 1, 2019
It’s been 20 years since Horacio Pagani revealed his first hypercar to the world. The ground-breaking Zonda set interest racing as quickly as it set lap records. Today it still has the ability to stop traffic and is setting new records as a collectible asset.
Although the Pagani Zonda was never sold to the USA, it did become a benchmark for the hypercars that followed. Designed according to the foundations of Pagani’s design philosophy, the Zonda is where art and science meet – it was inspired by everything from Leonardo Da Vinci to Endurance Racing Sports Prototypes.
“As part of Pagani’s worldwide Zonda 20th Anniversary celebrations, the Zonda Collection was always coming to America. When faced with the task of finding a suitable location for such a prestigious display, we performed an extensive search of the country’s most iconic venues to find one that represented the same spirit of engineering, ingenuity and passion that went into the first 20 years of the Zonda,” said Michael Staskin, CEO, Pagani Automobili America. “What we found was Grand Central Terminal, a globally recognized hub of transportation, iconic history, timeless design and passion in one of the world’s greatest cities, New York.”
With more than 750,000 people passing through Grand Central Terminal each day, its Vanderbilt Hall is the ideal location for the Pagani Zonda 20th Anniversary Collection to be displayed. And while cars have been placed there before, this celebration marks only the second time in its history that the Terminal will house multiple vehicles of such significance.
From November 1-8, the Zonda Collection can be viewed by members of the public visiting or passing through Vanderbilt Hall within Grand Central Terminal. There will also be a number of innovative public and private micro events throughout the week organized for invited VIP guests, the media as well as official Pagani dealers and their clients.
Visitors and guests will be able to view the collection of five iconic Zondas, which include the following:
Zonda 001
The very first Pagani production car.
This model recently underwent a complete restoration of the very first
chassis, used for the homologation and crash tests of the Zonda. It now
bears the same configuration of the first Zonda presented in 1999 at the
Geneva Motor Show. The meticulous artisanal work was carried out on the
mechanics of the car, the electronic systems and, in fact, on just
about every component of the car to recover the authentic look and
functionality. It also features the now classic Pagani carbon fiber
monocoque and 450hp Mercedes-Benz AMG engine.
Zonda F
Dedicated to Horacio Pagani’s mentor
and friend, Juan Manuel Fangio, the car was built to create a lighter,
safer hypercar, shedding 110 lbs while adopting new carbo-ceramic brakes
and a titanium and inconel exhaust with ceramic coating. As the
lightest hypercar in its class, the Zonda F set a lap record at the
famous Nürburgring racetrack in 2007 with its 650hp AMG V12 engine.
Zonda R
Developed as the ultimate track car, only ten examples were built
after the car was unveiled in 2009. Using cutting edge F1 and aerospace
technology, this 2360 lbs car set another Nürburgring record in 2010 and
still holds the Top Gear Dunsfold track record for the fastest road-car
derived track vehicle, thanks in part to its 750hp dry-sump AMG V12
engine.
Zonda Cinque
Only five examples of perhaps the most extreme Pagani Zonda road car
were ever built, combining elements of the Zonda F and R to originally
satisfy a special request from a Hong Kong customer. It was the first
Zonda to use a new Pagani invention, carbon-titanium, a special fiber
purposely created for the Zonda Cinque, and eventually used in future
Pagani models. The body was equipped with a longer front spoiler and
newly designed rear wing to improve downforce, a central air intake
feeding cold air to the engine increased the power allowing the car to
speed over 215 mph.
Zonda HP Barchetta
Designed by and for Horacio Pagani himself as the first of a series
of three cars, this more refined model was the work of the special
Uno-di-Uno division, which builds tailor-made cars. Inspired by the
great “barchetta” style racecars of the 50’s, like those in which the
five time Formula 1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio competed, this car has
no roof and offers a very different and immersive driving experience. It
has also adopted iconic elements from other models, such as the Zonda
Cinque’s central air intake and high-strength chassis.
With individual cars valued as high as $18 million, the Zonda Collection offers North American enthusiasts a rare opportunity to see these unique vehicles in the flesh before they move on to the next leg of their international tour.
To make this special event possible, Grand Central Terminal took the unusual step of shutting down from 2-5AM on November 1, 2019. During this time, the five Zondas were moved into Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal.
The following evening, Pagani held an opening night reception for its clients to enjoy the exhibition. On November 3rd, the venue will hosted a media and influencer event, allowing private tours to take place. Company Founder & Chief Designer, Horacio Pagani was also present for these activities. Additional special events were planned throughout the week while the Zonda Collection will continue to be available, free of charge, to the general public from 8am-6pm.
Lamborghini is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Countach with a special edition LPI 800-4 model debuting at this year’s Monterey Car Week.
In celebration of the Countach’s 50th anniversary, Lamborghini has unveiled a special limited edition Countach LPI 800-4 as a futuristic tribute to the poster car of the 1980s.
While sharing the same name and drawing on the visual legacy of its predecessor, the new Countach LPI 800-4 is powered by Lamborghini’s aspirated V12 engine combined with new hybrid supercapacitor technology initially developed for the Sian.
Delivering 802hp maximum combined power (rounded to 800 for the sake of its model name), the LPI 800-4 can reach 0-62mph acceleration in just 2.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 220mph.
“The Countach LPI 800-4 is a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was,” says Automobili Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann. “One of the most important automotive icons, the Countach not only embodies the design and engineering tenet of Lamborghini but represents our philosophy of reinventing boundaries, achieving the unexpected and extraordinary and, most importantly, being the ‘stuff of dreams.
“The Countach LPI 800-4 pays homage to this Lamborghini legacy, but it is not retrospective: it imagines how the iconic Countach of the 70s and 80s might have evolved into an elite super sports model of this decade. It upholds the Lamborghini tradition of looking forward, of exploring new design and technology avenues while celebrating the DNA of our brand. It is a Lamborghini that innately expresses the marque’s enduring and emotive power: always inspirational and thrilling to see, hear and most of all drive.”
Inspired by the Countach’s distinctive silhouette, sharp angles, and wedge shape, the Countach LPI 800-4’s exterior inspiration was taken specifically from the Quattrovalvole edition in the bold lines of the front bonnet with long, low rectangular grille and headlights, as well as in the wheel arches with their hexagonal theme.
Unfortunately for fans of the Wolf of Wall Street Countach, there’s no fixed rear wing on the latest model. However, there are still air scoops integrated fluidly into the car’s shoulders and the distinctive Countach slatted “gills” and famous scissor doors.
The rear of the Countach LPI 800-4 still features a distinctive inverted wedge shape, with the rear bumper featuring a lower, sleeker line and the hexagonal rear light design similar to that of the Sián.
Lamborghini has revealed only 112 models of the new Countach LPI 800-4 will be produced (a number chosen in honor of the internal project name “LP 112” used for the original Countach development) with allocations already fulfilled prior to the public launch.
Porsche Motorsport celebrates 25 years partnership with Manthey-Racing and reveals the limited edition 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25.
Porsche Motorsport is celebrating 25 years of collaboration with Manthey-Racing GmbH and has unveiled the limited edition 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 to commemorate.
Founded by racing driver Olaf Manthey in 1996, Manthey-Racing GmbH is responsible for running the Porsche 911 RSR of the factory squad in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and has made a name for itself in both the motor racing world and as a GT road car specialist.
The basic concept and technical ideas for the new special edition was provided by Manthey and based on the 911 GT2 RS Clubsport with Porsche providing the final design.
Developed specifically for track days and circuit racing, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 is powered by a 3.8-liter flat-six twin-turbo engine and produces 515 HP directed to the rear wheels through Porsche’s seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox (PDK).
Taking inspiration from Manthey’s 911 GT3 R, known as the “Grello” because of its distinctive green and yellow livery, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 sports a similar green and yellow color scheme to highlight functional areas of the vehicle and adopts many vehicle components and elements from future Porsche racing cars.
“The design of the 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 expresses the long-standing collaboration between Porsche Motorsport and Manthey,” emphasizes Grant Larson from Style Porsche. “It amalgamates the respective strengths of each partner into one racing car, and at the same time bridges the gap between the 991 and 992 model generations of the 911.”
The Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 is limited to 30 vehicles in total (only six are allocated for North America) with deliveries expected to begin in early 2022.
To order, customers will need to email 911GT2RSClubsport25@porsche.de directly and have a spare $620,00 on hand.
The new Pagani Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta is set to make its debut at this year’s Monterey Car Week and celebrates ten years of the Huayra supercar.
This year at Monterey Car Week, Pagani celebrates ten years of the Huayra with the world premiere of the new Pagani Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta.
Based on the Huayra BC, the new Pacchetto Tempesta package means the Huayra BC’s high-performance platform can be equipped with a range of “state-of-the-art technical and artisan solutions” to maximize the car’s racing abilities and achieve an 8% power increase to deliver 827 hp and 1,100 Nm torque.
Pagani has only teased several introductory images of the green carbon fiber bodied beauty ahead of the premiere, and although full details are yet to be shared, Pagani has noted that the Pacchetto Tempesta features a new front splitter, dedicated air intake, rear wing with an integrated central fin, and six-pipe exhaust system to maximize aerodynamic efficiency.
A tweaked suspension system and the addition of an all-new “Soft Driving mode” also ensure drivers are afforded maximum comfort in the aggressive Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta.
The Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta will make its debut at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering event on Friday 13th August at Monterey Car Week 2021 and will be seen alongside the Huayra R project and an up-close-and-personal look at the all-new Pagani V12-R engine, six-speed sequential gearbox.
While no prices have been revealed yet, the Pagani Huayra BC Pacchetto Tempesta will no double start above the $2.25 million price tag of the Huayra BC.