A unique combination of a strong passion for fast cars and expert knowledge in critical aspects of supercars is the key to the success of
Pagani Automobili.
Horacio Pagani, who set up Pagani Automobili in 1998, and produced the first Zonda the same year, had wanted to design super sports cars since he was a boy and had sketched out his early ideas on design from an early age.
Later he built a successful Renault-engined single-seater racing car, with an advanced specification including the lever arm suspension of the Grand Prix cars of that time.
Pagani Zondas, all powered by Mercedes-Benz AMG V-12 engines are very powerful exotic cars, yet works of art – the finish is extraordinary. When you look at a Pagani, you can see at once that this is the work of a perfectionist who has a passion for his products.
Horacio Pagani is responsible for the basic style and many engineering aspects of his cars, which were inspired by sports racing cars and aircraft and other advanced designs.
Pagani started work at Lamborghini
Born in Argentina into a family of Italian descent, Pagani went to Italy to follow his dream. There was no immediate outlet for his ideas then, of course, so he went to work in the composites department of Lamborghini, although in those days that involved reinforced glass fibers – this was back in the 1980s. Later, he became head of that department, and seeing the developments elsewhere, particularly in Formula 1, he decided that carbon fiber composites were the solution to the need for stiff but lightweight car structures.
Modena Design set up to design and make composites
The management and engineers at Lamborghini, used to steel tubular frames, were not so keen on the idea, so it took Pagani a long time to convince them of the merits. The Countach Anniversary of 1987 had some body parts of carbon fiber composites for structures, but Lamborghini did not want to go further at that time.
Therefore, Horacio Pagani set up Modena Design to design and produce composite parts in 1991, and produced some composite parts for the Diablo, and later installed a production system inside Lamborghini for their production. It is no surprise therefore that the Pagani factory is less than 20 miles from the Lamborghini plant.
The Pagani Zonda turns from dream to reality
After some years' experience of producing advanced carbon fiber composites, and becoming a leading expert in the field, Pagani started work on the design of the Pagani – he styled the car himself and did much of the basic engineering work. In fact, Pagani says that his aim is to combine art and technology – like many of the best designers.
By the time the first Pagani Zonda was built, Horacio Pagani had 20 years experience of composites combined with a lifetime passion for fast cars – an unstoppable combination. Pagani wanted to dedicate his car to Juan Manuel Fangio, one of the greatest racing drivers – if not the greatest driver – of all time, and Fangio said that in that case it must have a Mercedes-Benz engine.
AMG Mercedes-Benz engines as Fangio wished
Fangio died before the car could be built, but Pagani did negotiate a deal with AMG for a modified V-12 engine for his cars. This was a stroke of genius because the 7.3 liter V-12 gave the car terrific performance that immediately set it apart from its rivals. Since then, Pagani has built up a close relationship with AMG, now part of Daimler-Benz, such that AMG engineers modified the engine to suit the Zonda F, and supplies the 750 bhp racing engine for the Zonda R which is produced for Mercedes-Benz racing sedans.
Pagani's goal is to produce rare exotic cars that excel in all aspects of design: stunning acceleration, good steering and braking with high cornering power, yet with a comfortable ride and good visibility. All round excellence, rather than striving to build the fastest car in the world, or a car that is fastest from 0-100 mph and down to zero again.
Pagani is not particularly interested in racing himself, but decided to produce the Zonda R to meet requests from some customers. Unlike the other Zondas, the
Zonda R is optimised for track use, not road use.
Although designed for road use, the
Zonda F is an extremely fast car with terrific braking and high cornering power – readings of 1.5 g were obtained regularly when the Zonda F lapped the Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in 7 minutes 32 seconds. This is faster than the time achieved by the 800 bhp Koenigsegg CCR.
No ordinary factory
Pagani Automobili is no ordinary factory, no dull rectangular concrete block. The walls taper inwards, and there are flowers and shrubs all around, so it is a green oasis in a small industrial area near the old main road between Bologna and Modena.
In the entrance hall are a pair of Zondas, and the engines they use. The design department, shared with Modena Design is upstairs, and the production shops are on the ground floor. The basis of the Pagani Zondas are the carbon fiber composite body structure and body panels. Unusually, because of Pagani's background, all these parts are produced entirely in-house.
Temperature controlled lay-up shop
The origin of a Pagani Zonda is in the composite hand lay-up shop, where carbon fiber sheets, pre-impregnated with resin, are cut by hand to fit precisely in the molds.
Composites are often laid up in molds on one side only, the other side being left open. However, to obtain the precise dimensions needed, the carbon fiber sheets are laid between male and female molds at Pagani. Also, to ensure consistent quality, both the temperature and humidity inside the lay-up shop are maintained at constant levels.
Each set of moldings takes quite a time to produce. The main hull molding which consists of the passenger compartment takes longer than most being to its size and complexity. Altogether, there are 130 parts to a Zonda body.
Carbon fiber composites need to be cured in autoclaves - cylindrical chambers, which are subject to high vacuum to ensure that the parts are dense and strong. Pagani has two autoclaves – one for large parts and the other for small ones.
Zondas are built on stands
Zondas are built with the care and methods of a Grand Prix racing car. Because Pagani Automobili produces only about 18 cars a year, there is no production line. Instead, there are two or three stations where complete cars are built in sequence, with a team working on one car till it is finished.
When complete, every car is tested on the road before being delivered to the dealer. Zondas are generally built to order, and the customer is sent details of all the options on how to personalise the car when he places his order, and can follow the car through production.
Rigorous quality control
From the start of each car, Pagani takes a close interest in it, and his staff follow a rigorous two-stage quality control system to ensure that every car is up to top quality level expected by a perfectionist such as Horacio Pagani.
In addition, the firm keeps files of every part of each individual Zonda, starting the carbon fiber prepreg sheet and the finished panels. Thus, if there are any problems with a customer's Zonda, Pagani can find out exactly what parts were used, and whether any modifications have been made which should be applied to this particular car.
The passion for perfection shows
Horacio Pagani's touches are seen in many places on the car, such as the instrument binnacle, the way the Pagani logo is etched on to the bases for the wing mirrors, the recessing of the starter button in the top of the gear lever, the unusual glove locker and luggage compartments, and the beautiful intake manifolds.
The Pagani Zonda is not just about performance – which is massive – but is also about perfection in detail. With this combination, Pagani is able to give value for money despite the very high prices of the cars.
Typical of this is the special steering wheel, made by Nardi. It is an object of perfection, with aluminum spokes, a wooden rim and a flat section across the bottom. The part of the rim which you hold is shaped to fit your hands, and is trimmed in leather. Beautifully made in the Pagani style.
There is more demand for Pagani Zondas than can be met at present, so Pagani Automobili has obtained a site for a new factory, which is expected to more than double output and allow more cars to be serviced in the existing factory. Clearly, the passion for perfection is a great success story.
