To be produced in a strictly limited edition of 40 completely made-to-measure cars, the Zonda Roadster will once again cristallize Pagani’s philosophy: marry the most exotic technology – such as the never-seen-before carbon fiber/carbon textile removable roof – to the loving care of the artigiano handwork, to produce Una Macchina con Anima.

The new Zonda Roadster, like all Pagani creations, has been designed around truly innovative technology ideas, and with a special attention to safety – a key issue in the super convertibles segment, and a constant preoccupation of the manufacturer – as its technical specs show:

• The new carbon fiber central chassis structure reaches the highest structural rigidity level available in the segment, 18.000 Nm/mm in torsional rigidity, 9.000 Nm/mm in flexional rigidity, for a dry weight of 1280 Kg.
• The roll bar, elliptical in section, is built out of carbon and chrome-molybdene alloy and is linked to the aft section of the chassis through a finely handworked Ergal element.
• The full-carbon body shows a new engine hood configuration, and a new rear hood design where two NACA air vents work as air extractors.
• The 7.3 liter Mercedes Benz AMG engine transmits its 555HP/750Nm power through the ABS/Traction Control safety systems already used in the Zonda S.
• The wheels are forged in aluminum and the 255/35/19 and 345/35/19 tires have been specially developed for the Zonda by Michelin, adding to the car’s unique styling and technology.

But the Zonda Roadster is not just a list of superlative safety and perfomance specs: according to Horacio Pagani, founder and head designer of Pagani Automobili: The new Zonda Roadster we will unveil in Geneva is a true expression of the Pagani sprit: we do not just build supercars, we build ‘Una Macchina con Anima, a car with a soul’. What the public will discover is more than a beautiful piece of emotion turned into carbon fiber and aluminum: only 40 Zonda Roasters will be handbuilt, each one to the exact taste of its owner, like a perfect-fitting tailored suit. Each will be an original object of desire, each with its own story, each offering something way beyond technical perfection: a soul.

This search for the ultimate level of personalizzazione, a defining Pagani criterion, is especially visible in the car’s interior: rare leathers, hand-tailored by Pagani’s own team of craftsmen, aluminum and carbon-fiber, all chosen by the car’s owner, producing a symphony of sights, touch, smells and sounds that matches the driver’s tastes and personality.

Horacio Pagani, with his Zonda C12 in 1998, then the C12S in 2000 and the Zonda Roadster in 2003, has created a new generation of legendary cars. At the 2–4 Mondial de l’Automobile, Pagani Automobili reaffirmed its evolution by displaying a two-tone Pagani Roadster as their highlight stand.

Every Pagani is unique, but the Paris Show Car is the first with a two tone paint, very similar to certain cars built in the middle of last century. The upper part of the car is a beautiful metallic Red while the lower part is a metallic Black enlightened by golden dust. This special finishing allows a visual blending of the carbon fibre components with the lower body elements and produces a dynamic effect of the silhouette that is already particularly airy in this open version.

It is also important to highlight that the Roadster, as well as the two other cars displayed, is equipped with the new version of the gearbox produced for Pagani by Cima, the gearbox specialist. Thanks to the experience gained by this supplier in the Formula 1 field, this gearbox allows a faster and, simultaneously, very comfortable gear shifting, thanks to a shorter stroke on the gearbox lever, shortened by 20%, to a refinement of the gearshift mechanism and improved synchronisers, underlining even more the purism of this transmission.

Specs & Performance

Pictures & Gallery

See full 2003 Pagani Zonda C12-S Roadster Gallery here