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Happened just last week. Spot the SG car that most likely flew up.

Can't afford a Zonda but still want that V12 shriek? No worries, a late 90's Mercedes-Benz S600, SL600 or CL600 and some nice exhaust will solve your problem nicely. For those who know their Mercedes stuff well, you will probably know that the Zonda C12, uses the same unfettled 6.0-litre M120 engine that was found in these large cars from Mercedes. Or there is also the smaller but newer M137 5.8-litre ones that came after the M120. However, I am not sure if there are any such variants left around locally. Anyone seen an early W220 S600 lately? Anyway, if you do happen to have a S/CL/SL600 with you, then get onto Techincal Garage Sasaki's Facebook page and drop them a message saying you want one of their custom made exhaust systems. It comprises of a equal length manifold, front pipe with racing catalytic converter and a centre pipe. Of course it will not be cheap. Nearly $S12,000 to be exact. So is it worth it? Listen for yourself! http://dai.ly/x22n0uc_full-original-exhaust_auto

It is a known fact that Pagani doesn't build more than 40 units of the Pagani Zonda roadster in the whole world. Now, even if you have the money to buy it, you might not really get the chance to get your hands on one. However, this time, there's one unit of Pagani Zonda roadster up for grabs, provided that you're interested and quick enough to grab it. Well, you will have to splash at least around US$1.6 million (S$2 million) to get a brand new Pagani Zonda roadster. However, in this case, US$153,135 (around S$189,000) will do. Well, don't be surprised as the car isn't in a hundred percent good working condition. It experienced a crash some time ago. However, aside from its oil feeder and a portion of its front chassis, all the mechanical parts of the car are in good working condition. Nonetheless, you may have to replace each of the body panels, besides the windshield. Well, it isn't surprising to expect to spend a couple hundred thousands of dollars. Compared to the original price of the Pagani Zonda roadster, it

Pagani, that Italian automotive company that only recently burst into the supercar market has officially revealed the Huarya. The Pagani Zonda replacement's photos were released as a result of press leaks and ahead of its official unveiling at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. And what I cam say is that it shares the same silhouette as the outgoing Zonda with the exception of a blunt front end (whereas the Zonda was low and swoopy) and those nicely hinged gull-winged doors which the Zonda does not have. I suppose Pagani had to add those doors to improve the Huayra's 'wow' factor. This is certainly due to that bluff front end. The old Zonda looked perfectly proportioned, like a fabulous Group C racer with that short, low front end and that longish read end dominated by the space requirement of that AMG 7.3liter (in the more powerful Zonda variants). This Huayra, while named after the a god of wind lacks the delicacy of the older car. But Pagani wants us to know that this new car was designed with aerodynamics at the forefront. The front end adds cooling and the whole car has four aero flaps that is adjustable to improve downforce at speed. At least it retains the unique looking four exhaust tip setup from the Zonda which I totally love. Inside, the Huayra improves on the Zonda instead of taking a step backwards like the exterior. The leather, wood and aluminum trimming looks fabulous. It somehow manages to blend all of this into a cohesively beautiful package that somehow works. This is one of the reason why Pagani succeeded in breaking into the high end super car market. It has such a fabulous interior that outdoes most supercars (Ferrari and Lamborghini included) but it is not garish or too outrageous. And this new cabin adds bluetooth and touch screen entertainment for the driver (and passenger) to 'play' with. The Zonda weighed about 1,300kgs, which is light for a full borne supercar. The god of the wind however weighs about 120kgs heavier. This is I believe due to the fact that the car has added safety and comfort features as well as being totally homologated to meet the tight US automotive requirements. This is in spite of having a full carbon fiber monocoque tub, carbon ceramic brakes and lots of carbon fiber bits and pieces. The engine is still an AMG sourced one but this time it is a newly developed 6.0liter twin turbocharged V12 (instead of the earlier 6.0, 7.0 or the final 7.3liter V12 unit) that pumps out around 700bhp and 1000Nm of torque. All that power runs through an XTRAC seven speed sequential transmission mounted transversely behind the engine, much like the Zonda (hence the long rear deck). While no performance figures have been published, it is expected to get to 100km/h from rest in about 3.3 or so seconds and should max out at around 370km/h or 230mph. Car prices for the Huayra is expected to be in the region of 1 million Euro and production is scheduled to begin sometime in the middle of this year. Expect a Huayra landing on the island of Singapore by the end of the year or even earlier. The reason I mentioned this is that one of Pagani's largest markets for their Zondas is Singapore, with around 22 sold and delivered to various lucky individuals over here since it was launched in 1999. If you think that isn't that many you have to take into account that Pagani has only made about 117 or so Zondas since 1999. So will the Huayra's looks make it less popular than the Zonda over here? I wouldn't know. We'll have to wait for test reports to come out and see if it really takes the Zonda to the cleaners or not.

Last September, a Pagani Zonda S was crashed during a test drive near Aberdeen, UK. While details are limited, the accident did

Page H18 of today's straits times. Holy mama ! This 50+ year old chap also owns lamborghini, Porsches, Rollsroyces and a few ferraris including the limited edition Enzo Ferrari

Wah liao... SG$1,800,000... bye bye liao [inline pagani_20030211_001.jpg] [inline pagani_053002_02.jpg] [inline pagani_051502_01.jpg] [inline pagani_053002_01.jpg]

Ok, after reading a lot of nonsense, I would like to set the record straight once and for all - the Ford Focus is the best car out there. How do I know? Well, let's take yesterday's encounter. I was pulling out of a customer's place at Changi when in front of me was the tiniest yellow jet fighter I'd ever seen, complete with four-barreled exhaust and canvas roof. Yes my friends, it's the Pagani C12 Zonda S Roadster, and this was the view I got: [inline rdrear1.JPG] This is my chance, I said to me. So what if he's got a 7.3 litre V12 AMG powerplant churning out 555bhp and 750Nm in a seriously lightweight carbon fibre chassis? I bet it doesn't have pressure-sensitive power windows! Anyhow... He must be worried to see a Focus behind him, because he's keeps revving at the lights, vibrating everything within a 50 metre radius. I wind down my windows (did I mention pressure-sensitive?) to hear it better - damn, that engine sounds good, all barritone at the lower revvs, overlaid by mad barking in the higher regions. Doesn't scare me though. I check my semi-Yamaha unit: sounds like a hummingbird doing a chihuahua impression by comparison. Hmmm... So the lights go green, and Zonda-man goes shooting off onto the ECP. 0-100kmh in 3.5sec? Didn't verify, but playing it cool I caught up with him at 90kmh in less than 20 seconds. By which time he was on the 2nd lane - he must have known I'd beat him anyway. Being the magnanimous person that I am, I pulled back to the second in front of him to give some chance. But he didn't take the bait, slowing to 85kmh 5 car lengths behind me. So I slow down a little bit more, and finally he decides to blast past (my windows down again!), to 'show who's boss'. Yeah riiiiiight. He gets back on lane two and keeps at a steady 80kmh - 80kmh! See lah, these 'supercars' must be so brittle, whack a bit must rest... In the end, I get tired of holding back, and pass him. If he knew I hadn't even touched my top speed yet, he would have felt even more embarassed. Bottom line? No point spending $2million on a cramped poser ride when you can easily seat five with power windows all round, and a big boot for less than 5% of that. Performance? Handling? What's that? And carbon fibre? The last time I tapped it, it felt soooo cheap compared with good 'ol steel. If the Focus can beat a Zonda, what else can compare????

http://www.supercars.net/PicFetch?pic=2003_pagani_zonda_c12-s_roadster-1.jpg http://www.supercars.net/PicFetch?pic=2003_pagani_zonda_c12-s_roadster-2.jpg http://www.supercars.net/PicFetch?pic=2003_pagani_zonda_c12-s_roadster-3.jpg 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 7.3l 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 cars 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. Story by Pagani Automobili