The six-time Formula One world champion, Lewis Hamilton, lives a life that most of us could only dream of. Money, fame, fortune, women... you name it, he's got it. All that sounds good, of course, but there's only one thing us gear-heads are interested in: his car collection.
Actually, a "car" collection isn't the best way to describe it. In reality, it's more of a treasure trove of multi-million dollar toys, all of which are highly sought after. From Ford to Ferrari, Hamilton has just about everything somebody could want. However, if forced to, could you bring yourself to only pick one?
Between his Ferrari LaFerrari and Mercedes-AMG Project One, there's a lot to consider when determining which is the 'best.' Sure, it's a subjective judgment, yet, nevertheless, we have our own opinion of what Lewis' coolest car is.
So, without further delay, let's go over (what we think is) Lewis Hamilton's greatest supercar of them all: the Pagani 760 LH...
The One-Off Pagani Zonda 760 LH
Of all the vehicles in Lewis Hamilton's garage, we think that his Pagani 760 LH is the greatest. To understand why we believe so, we need to explain the Zonda's history, as well as what the '760' models actually mean.
The Zonda was Pagani's first supercar, which lasted from 1999 up until 2017 (though, the 2017 version was a one-off). However, the Zonda 760-series didn't come to be till 2011/2012. After the non-street-legal Pagani Zonda R blew fans away in 2010, customers demanded a road-going version of the same thing. Eventually, the 760 fulfilled those desires.
Using Mercedes-Benz's 7.3-liter V12, M297, engine (the same one in the street-legal CLK GTR), the 760 had plenty of power for their size and weight. Nonetheless, the M297 kept getting more and more powerful as time went on; resulting in the 750-hp & 575 lb-ft of torque found in the 2012+ Zonda 760.
Because Hamilton's is a 2013 Zonda, his falls under that same umbrella, too. Yet, even though almost all the 760's share the same power source, the 760 LH goes above and beyond just that...
Redefining 'Bespoke'
What we meant above is the Pagani Zonda 760 LH's bespoke nature. For those who don't know, "bespoke" refers to something that is custom made; typically for a specific individual/thing. Often times, the term is used for clothes, but it still works in this situation.
Though Lewis Hamilton's Pagani Zonda 760 LH is the same (mechanically) as the normal 760 RS, there's only one LH. The 760 LH was based on the RS, however, it was custom fitted, designed, and tailored by the F1 world champion himself. His initials, L.H., served as the model designation for his one-of-a-kind Zonda.
As you can see, the differences between the RS and LH are striking! Instead of exposed carbon fiber, Hamilton went or a metallic purple, accented by black/carbon trim, as well. Along with the exterior, Hamilton also had his interior match the outside using a purple dash and cluster gauges.
Simply looking at photos of this monster of a car is enough to have us falling in love with it. We can only imagine what it would be to see it in person, let alone drive it ourselves. In spite of that fact, its price-tag of $2.6 million makes such a dream appear all but impossible.
Oh well, looks like we'll have to become ultra-millionaire to get our own custom Zonda. Either that or a world championship-winning F1 driver.
Hamilton's Feelings Towards The Zonda
From an outsider's perspective, Hamilton's Pagani Zonda 760 LH seems like the perfect, bespoke, supercar. Although, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. At least, that's what the 760 LH's owner, Lewis Hamilton, would have you believe.
According to an interview with The Sunday Times, Hamilton expressed his irritations towards his custom Zonda. He said, "The Zonda is terrible to drive! It’s the best-sounding car I own, but handling-wise it’s the worst. I got it in manual because I didn’t like the Tiptronic version."
That's hardly the glowing review you'd expect from someone who spent over $2 million on the car. Still, he praised the sound, gearbox, and speed, but not the handling. Of course, we need to take into account the Zonda 760's location, Monaco: a very tight, unforgiving place to drive a race car.
The fact that Monaco has low speed-limits could add to the poor handling, but it's likely not that great on open roads either. Notwithstanding, its to be anticipated in a track-purpose sports car. The last thing we'd expect from a road-going Zonda R is a comfortable ride, after all.
Knowing what we know now (with the handling, exorbitant cost, and appearance), we'd still take the 760 LH in a heartbeat! Even if it isn't good enough for a six-time F1 champ, it'll certainly be perfect for us.