Italians are known for many things: Their food, their culture, and their impact on world events throughout history. In more recent history, though, Italy has become known for much more than just their culinary expertise and ancient chronicles. Instead, they’ve also become famous for their automobiles.
Although several other European countries produce their own vehicles as well, Italians seem to have a particular way of doing so. Some would see this as “form-over-function,” however, that isn’t the case as these cars both look stunning and perform outstandingly.
To see examples of this engineering prowess, look no further than the Modena based Pagani Automobili. Since their start in the early ‘90s, Pagani has constantly pumped out beautiful cars that also go quite fast. Some are more impressive than others, but, nonetheless, these ten Pagani’s are some of their most jaw-dropping models they’ve ever made…
10 10. Pagani Huayra La Monza Lisa
If you owned a $4.5 million dollar Lamborghini Veneno, a Lamborghini Aventador 50th Anniversario Edition, and a Koenigsegg Agera XS, you may think to yourself: “What else can I possibly buy?” Well, apparently Kris Singh (The owner of these beautiful vehicles) decided to go with a special edition Pagani Huayra.
The Huayra, named after the South American wind god, certainly earns its title. This wasn’t enough for Singh, though. The only thing that would do is a special one-off version known as the “La Monza Lisa” (Very clever). Even though Da Vinci didn’t paint it, the La Monza Lisa is still a rolling work of art.
9 9. Pagani Zonda C12
The Pagani Zonda C12: Where it all began. Yes, the C12 is, in fact, the first Pagani ever made by the talented Horacio Pagani. Even though the company began in ’92, the first C12 wasn’t actually sold until 1999.
Regardless of this delay, the C12 was certainly worth the wait. Sadly, though, only a handful was made and, of that handful, few were actually sold. That didn’t matter, though, since the C12 completed its ultimate goal: Put Pagani on the map and be a competitive supercar.
8 8. Pagani Zonda Tricolore
Pagani, sometimes, has a hard time letting go of the past. Their last Zonda model was supposed to be the Cinque and Cinque Roadsters, but Horacio just couldn’t let it go so soon. That’s why when the idea of a modified Cinque arose he jumped at the opportunity.
Based off of the limited production Zonda Cinque, the Tricolore is very similar. Except for its color, of course, since the Tricolore has (Wait for it…) three colors on the stripes with a carbon blue exterior.
7 7. Pagani Zonda 760 RS
For those who know of the classic Zonda R and Zonda Revolución, you may wish that there were street-legal alternatives to such powerful vehicles. Thankfully, with the help of Horacio Pagani’s close friends, one was created: The Zonda 760 RS.
The 760 RS, nicknamed ‘The Beast,’ certainly deserves its sobriquet. It’s indeed a bona fide monster of a car. The 760 RS is, essentially, just a slightly toned down version of its track only model. Except, this one isn’t so loud it will blow out your eardrums or be banned from racetracks throughout England.
6 6. Pagani Huayra 730S
If you’re big into the Instagram car scene, you’ve likely heard of the Pagani Huayra 730S. Now named the Huayra ‘Da Vinci’ after being sold by its original owner, the 730S/Da Vinci can still be seen cruising around the streets of Los Angeles.
Upon first glance, it’s obvious where the 730S got its design queues from: The original Zonda Tricolore. It sports the same carbon-blue exterior with the Italian flag stripe across the body with gold accents littered throughout. Still, the 730S/Da Vinci isn’t a complete carbon copy of the Zonda version. Rather, it has it’s own characteristics and even more power than the old Zonda.
5 5. Pagani Zonda Cinque
As mentioned previously, Pagani has a hard time letting go of things. This rings especially true for their Zonda models. The then Top Gear presenters James May, Richard Hammond, and Jeremy Clarkson even commented on this phenomenon when the Zonda Cinque was first announced.
Originally, Pagani was supposed to drop the Zonda for the (Then) upcoming Huayra, however, they decided to make a few special models with the Cinque. Thankfully, the Cinque was not a waste of time, since it’s one of the most rare and most sought after Zonda’s ever made. They only ended up making ten in total: Five coupes and five roadsters.
As such, the Cinque’s are incredibly expensive and rare. This really makes you think, chiefly when you realize that one man in Los Angeles owns two of them… Wow!
4 4. Pagani Zonda LH
Pagani is well known for their special edition/one-off versions of their already existent models. Actually, many of their cars are one-offs or custom builds for special customers. And what customer is more special than the five-time world Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton?
The Zonda LH has a fairly obvious reason behind its name. It was commissioned and purchased by Lewis Hamilton, so it’s only natural to label it with his initials. Not only does an F1 driver own it, but it also has a very unique color combo of exposed carbon fiber and a dark metallic purple. It’s strange to think why no one had thought of a purple Zonda before, but we can be glad that Hamilton turned it into a reality.
3 3. Pagani HP Barchetta
Unveiled in mid-2018, once again Pagani just couldn’t drop their Zonda fever. However, this is supposedly the “last” Zonda to be made (If you believe them). To really go out with a bang, though, Pagani has priced the HP Barchetta at an eye watering $17.5 million dollars.
That’s an incredibly high price for one car, but man would it be worth it. The HP Barchetta is unlike any other Zonda on the market, especially due to its roadster profile. It has a cut windscreen, rear-wheel covers, and hints of previous models like the Cinque and Zonda F.
Even though $17.5 million dollars is a lot for a single car, Pagani had no issue selling it. Who wouldn’t want that car anyways?
2 2. Pagani Huayra BC
To have a Pagani model named after you, you need to meet a few criteria’s: Either purchase a special edition, be close friends with Horacio Pagani, or be the first person to buy a Pagani car. In this case, it was the last option, since the Huayra BC was named after Benny Caiola, the first to buy a Zonda C12 in 1999.
After Caiola’s death, Horacio decided to make a vehicle in his memory. Hence, the Huayra BC was born. The BC is essentially a standard Huayra on amphetamines. With a total of almost 800 horsepower and just 2685 lbs., it’s the fastest Huayra made to date. Now, the Huayra BC is likely going to receive a roadster version that will boost its popularity even more. Hopefully, it can compare against the likes of the McLaren P1 and Ferrari SF90 Stradale.
1 1. Pagani Zonda Revolución
After the success and praise received from the car community over the brutally fast Zonda R, Pagani, once again, wanted to one-up themselves. But, how would they do this? They certainly couldn’t do it with a road-legal car, so the obvious choice was to make another track-only vehicle. And so, the Zonda Revolución was conceived.
The Revolución is basically a supped up version of an already quick Zonda R. The V12 Mercedes-AMG engine inside boasts a significant 790 horsepower (Just like the Zonda R Evo) and it even has a Drag Reduction System (D.R.S.) just like the ones found in Formula One. With these upgrades and reduced weight, the Revolución crushed the Zonda R’s Nurburgring record by over 15 seconds. That’s a world of a difference in terms of lap times. Especially when you manage to build a car that can go around the infamous 16.12-mile circuit in less than six and a half minutes.