Pagani's first car: Zonda C12

You probably wouldn't have heard of Pagani before now, simply because the marque is relatively new to the auto scene. It has two cars to offer thus far - a super-sports car and a tweaked, go-even-faster super-sports car.

Called the 'Zonda C12', this rather stunning car was a labour of love by Horacio Pagani, an Argentina-born industrial designer.

It was in the 1980s that he landed a job with Lamborghini. From here, the motor car would forever play a part in Pagani's life. After working with Automobili Lamborghini, Pagani wanted to create his own car. And he did.

At the core of the Zonda is a Mercedes Benz V12 mill, with all 5,987cc of displacement. It's interesting to note that Horacio chose a Mercedes engine because one of his close friends, the great racer Juan Manuel Fangio, urged him to.

The 6.0-litre powerplant creates 290kW of power @ 5,200rpm with torque figures verging on the ridiculous, too. Try on 570Nm @ 3,800rpm.

Now, even with hefty amounts of power on tap, it's very important how a car uses the available power. There's no use chucking a big-block V8 into an old Datsun 120Y chassis, as it would literally fall apart under the stress (and it wouldn't fit in the engine bay, either). Sure would do nice burnouts, though...

For this reason, Pagani decided the engine must be bolted to the mid-section of the car - just behind where the driver sits.

For a start, this engine positioning helps reduce the car's centre of gravity, meaning the Zonda will handle predictably, even under extreme race conditions.

Also, the aerodynamics contribute greatly to the cars ability to reach very high speeds. With a low drag co-efficient, the Zonda can reach speeds of 200mph+ (330kmh+). From standstill, the Pagani supercar can reach 100kmh in just 4.5 seconds.

The six-speed transmission allows the car to reach these heady speeds and after evaluating an all-wheel drive layout, Pagani opted for the weight-saving and more traditional rear-wheel drive.

The chassis design was created with a mind towards engine cooling. With a number of air-inlets feeding fresh air to the engine, plus outlets, too, allowing the contaminated air buildup in the engine bay to escape, the Zonda will always breathe easily.

The styling of the Zonda is either amazing or terrible, depending on who you talk to. The general opinion around the Wombat office was favourable, though. Most would comment on the amazing quad-cluster exhaust pipes and general aerospace-ish look of the whole car.

From the front, the Zonda just exudes class with the stylised double-headlights. It also speaks of a Lamborghini-inspired front apron. With what are technically termed 'massive fats', the rear wheels are in constant fear of becoming nothing more than thread and rim. Truly, the Zonda's footwear, supplied by Oz Wheels, are just another facet of this impressive piece of engineering.

The body panels, and much of the cars structure and even chassis, for that matter, were created using expensive carbon fibre. The primary reason for using this material is simple - weight reduction. While it won't break any featherweight records, the Zonda S is still a commendable 1250kg dry.

Inside, the Zonda is graced with three major materials: carbon fibre, leather and aluminium. The effect is simple, yet sporty and the ergonomically designed interior is more reminiscent of an F-16 cockpit than the inside of a car. With a three-spoke sports steering wheel, a sports instrument display and plenty of other suitably extreme fittings, the Zonda is indeed a true supercar.

The only problem remains paying for one of these bad boys in Australia. First, you must put down a meagre $1,200,000 for the coupe or $1,400,000 for the convertible. And insurance? Don't ask...

Horacio Pagani has fulfilled his dream of creating his own car. Perhaps the company will go on to be another Lamboghini or Maserati, now that it has a first car. But whatever happens to Pagani, at least the Zonda C12 didn't end up as just a concept sketch.