One to Buy: Unique 2014 Pagani Zonda 760 LM Roadster
Even though it had to compete with some super high end rivals from the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, McLaren, Bugatti and Koenigsegg, the Pagani Zonda has seemingly come to be regarded as arguably the most sought after automotive creation of the 21st century.
140 Zondas were eventually completed during around a decade-and-a-half in production, a figure that included a dizzying array of special editions and even some true one offs. Many were also returned to Pagani for customisation by later owners.
A car that falls into both the last two of those categories is chassis ‘76048’ which is set to go under the hammer at RM Sotheb’s auction in Dubai on December 1st.
Set to realise an astonishing USD $12m, 76048 started life as a Zonda S 7.3 Roadster. It was then sent back to Pagani for a complete rebuilt to 760 LM Roadster trim on behalf of the consigning owner for whom a matching 760 LM Coupe was also completed.
Configured in exposed carbonfibre with green highlights over charcoal alcantara upholstery with green stitching, one of the most striking aspects unique to these LM specials were custom headlight clusters designed to mimic contemporary Le Mans Prototypes. Elsewhere, Pagani included a variety of Cinque, Tricolore, and Zonda R features.
Unlike many Zondas, chassis 76048 has been regularly exercised since its 2014 revamp with 28,500km currently showing on the odometer.
Reprinted below is RM Sotheby’s description:
Chassis No.ZA9C820C110F76048
One of the best-known editions of Pagani’s Zonda 760 series
Produced by Horacio Pagani to the exacting specifications of its consigning owner
Presented in stunning clear lacquered bare carbon
Incredible craftsmanship with extraordinary details throughout
A regular participant in Pagani Radunos and other exclusive supercar tours
The story of Horacio Pagani and his eponymous company is now known the world over, but it had very humble beginnings. Through extraordinary hard work, personal financial investment, engineering ingenuity, and overriding passion, Horacio Pagani formed Modena Design to provide composites expertise. From Modena Design, Pagani Automobili S.p.A. was founded to develop a dream that would become the Zonda.
A key event in the development of the Zonda was sealed with the help of Juan Manuel Fangio. Shortly before Fangio died, he helped Pagani secure supply of Mercedes-Benz’s legendary M120 V-12 engines. Incredibly, the Zonda would take five years after this deal to be revealed to the world, mainly due to the car being developed by Horacio Pagani himself without a large engineering team behind him. The purity of Pagani’s single-minded vision for the Zonda is one of the reasons why the model is today one of the most revered cars in the world.
Unveiled at the 1999 Geneva International Motor Show, the Zonda C12 was powered by a 6.0-litre version of the engine tuned by AMG. Weighing in at a claimed 1,250 kilograms, it could accelerate to 100 km/h from a standstill in 3.7 seconds and top out at nearly 300 km/h.
Due to their handmade nature, Zondas have always taken a huge amount of time to build, and only five cars were completed in the first year of production before the 7.0-litre S version was announced with additional design upgrades to the front and rear clams. Two years later in 2002, the final capacity for the Zonda of 7.3 litres was revealed, the ultimate iteration of the M120 V-12, widely regarded as one of greatest engines ever to be produced out of Stuttgart. In addition, the Roadster version was first made available, adding another capability to the hugely talented model.
As Pagani’s reputation grew, customers’ demands for unique specifications grew so special editions began to emerge, and a Zonda S was prepared for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As the Ferrari Enzo, Porsche Carrera GT, and Bugatti Veyron were launched, Pagani updated the Zonda again with the F, the ultimate production version. Special editions in series of five appeared such as the Cinque and Tricolore.
Keeping close to his motorsport origins, Horacio Pagani developed the Zonda R in 2007 with the prime aim of taking the lap record of the Nürburgring Nordschleife for non-road-legal cars, something it achieved by beating Ferrari’s 599XX by over 10 seconds.
With the Tricolore and R, it seemed as though the Zonda had reached its zenith, yet Pagani took the motoring world by surprise when it announced the 760 RS. It seemed that customers wanted the thrill of a Zonda R on the road, so Pagani had made it a mission to surpass the R’s 739 horsepower with AMG’s engineers bringing the engine power up to 760 horsepower with a 7,500 rpm redline. To help handle the power, a seven-speed paddle-shift automated-manual gearbox was developed, boosting acceleration and top speed even further.
Pagani’s improvements for the 760 weren’t merely mechanical; the chassis was redesigned to be built out of carbo-titanium, essentially carbon fibre with titanium fibres interwoven through the composite. This development not only created a stiffer platform but shed even more weight from a car that was already considered featherweight compared to the competition.
Starting with a Zonda S 7.3 Roadster, this Zonda LM Roadster was built to full 760 specification to the exact wishes of the consigning owner. Built as a pair with the Zonda LM Coupé, the LM Roadster features bare lacquered carbon fibre throughout with green flashes, and in Pagani’s signature finish of being perfectly laid up from panel to panel.
Throughout the body are beautiful Cinque, Tricolore, and Zonda R features including but not limited to Cinque sills, Cinque front spoiler, Cinque front wheelarch louvres, 760-specification front wheelarch eyelids, Cinque rear diffuser, Zonda R-style front dive planes, Cinque Roadster air intake, 19-inch Zonda R-style wheels, Huayra wing mirrors, Tricolore rear quarter intakes, 760-specification rear fin, Cinque engine cover, Zonda R-style rear brake lights, Zonda Revolución-inspired rear wing, and a Tricolore exhaust outlet.
A unique light cluster was created for the LMs, inspired by contemporary Le Mans prototypes with it being a covered headlight arrangement.
Finally, the interior was adorned with competition-derived features including an Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, suede and leather bucket seats, four-point harnesses, and beautiful green stitching throughout to match the exterior highlights.
Following its delivery to the consigning owner, this incredible Zonda LM Roadster has participated in several Pagani Radunos, Supercar Owners Circle tours, and passing appearances at events throughout Europe. The odometer displays 28,505 kilometres at the time of cataloguing.
Today, only 140 Zonda road cars exist, an extraordinarily low number for any supercar. Celebrating its 25th anniversary during 2024, the Zonda is now regarded as one of the greatest supercars ever made, spoken of in the same sentence as the McLaren F1, Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, and Porsche 911 GT1.
It is incredibly rare for a Zonda to be offered at public auction, the last time being at RM Sotheby’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix sale in 2019. This LM Roadster is one of the highest specification Zondas in the world. It will be unlikely that another of this outstanding quality will reach the market again soon.
