Mad, plaid, topless: Horacio Pagani’s Zonda HP Barchetta
Production of the first car from Pagani Automobili, the Zonda, supposedly ended years ago. But then a surprise special edition was built. And another one. And another one, to the point where Horacio Pagani is starting to sound like DJ Khaled. Pushing the company’s second car, the Huayra, to the side, Pagani brought another old but new Zonda to Pebble Beach this past weekend, this time in roadster form as a special project built specifically for founder Horacio.
The topless blue beauty is called the HP Barchetta, and it’s an example of how Horacio envisioned his ideal Zonda. The word barchetta, Italian for “little boat,” simply indicates that it is an open two-seater. The HP Barchetta uses an entirely carbon-fiber body to keep its dry weight down to 2756 pounds. Underneath, it uses chrome-moly vanadium steel tubing for its front and rear subframes, while the monocoque was constructed using Pagani’s proprietary materials, which it calls carbotitanium and carbo-triax HP52, for maximum strength and minimum mass. The result is a stunning blue-tinted, carbonwoven shape that includes bolt-on gloss carbon-fiber wheel fairings.
Although it has some aero pieces previously seen on the Zonda Cinque roadster, including the insane air scoop seen behind and between the seats, this Zonda’s windshield was cut down even lower for a true roadster experience. Special tartan cloth has been integrated into the white leather seats, which resemble those seen in the Huayra BC, as well as on the door panels.
The Barchetta stands on staggered forged-aluminum alloy APP wheels, 20 inches up front and 21 inches in the rear. Behind the blue-painted spokes are four-piston and six-piston ventilated disc brakes from Brembo (Pagani also has wheels without the blue). The package is completed with Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires.
Challenging those brakes and tires during sporty driving is a Mercedes-AMG V-12 engine linked to a six-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. Pagani made no statements regarding power or performance numbers for the car.
The Zonda HP Barchetta displayed during Monterey Car Week is one of only three that will be built. An official price has not been released, but considering that its focal point is the founder of the company, it’s likely to be a number that would melt brains faster than the eclipse (potentially) melted retinas.