2012 Pagani Zonda R Evolution Spark - S3562 (resin)
Published 08/23/23
Let’s say you want to buy a supercar. Very probably, the first brand that comes to mind is Ferrari, Lamborghini or perhaps Porsche or even McLaren. While they all produce some very fine and fierce machinery, you could say that they’re “common”. Well, if you consider a car that can easily cost around a million dollars as common, of course. If money is not an issue and you want something more exclusive, therefore you have to look elsewhere. With that in mind, Pagani fits the bill perfectly. Pagani’s first car, the Zonda C12, came out in 1999. From then on, Pagani released a few models that define the term supercar. Fast, expensive, luxurious and just as important, exclusive. Truth be told, with the exception of the Huayra, Pagani’s offerings were all variations of the original Zonda. Nonetheless, every single one embodies the definition of what a supercar should be.
According to Horacio Pagani, a supercar should be a moving piece of art. Fast, a pleasure to drive and delightful to the eye. That has been his motto since the C12. Through the years he evolved the Zonda incrementally, yet the new models were always “a Zonda”. Something like Porsche’s 911 – improved every generation, yet (theoretically) the same car in essence. The Zonda R, for instance, was a track day special, released in 2009. It was supposed to be the ultimate Zonda, in terms of performance on a racetrack. Powered by a 5987 cm³ V12 from AMG, it delivered 551 kW (738 hp) and 710 Nm of torque. That translated to 350 km/h of top speed and a 0-100 km/h in 2.6 seconds. Selling for US$ 1.8 million when new, Pagani produced 15 Zonda R. Two years later Pagani replaced the Zonda with the Huayra.
Even though the Huayra was out since 2011, Pagani came back to the Zonda. In 2012, for the Goodwood Festival of Speed, he quietly released the Zonda R Evolution. In essence it was a meaner version of the R, with the same central carbon fiber chassis and engine. Pagani tuned AMG’s 6.0 V12 to deliver 567 kW (760 hp), making the car even faster. Chassis and engine were covered by pearl white carbon fiber panels with exposed carbon fiber on the nose. The car also received aerodynamic tweaks for better downforce. Though there were plans to produce five cars, Pagani only produced one chassis, the one seen at Goodwood. By the way, that chassis was the original Zonda R prototype. Unfortunately though, around 2014, Pagani transformed it into a Zonda Revolución. Nowadays that car can be seen at the Pagani headquarters in San Cesario sul Panaro, near Modena, Italy.
The 12-year old in me finds the Zonda R Evolution stunning. Well, admittedly, I’m a sucker for cars that look like wingless rocket ships. And in scale, Spark made a masterpiece, just as gorgeous as my Revolución. In fact, as far as I can tell, they’re exactly the same model 🤨. The only difference is the livery and the wheels, though I really don’t know if that’s how the 1:1 should look. Being such a rare car, and with such a brief existence, info on the Evolution is scarce. So, did Spark cut corners? I hope not – from the pics I’ve seen it looks right, so I’ll consider it legit.
Nonetheless, and assuming that the R Evolution is correct, it is a beautiful model. However, just like the real Zondas, in 1:43rd these models are really hard to come by. I was extremely lucky to find this one, and best of all, for a truly bargain price. A great addition to the W-143 Garage.