McLaren F1 v Ferrari F40 v Pagani Zonda C12S v Lancia Delta Integrale v Bugatti Veyron v Honda NSX-R v Porsche 997 GT3 v Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R - Pagani Zonda: Pagani Zonda C12S

The vision of a slight, bespectacled, quietly spoken Argentinean called Horacio Pagani, the Zonda is a labour of love. Pagani spent more than 25,000 hours in the conceptual phase, exploring the style, the carbonfibre chassis, the suspension – all are his clean-sheet creations.

The same originality and attention to detail suffuses the interior. The dash, made from an aluminium casting, is linked to the steering column, which can be adjusted both for reach and height. The circular brake and clutch pedals can also be adjusted to tailor the driving position even more precisely. Designed by Modena Design and made from carbonfibre, the seats have generous fore-aft travel and can be adjusted for height, too.

The Zonda, you see, isn’t a substitute Ferrari or Lamborghini. The usual shapes and sensations have been shown the door. This is a stockier, shockier, more heavily muscled supercar that looks tough enough to chew on a Ferrari 430 between meals and not spoil its appetite. Even if you strip away the exotic curves and the aura of awe that envelops the Zonda wherever it goes, just the sight of the 7.3-litre V12, built by Mercedes’ AMG go-faster department, sitting in the cradle of the steel spaceframe is enough to make grown men weep.

Specifications