Dream car builder Horacio Pagani and company have officially confirmed the creation of its extremely limited (i.e. beyond expensive) Zonda Cinque supercar and in doing so, have revealed many advanced technologies said to be utilized in future Pagani models. The word “cinque,” as in Pagani Cinque, means “five” of course. This newest Pagani is actually the road-legal version of the racetrack-only Pagani Zonda R, and all 5 are already spoken for. Not that we could have bought one, but it would have been nice to have had the opportunity.

The car was commissioned by Hong Kong dealer SPS who had a number of customers interested in a roadgoing version of the track-only Pagani Zonda R that debuted last year.

The term “exotic” can only begin to describe the materials used in constructing Pagani’s latest beast.  The company went so far as to develop its own carbon-titanium composite material that will be incorporated throughout the lightweight car.

The Zonda Cinque, boasts 678 horsepower and 575 lb. ft. of torque and will be able to teleport from 0 to 60 in 3.4 seconds, and at 186 MPH the Cinque creates more than half its own weight in downforce.

One of the new technologies making its debut on the Cinque is a Cima sequential six-speed transmission controlled via steering wheel paddles or a center console mounted stick-shift.  An industry first, forged monolock (think Ferrari F50) multi-piece titanium wheels with Pagani branded titanium fasteners adorn each corner and are wrapped with extremely wide Pirelli PZero rubber.

Inside the cabin, the interior is fully customizable with raw carbon fiber trimmings extending even to the pair of Toora racing seats.  On the exterior, carbon-titanium aerodynamic diffusers take their places on either end of the car, while large front and rear air intakes are positioned to cool the massive 15-inch Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes.  Together with the sealed flat-bottom design, Pagani’s engineers claim the car produces 750 kg (1653 lbs) of downforce at 300 km/h (186 mph).

The engine under the cover that’s producing the 678HP with 575 Ft-Lbs of torque is provided by Mercedes-Benz and AMG.  Pagani chose to be vague with details regarding its German powerplant, leaving the doors wide open for speculation.  The engine is managed by a Bosch ECU and expels its exhaust through full-titanium pipes.

Keeping the power on the ground is a fully-adjustable Ohlins suspension system made from titanium and magnesium.  In total, the car weighs 20 kg (44 lbs) less than the “regular” Zonda F at just 2667 lbs.

Pagani claims the Zonda Cinque can hit 62 mph in 3.4 seconds and achieve a top speed of over 217 mph.  Unfortunately though, if you want a $1.5 million Zonda Cinque, you’re already too late: the five car run is already sold out.

Source: Pagani

Like a family crest, most Automotive emblems actually represent something important to their maker. Whether it be something historically important for the founder, ideals the brand strives towards, or a testament to someone’s ego, the symbol of each company has a history.

We stumbled across this encyclopedia of sorts that has cataloged the origins and meanings for almost every one of the worlds major automakers, and we must say, it’s pretty darn interesting. For instance Chevy’s logo has come about from…

…Popular legend has it that the Chevrolet logo was inspired by wallpaper in a French hotel where William C. Durant was staying (the legend says he saw the pattern marching off into infinity as a design on the wallpaper and tore a piece of it off to keep to show to friends and later turn into the company logo). However, his wife says that the bowtie emblem was first seen by her husband in a Virginia newspaper on a vacation around 1912, upon which he told her that the thought it’d be a very good emblem for the Chevrolet (per Chevrolet Pro Management Magazine, October 1986).

Or, Smart’s logo…..Apart from the Smart name (all lowercase), the Smart logo features a ‘C’ for ‘Compact’, and an arrow for ‘forward thinking’.

Cool Stuff, I Swear!

Take a look at the full list here.

Supposedly the newest version of the Pagani Zonda will ditch the big Mercedes V12 for a smaller new V8. Now, thanks to AutoExpress, we have evidence to support that rumor. They’ve been kind enough to bring us these spy photos and video showing us up-close details of the new car.The technical specs are still unconfirmed, but speculators are suggesting the new engine will be the pumping out 680 HP from the dry-sump V8 from the McLaren Mercedes SLR 722 GT. I’m not sure why McLaren would be giving away its tech to Pagani, especially with the SLR production winding down, but of course we’re still in the rumor mill stages of things anyway. With 0-60 runs most likely in the 3 second range, your right foot will most likely NOT be disappointed with the loss of cylinders still.From the video, the first thing you’ll probably notice will be the less brutal sound of the new V8. The Pagani Zonda seems a lot quieter going around the track. But honestly, Pagani lovers will probably not be disappointed by the harmony produced from the new V8. But we will just have to wait and see what the final engine will actually be for this iconic car. Stay tuned for more information!