What is the Zonda F?
It’s a car, but not in the usual sense.
Let’s say it’s more of an object.It’s not made by hundreds of people, hundreds of computers, hundreds of things that can’t be touched, seen or understood. The Zonda F is made by hand, by Maurizio, Pirta, Tiziana, Gnacca, Fazio and justa few others; by people who put their heart and soul into their work. In addition to this we have the unrivalled support of our partners who equally share our passion for the finished product.
The idea has been to create a car that was light, safe, original yet offering great performance, using the best technology available and inspired by racing cars, the same concept that inspired the creation of the fantastic Miura of the ‘60’s. Fangio wanted it to be equipped with a Mercedes-Benz engine and his wish has become reality thanks to AMG who have provided us with their 12 cylinder engine; A lightweight motor, with over 600 BHP and 760 Nm max. of torque.
Monstrously beautiful!
What is the Zonda F in technical terms?
It is a custom built car made primarily of carbon fibre, of aluminium alloys, titanium,avional, chrome-molybdenum alloy and selected leathers. Some of these materials are transformed using the most advanced technologies…others, by the best craftsmen. We check the quality of each individual piece and collect the technical data to form a manual; one for each car, creating a detailed and faithful representation, much the same as an artist’s portrait. Only in aviation does this happen today. And up until now only the Zonda, can claim to be made this way.
Aerodynamics?
When it starts moving, the Zonda F slices through the air with hardly any effort. Some of its power is used to force the car down onto the tarmac resulting in avery strong ground effect, so that the tyres are glued to the road, transferring all the car’s power and torque to it.
According to a simple equation the grip is a result of the material’s friction coefficient times the applied force. This principle can then be turned into top rate performance if the tyre size and the vehicle speed are record breaking.
Aerodynamics however are even more crucial where safety is concerned: when breaking for an emergency, when reaction times are even more critical and when road holding can make all the difference. As a child I remember my mother scolding me because I would press down on my rubber too hard and make holes in the paper… now I look for my tyres to do the same thing to the tarmac.
And it’s not just about having a cutting-edge carbon-ceramic breaking system. Effective breaking is dependant on exploiting an array of forces; by utilizing the shock absorber geometry, the low center of gravity and the reduced weight, we manage to keep the car as flat on the ground as possible while countering any pitching effect. This way even the rear tyres remain stuck to the ground. Added to this the excellent ABS system, developed by Bosch, is at its best when the situation gets really tricky…
What else can one say?
It’s a very reactive, safe car, with no roll to speak of. Through its Nardi steering wheel, one’s hands feel directly in contact with the road surface. The electronics are kept to a minimum. While the comfort is unusual for a supercar capable of reaching speeds of over340 km/h because these days no client wants an instrument of torture as his car.
Nevertheless we have never wavered from our original idea of quality and performance without compromise. This can only be achieved by being 100% passionate in what we do and in this area too, believe me, we are anything short of stubborn.
