Before a new car model goes into production there are dozens of grueling tests that have to be passed and many many kilometers of testing to make sure the car is calibrated to drive and feel as the manufacturer desires. This is the reason that we see dozens of test mules for a variety of cars from a BMW 5 Series to road going racers such as the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. These mules come at great cost, something that not all manufacturers can afford. Pagani is a bespoke manufacturer that could simply not afford to churn out millions of Euros worth of Zondas so instead continued to work with one example that was upgraded to match the specifications of new models.
The car was pivotal to the success of the Zonda and as it aged and became more well known it was branded “La Nonna”, meaning The Grandmother. It is the second Pagani prototype and began life in 1998 as a C12 which developed a rather modest 394 horsepower. As it evolved it changed both mechanically and visually into the beast that it is today in the specification of a 760 RS.
As you would imagine, over the past 17/18 years, the car would have been driven extensively in testing and as a result, La Nonna has accumulated more than a staggering 1,000,000 kilometers! Horacio Pagani recently reached a milestone of his own, turning 60 years old. To commemorate this, La Nonna was treated to a make over and was placed in the entrance of the old factory for all visitors to see. La Nonna might just be the greatest Zonda to have ever existed!
