I would be lying if since I first saw a Zonda on the TV for the first time as a kid, I wasn’t obsessed with the car. The Zonda that sparked this obsession was an orange Zonda C12 S on a certain motoring show that I’m sure us petrolheads have all watched. Seeing this car with its ‘Elton John Spectacles’ got me hooked on the brand. 

At this year’s Monterey Car Week, Pagani surprised us with the Arrivederci, the definitive last Zonda. That’s right: after 25 glorious years, Pagani’s first and arguably most iconic supercar to leave the factory gates in Modena. 

After taking in the jaw-dropping exterior for some time, I’ve now been able to find the words to scratch the surface of the Arrivederci’s design. First off, I have to address the magnificent specification - there is no other word that can do it justice. The main upper parts of the Arrivederci’s exterior is finished in silver-tinted carbon fibre. Accompanying this, there are sections of dark blue tinted carbon fibre with some light blue and red painted stripes highlighting the exterior lines. Fans of ‘traditional’ carbon fibre, fear not as this features on the lower parts of the body. The rear is home to one of the distinctive features we have seen on recent one-off Zondas: a gigantic carbon fibre spoiler. 

The super-wide wing sits behind a sports prototype-style shark fin that runs along the spine of the rear deck. While our Deputy Editor Ken Pearson is not a fan of the wing and thinks an integrated lip spoiler would look better, I think the exaggerated aero makes the Arrivederci just perfect. Since the introduction of the 760 one-off program for Zondas, we have seen more and more extreme variants that transitioned the Zonda from a piece of art to a beautifully aggressive monster. 

Under that sculpted rear bodywork lies the heart of the Arriverdeci and a drivetrain that has made the Zonda stand out since its very inception: the 7.3 litre naturally aspirated V12 from Mercedes-AMG, paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. The V12 pumps out a quite frankly monstrous 750 bhp and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque. With the Arrivederci being a roadster, it means that the biblical howl that the V12 makes can be heard with perfect clarity, further adding that true supercar drama.

The way that I see the Arrivederci is a true greatest hits of the Zonda, where every part is from the best of the supercar’s back catalogue. The vibrant red interior is colour matched to that of another one-off Pagani: the Huayra Monza Lisa, which is owned by the same customer. While there is extensive use of carbon fibre throughout the interior, one traditional Zonda feature that has made its way into the Arrivederci is the wood inlays on the steering wheel. There’s also a plaque between the seats with the very lucky owner's name engraved onto it, along with confirmation that the Arriverdeci is the last road-going Zonda.

The unveiling of the Arrivederci marks a landmark that took me by surprise. That's the fact that since their introduction back in 1999, Pagani has crafted - it would be rude to downplay it as built - 140 of these pieces of art.

This averages out at 5.6 cars per year across the 25 years of the Zonda, although for the last 13 years, the model hasn’t been in series production; it was replaced by the Huayra in 2011 which was in turn superseded by the Utopia this year, but it never really went away, no matter how many times Pagani showed the “final” example.

I know that when you are reading this, you may think that given the track record, there will be another final Zonda but I can reassure you that this is not the case. The Arrivederci means “until we meet again” in Italian. However, I cannot see another “final” coming out because that would make the fortunate owner of the Arrivederci quite annoyed, and rightly so. Regardless, this isn’t the first time that Pagani has shown us the “final” Zonda. It’s not even the second time, so how did we get to the end of the line for the long-running supercar?

Genesis: The C12

Back in 1999, the Zonda was shown to the world. What wasn’t known at the time was that my next poster car was born. Its Group C prototype-inspired design was ahead of its time, and remains so to this day; when seen next to Pagani’s current lineup, it does not look like a 25-year-old car. 

Powering the Zonda was a 6.0 litre naturally aspirated Mercedes-AMG V12, paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. Compared to their current offerings, the 388bhp and 420 lb-ft (570 Nm) of torque won’t set your trousers on fire. Instead, it was the beginning of what would be one of the most recognisable supercars of our time. Only five of the original Zondas had this configuration because the first improvement was already in the works.

The C12 S

2002 saw an upgrade for the C12, including some substantial changes to the powertrain. Now a hand-built 7.0-litre V12 could be found in the back, producing 542bhp and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque which was joined to a 6-speed manual gearbox. The exterior design was slightly evolved to signify the updated model.

The S

After the C12 S, Pagani decided that the V12 could be even more special. They decided to expand the V12 once more, using Mercedes-AMG’s 7.3-litre V12. When comparing this to the 7-litre V12 that was in the C12 S, there is no power or torque difference between the two models. Instead, the increase in capacity would allow for more torque to be available earlier in the rev range. 

One of the most radical changes that was found with the S was the addition of traction control. This was done to help the owners with the extra torque that came with the S - a good call if you ask me.

The F

Arguably the most iconic and recognisable Zonda to grace the tarmac, and by far my personal favourite. Alongside the changes made to the drop-dead gorgeous body, the 7.3-litre V12 was reworked to produce a rather healthy 644bhp and 560 lb-ft (760 Nm) of torque and reach a top speed of 215 mph. 

The F was the perfect example of what was possible at Pagani, with a focus on performance from aerodynamics rather than the engine on its own. Unlike a lot of the modern implementations of aerodynamics, the F didn’t go over the top; a single-level fixed carbon fibre wing at the back, elegant diffuser, and subtle carbon front lip was the perfect combination to help show the developments from the C12 S.

Using F to signify a new model is a choice you wouldn’t normally first go with. However, Horacio Pagani used it to honour the racing legend and fellow Argentine, Juan Manuel Fangio.

The R

You would be forgiven if you thought that the R was the first track only Zonda to exist. However, this happened back in 2004 with the Zonda Monza. It had been reported that the R shared only 10 percent of its DNA with the Zonda F. A wider track, wheelbase, exposed carbon fibre body, 6-speed sequential gearbox, slick tyres, and the same engine that was found in the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Le Mans Racer which produced 740 bhp and 524 lb-ft (710 Nm) of torque.

It didn’t meet any of the regulations for racing and was too loud for most track days so as a result, it would be once in a blue moon that you would be able to use it but what a treat this would be. 

One of the stand-out features for me on the Zonda R was the analogue rev counter in the middle of the steering wheel, in addition to a digital racing-style dashboard. That touch of what could even be considered retro was a very welcome classy addition.

We can’t speak about the Zonda R without mentioning its record run around the Nürburgring, where it completed the journey around the 13-mile track in a staggering 6 minutes and 47 seconds. Pagani would later pip this with the Revolucion.

The Cinque

If you ever played the remastered Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, the Cinque will resonate with you, as it starred in the jaw-dropping live-action trailer for the game where the prototype model was pitched against a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 police car. If you have not seen this piece of early 2010s YouTube history, I highly recommend that you take the time out of your day to watch it!

With only five coupes and five roadsters made, it is a true unicorn of the Pagani family tree. It was introduced to help transfer the learnings from the Zonda R track car to a road-going model.

When the Cinque was introduced, it was the first Pagani to come with paddles instead of the third pedal and gear stick in the middle. As opposed to using a double-clutch system, as Ferrari did with the 458, Pagani stuck with the single-clutch ‘box.

In terms of design, it also marked for me the end of Zonda’s reserved design language. Shortly after, they introduced their one-off program where customers could make their Zonda as extreme as they would like. When the Cinque came out, it was frequently reported to be the ‘final’ Zonda. But oh how wrong were we; it was actually the start of a 15-year swansong.

The Tricolore

Pagani proved those who predicted the end of the Zonda wrong, as the Tricolore came along as a homage to Italy’s National Aerobatic Team, and what a homage this was. Even though it shared parts from the Cinque and learnings from the R, it was magically even rarer, with only three produced. It was also where the Zonda bloodline was supposed to end, except someone at Pagani forgot to stop accepting order forms. 

I cannot complain though. The blue-tinted carbon fibre, the Italian flag, the cream leather interior and the bronze wheels are just a masterclass on how to spec a Pagani. To me, it looks magical. 

The Tricolore brought hints of a more aggressive design language. This came from a small addition of a carbon fibre fin on the engine cover. All variants considered, the Tricolore will remain my favourite special edition Pagani that has ever graced the roads. 

The one-offs begin

After the Tricolore, Pagani opened its one-off program, with the first car being called the 750. From this first commission, it sparked a role where multiple different cars went under the program. Some of the most high-profile cars born from the 760 program are the 760 LH which was made for Sir Lewis Hamilton, the 760 Oliver Evolution (with its freshly Hérmes dressed interior), and the 760 RS. With the 760 program, the buyer would have the choice of either having a brand new Zonda built, or an existing model converted to 760 specification.

The Zonda Revolucion

For those who thought that the original Zonda R was too tame, Pagani rectified this with the Revolucion. The car was lighter, thanks to a carbo-tanium chassis that tipped the scales at 1,070 kg. The engine produced a staggering 789 bhp and 538 lb-ft (730 Nm) of torque, resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of 737 bhp per tonne.

The Revolucion also came with active aerodynamics straight from Formula 1 in the form of a Drag Reduction System (known to you and me as DRS). DRS wasn’t where the F1 borrowings stopped. The Carbon Ceramic Material R (CCMR) brakes that the Zonda Revolucion used could find their routes in F1. Compared to the CCM brakes that were found on the Zonda R, the new CCMR brakes were 15 percent lighter, offering even more extreme braking performance. 

The HP Barchetta 

Also limited to just three examples like the Tricolore, the HP Barchetta did away with the traditional roadster format to become a speedster. A lower and slimmer windscreen and windows would be found at the front of the car, and the rear wheels would be partially enclosed like the Group C racers that inspired the original Zonda.

Out of the three cars that were built, only two found their way to customers. Why is this? Well, it’s because the first car, the blue carbon example used in all the press coverage belongs to Mr Pagani himself. Following tradition, it was thought that the HP Barchetta would be the final Zonda variant to be built. Again, we all know how that went. 

The 760s continue

After the announcement of the Barchetta, there were still several 760s being converted. I can’t say they were produced as they would come from donor models such as the Zonda F. This in itself does rustle up some feathers of fellow automotive enthusiasts. On a rare chance, I remain neutral on the subject as the 760 program (when converting older models) gives new owners the chance to put their spin on their car. As enthusiasts, it means that we are always treated to draw-dropping creations. 

The end of the Zonda

We have finally reached the stage in the timeline where the final Zonda (and it really is the final one) slots in. This follows, after my rather conservative maths, three previous farewells have come before the Arriverdeci, but this really is the last one. The Arrevederci closes the chapter that catapulted Pagani to where they are today. While the Zonda was the first, it carved the path for the Huyara and Utopia that followed, and continued to catch the limelight long after it was supposed to go out of production.