Zonda

If you thought Pagani had replaced the Zonda with the Huayra, think again. The Modenese purveyor of the most exotic of supercars is apparently willing to continue building Zondas for moneyed buyers who still want them. And far from simply continuing the model it had, Pagani has been further developing the Zonda into ever-more extreme variants.

Over the last couple of decades, we've seen countless attempts by startups looking to crack the supercar establishment. Predictably, the intenders have enjoyed and suffered wildly varying degrees of success. Some, like SSC North America, have attempted to get the attention of the world's plutocrats through sheer speed, while others, like Spyker, have attempted to gain access to the world's wealth through Ming The Merciless design. Nearly all have brought something new to the table, but essential

Evo founder Harry Metcalfe somehow convinced Pagani to let him take the Zonda 760 RS for a spin, and the result is just another day in the life of an Evo editorial director. The 760-horsepower customer special is, according to Metcalfe, for those who aren't happy with the 'regular' Zonda's 650 horsepower and really want a Zonda R for the road... plus 20 more horses.

One day, someone will make a list of all the unique special-edition Pagani Zonda models and all the one-off Bugatti Veyron one-offs produced over the past few years. It'll be a gargantuan task, because there have been many of each, and we suspect that we only hear about some of them. And you can bet that most of the buyers ordering them have little to no idea how to get the most out of their new rides. However, if new reports prove accurate, the Modenese atelier's latest customer sure will.

One might suppose that since Pagani came out with the Huayra, the Zonda would go the way of the dodo. But as the Modenese automaker has said all along, if someone wants to buy a Zonda, it'll gladly make one for them. And so it has with the very latest one-off supercar.

A few years ago, we brought you a report on the speculative values of Pagani supercars. Whether as investments or frivolous purchases, those with the means, it seemed, were paying well above list price to get their hands on one of the rarest supercars on (or off) the market. But that was just as the world was on the brink of financial collapse. Surely with the global economy still in the drink years later, nobody's paying those kinds of figures for something as extravagant as an exotic supercar.

First introduced way back in 1999, the Pagani Zonda has had a nice long run. Twelve years, to be precise. Now the Huayra – also named after a wind, like its predecessor and so many Volkswagen models (Scirocco, Passat, Bora, etc.) – is upon us. But before the Zonda speeds off into the sunset, Pagani had to finish fulfilling orders for the outgoing model.

The bike in this video is selling itself as the Pagani Zonda of motorcycles. We're a little at a loss here, because we thought the Pagani Zonda of motorcycles would be something awesome, terrifying and well made. Think Freddie Spencer edition Honda CBR1000RR, but with JATO boosters and a hand-tooled leather saddle.

The crew from EVO magazine managed to talk their way into a ride in the newest piece of insanity from Pagani. The Italian automaker is currently in the midst of endurance testing the Huayra for U.S. certification, and as a result, five of the cars are currently frolicking around Europe racking up precious kilometers. Pagani recently hosted a few of the company's customers at Sardinia, and EVO's Harry Metcalfe jumped into the passenger seat of the carbon fiber creation for a quick blast down the

Spy Shots: Pagani C9 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Pagani teases... something – Click above to watch video after the jump

Pagani Zonda Absolute – Click above for high-res image gallery

Citroën DS3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Spy Shots: Pagani C9 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Pagani Zonda RAK – Click above for image gallery

Pagani Zonda 750 – Click above for image gallery

Pagani C9 high-altitude testing spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Pagani Zonda Frecce Tricolore – Click above to watch video after the jump