www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRHJACxTAUs

Anyone with more than a little petrol in their veins will be saddened by that video. A beautiful Ferrari 458 Italia going up in flames in China. This happening to one car would be terrible, but 9? That’s when people, and the world’s media start to ask questions.

And now finally Ferrari North Europe have stepped up and admitted that there is an issue with their latest Supercar, and have ordered a full recall of every one of the 1,248 458 Italias made.

The issue is that in certain circumstances; namely high ambient temperatures and very high engine bay (exhaust) temperatures; the rear wheelarch liner can deform due to the heat. This deformation can push the wheelarch liner heat shield closer to the exhaust, causing the glue used to fix the heat shield to catch fire. Yes, that’s right, the glue for the heat shield can catch fire. Someone really didn’t think that through very well…

All the cars made since July are to be recalled, and Ferrari will replace the heat shield wheelarch liner with one which is held in using mechanical, not glued methods. Also Ferrari will replace any car found to have been damaged due to this issue, free of charge with a new car as soon as they can. Good job really…

Here are some pics of the offending BBQs, sorry, Ferraris:

Leave a comment below if you want to share in the sorrow of the owners watching their new €200,000 car going up in flames!

The guiding principles of Brabus for refining the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG were Carbon Fibre, Light weight, and handling prowess. The exclusive sport program comprises aerodynamic-enhancement components made from carbon fiber, ultra-lightweight forged wheels, an electronically adjustable smooth-ride suspension (Ride Control) suspension, a titanium exhaust system with bypass gate, and Brabus leather.

Extremely light yet enormously strong carbon fiber was chosen as the material for the Brabus aerodynamic-enhancement components. The components were developed in the wind tunnel. They give the gullwing car an even more striking appearance while optimizing its aerodynamic properties. All components are available either made from clear-coated carbon fiber for a true racing flair or can be painted to match or contrast with the car’s exterior color.

The front fascia of the coupe receives a visual upgrade with the Brabus front spoiler. But that’s not all: The spoiler further reduces lift on the front axle at high speeds which results in even better directional stability. The two Brabus covers for the upper air inlets in the bumper lend the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG an even more striking face while optimizing the cooling air supply.

Brabus also lends the sides of the SLS a sharper profile. The new air outlets for the front fenders feature a modern design with integrated blue-illuminated Brabus lettering. The illumination is activated via the keyless-entry remote or by pulling on a door handle.

Brabus also adds some more visual pizzazz to the rear appearance of the Mercedes SLS AMG with the Brabus rear spoiler and the Brabus rear fascia element that features custom-tailored cutouts for the four exhaust tips of the Brabus sport exhaust system.

Forged wheels that were custom-developed for the SLS are also elementary for the electrifying Brabus look. By choosing a staggered tire/wheel combination with diameters of 20 inches in front and 21 inches on the rear axle Brabus further emphasizes the sporty character of the two-door car. The ultra-light Brabus Monoblock F Platinum Edition cross-spoke wheels are up to twelve percent lighter than the stock wheels of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and are mounted in size 9.5Jx20 in front and in size 11Jx21 on the rear axle. The extremely wide high-performance tires in sizes 275/30 ZR 20 and 295/25 ZR 21 are supplied by Brabus technology partners Pirelli and Yokohama.

Another custom development is the height-adjustable Brabus smooth-ride suspension (Ride Control). It can lower the ride height of the sports car by up to 40 millimeters (1.6 inches). At the push of a button the driver can choose between damper settings that offer a more comfortable or sportier ride compared to the production suspension. To complement this suspension Brabus will soon offer the Brabus Front Lift system. It raises the front of the car by some 50 millimeters (2 inches) at the push of a button to safely navigate steep parking ramps or other obstacles.

While engine tuning for the 6.3-liter V8 is still in the final development phase there already is an extremely lightweight Brabus titanium sport exhaust system with four slanted exhaust tips. The tips have a diameter of 84 millimeters (3.3 inches). This exhaust system weighs 12 kilograms (26 lbs.) or 40 percent less than the production exhaust and adds an extra ten horsepower to the engine’s output. A special feature of this exhaust system is a pneumatically controlled bypass gate that is activated from the cockpit. The normal mode represents a “coming home”sound level that is quieter than the production exhaust. It appeals especially to the neighbors when the SLS returns home late at night. With open bypass gate the eight-cylinder engine sounds even sportier than with the stock exhaust system.

Once finished, the engine upgrades are expected to take the engine to around 650bhp, making for some serious performance.

For the cockpit of the two-seater the Brabus interior designers have developed exclusive accessories and masterfully crafted custom interiors. The speedometer with 400-km/h scale (250 mph) already hints at the car’s future performance with Brabus engine tuning. An ergonomically shaped sport steering wheel is also part of the Brabus customization program as are stainless-steel scuff plates with illuminated Brabus logo and matte anodized pedals.

So, is this your favourite SLS tune? Leave a comment below and let us know…

We’ve already brought you the story and specs of the Bugatti Veyron Supersport in a previous article, but when a fresh batch of photos of the production version landed today, we had to share them with you.

Though the car is capable of reaching 268mph as proven by the record run, the production car has been limited to ‘just’ 258mph to protect the tyres. The first 5 made will have the same orange and naked carbon finish as the record car, but are already sold out. The final run of cars will be available in the standard Veyron range, along with some special finishes such as the one in the images – blue carbon. We’ll let the photos speak for themselves…

Like it? We do too! Let us know your thoughts below…

In 2006 billionaire Richard Losee had what most of us would call a ‘bad day’. He entered his $750,000 650bhp V12 Ferrari Enzo in a local road rally, and set off on what was supposed to be a weekend of fun racing on closed roads.

But unfortunately he ended up rolling his Enzo in the dirt many times, destroying it to the point where it couldn’t be used as a road car again. For most, that would generally be the end of it. But not Richard Losee.

He kept the destroyed car, and after a donation of a new body by the creator of the Ferrari P4/5 James Glickenhaus, he set about rebuilding his car. Though he had a different task in mind -- raw speed. His eyes were set on the salt flat racers, and he wanted blood.

With its 650bhp V12 the Enzo was never really slow, but this one has now had two turbos attached, and is rumoured to be putting out 1000bhp. After some aerodynamic and fluid dynamic testing on computers, they decided that the nose of the Enzo becomes unstable above 225mph. So a new nosecone was created out of carbon fibre, to make sure they are stable when getting close to their intended target of 300mph.

It’s unlikely they’ll make it to the big 300 though. Estimates put it at 270mph, which is well above the standard cars 226mph top speed.

Below is a video of the car setting off on it’s first test run. We think it sounds fantastic, and will certainly make a change from the stock V8 sound you hear on the salt flats.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sB5PBJ-7CM

What do you think? Will it make the big 300mph? Leave a comment below and tell us what you’re thinking…

Taste is a subjective thing. One man’s leopard-print Versace trousers certainly may not be another’s choice, but we would like to think that the discerning readers of BOTB News will all agree that this latest offering from German tuners Mansory is completely, utterly and totally lacking in any kind of taste.

Named the Bugatti Veyron Linea Vincero d’Oro it features a shortened hood, modified fenders, a revised front apron, LED daytime running lights, aerodynamic side skirts, and a new diffuser.

The key difference, as you’ve probably noticed, is an incredible golden shine thanks to special carbon fiber fabric with copper threads. Other gilded accents include the wheels, grille, door handles, and fuel cap. Certainly not a car for the shy and retiring types out there.

Under the hood, Mansory outfitted the turbocharged 8.0-liter 16 cylinder engine with an improved cold air induction system and an optimized exhaust. This enables it to produce 1109 hp (827 kW / 1124 PS) and 1310 Nm (966 lb-ft) of torque instead of 1001 hp (746 kW / 1015 PS) and 1250 Nm (922 lb-ft) of torque.

And yet we have still not got to the most awful feature of the car. The interior. A curiously mottled gold leaf covers areas on the doors, seats, centre console and steering wheel, looking like a cheap handbag from a local market. Then as if taste hadn’t completely left the area, there is gold LED lighting just to show the other awful bits off a bit more. Truly this has to be the worst interior on a car. Worst even than the interior of Mansory’s Porsche Panamera.

There’s no word on pricing, but production is limited to one unit and it will almost certainly go to the middle-east.

You can read the hyperbole-spouting prose from their Press Release below, it’s quite a read!

LINEA Vincero d’Oro – The ultimate Bugatti Veyron 16.4 from MANSORY remains one of a kind

With the LINEA Vincero d’Oro, MANSORY has completed its strictly limited series for the refined Bugatti Veyron 16.4. After the specialist for exclusive luxury vehicles raised the bar for high-performance sports cars by another level in March 2009, MANSORY is now placing the crowning glory on the art of refinement. Using targeted changes, MANSORY first transformed the Bugatti Veyron into the LINEA Vincero and then, using a special gold-coloured alloy, into the unique LINEA Vincero d’Oro.

Compared with the standard Veyron, the LINEA Vincero has received a comprehensive facelift to its front, consisting of modified fenders, a shortened bonnet and a striking front apron.
The LED daytime running lights and the stylised letter “V” (paying homage to the name Vincero) built into the car’s front end are particular highlights of the new design while the newly developed side skirts form a visual and aerodynamic link between the axles. Larger air outlets at the rear and at the sides of the car ensure optimal engine cooling and, with the new diffuser, underscore the vehicle’s vibrant design. MANSORY manufactures almost all the components in the car’s body from ultra-light, high-strength carbon and the autoclave method of hardening under high pressure and high temperatures used during the manufacturing process makes a huge improvement to the quality of the materials. One unique feature of the design of the LINEA Vincero d’Oro is the carbon
fabric with inbuilt copper thread used by MANSORY, the metallic sheen of which really brings out the exceptional nature of this special car.

Other gold-coloured features complete the LINEA Vincero d’Oro, including the distinctive “turbine” design alloy wheels, the curved grill featuring the stylised “Vincero-V”, the door handles, the rear view mirror caps and the fuel tank cap. But that’s not all: the headlight washer nozzle covers, the borders around the daytime running LEDs and the decorative features on the roof all shimmer in precious gold too.

The car’s interior has an exclusive look and feel while remaining functional. MANSORY understands the importance of combining luxury and technology with the golden aspirations of this unique car. Traditional workmanship, fine materials and a stylistically confident design combine to create an interior that is fitting for such a classy car. You notice this in particular with the LEDs of the car’s mood lighting system placed in the car’s seats, the door trims and the dashboard. The entire passenger cabin shines in the golden glow of this feel-good lighting which masterfully draws attention to the high-quality carbon appliqués as well as to the specially embossed leather. The airbag steering wheel with inbuilt shift paddles and gilded elements, designed in a new ergonomic style, is both sporty easy to keep a good grip of. Gold alloys can also be found on the decorative strips of the door trims and on the centre console.

The Mansory Cooperation GmbH solely offers proprietary developed modification accessories under the name LINEA Vincero. They do not market entire automobiles and also do not sell any such vehicles.

So, faithful readers – what do you think of the latest offering from Mansory? How much do you think it’ll sell for? Leave a comment below and start a discussion!

The glorious Pagani Zonda is nearing the end of it’s life, and the manufacturer keep releasing the ‘very last’ Zondas. They started out releasing the Zonda Cinque, a higher power coupe, with some of the aerodynamic add-ons from the Zonda R track car. 5 were to be built (hence Cinque - Italian for ‘Five’), at over €1million each. Then, they released the Cinque Roadster more recently, removing the roof altogether yet keeping the air scoop which juts out over the cabin (image in gallery below).

But for some, one of five is just four too many on the roads. So if you’re an anonymous wealthy US car collector (not, we are told, Jay Leno), you go and see Horatio Pagani and convince him to make you a one-off Zonda. In this instance Horatio agreed, and has created the Zonda HH. It takes the Zonda Cinque Roadster, removes the roof scoop (apparently he didn’t like that), and keeps its 678bhp AMG V12 engine, but this car will be 30-percent lighter, weighing about 1,210 kilograms (2,670 lbs).  It uses a host of parts to accomplish this, including a carbon-ceramic brake system, carbon-titanium exhaust and a carbon-titanium tub. The Royal Blue paintwork combined with the naked carbon looks incredible, and the owner is a very lucky enthusiast. More images in the Gallery.

Of course for some, one individual Hypercar is not enough, and this is certainly the case for the Al-Thani royal family of Qatar. They have commissioned a one-off Zonda named the Uno (Italian for ‘One’), and had it painted in their trademark baby Blue. Details are scarce on the Uno, but it is thought to be the same mechanical spec as the HH, but without the weight-saving measures. Prices for both of these cars are a closely guarded secret, but it would be safe to assume that they are more than €1.5million each. You can see the Uno in the Gallery, along with two other cars from their stable. The first being a Koenigsegg CCXR in trademark baby Blue, and the other a Lamborghini Murcielago LP670 SV, again in the same hue. It must certainly be an interesting looking garage with all those cars in the same colour…

Finally, we have a car which suprasses the previous offerings by a big margin. James Glickenhaus is a well known car enthusiast, with racing wins to his name in many classes. For his slice of individuality, he went straight to Pininfarina who style all the new Ferraris. He loved the Enzo, loved the way it drove, the 651bhp V12 engine, everything but the looks. So with Pinifarina, he set out to recreate the classic P3/4 cars with a modern twist. The result was the stunning P4/5. Stunning lines over an incredible chassis made this an incredible achievement, so much so that in an incredibly rare instance, Ferrari actually granted Glickenhaus and Pininfarina permission to officially call it a Ferrari, and it goes in the records as such. The price? Over €5million are the rumours, though again this will never be confirmed as exclusivity is key for these people. Pictures of the car are in the Gallery.

So what do you think of these amazing cars? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts…

The 458 Challenge has made its world premiere debut in Maranello during the Annual Dealer Meeting, a traditional event that brings together the representatives of Ferrari’s international sales network.

The new berlinetta, which will flank the F430 Challenge in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli in the 2011 season, is the fifth model used by Ferrari in its one-make championship which, next year, will be extended to include a new Asia-Pacific series.

Coming just a few months after the Frankfurt Motor Show unveiling of the 458 Italia on which it is based, the 458 Challenge introduces a number of important modifications to adapt it for competition use.

The direct injection 4497 cc V8 remains strictly in production tune, with an output of 570 hp at 9,000 rpm. That said, modifications have been made to the gear ratios and calibration of its dual-clutch F1 gearbox to guarantee higher torque at lower revs. The 458 Challenge is also equipped with the E-Diff electronic differential already employed on the road-going version, a first for Ferrari’s track-only cars.

Significant work has also gone into cutting the car’s weight. This focused on both the exterior and interior with Ferrari’s engineers concentrating in particular on reducing the thickness of the bodyshell panels and on using lightweight materials, such as carbon-fibre and Lexan.

The new 458 Challenge also has a specific suspension set-up with solid aluminium bushings, stiffer springs, single-rate dampers, centre-nut 19” racing rims, larger dimension Pirelli slicks and a ride height lowered by 30mm all round. It is also equipped with the new generation Brembo CCM2 brakes which debuted on the 599XX, Ferrari’s extreme experimental laboratory car, and which are integrated with an ABS system that features two configurations – low grip and high performance for dry surfaces.

Another first for a Ferrari Challenge model is the adoption of the F1-Trac traction control system, the most sophisticated of its kind. Developed in-house by Ferrari, the F1-Trac system constantly monitors levels of grip for maximum high-performance road-holding. Two specific track-biased calibrations – wet and dry – have been developed for this application, with control logic and strategies derived from Ferrari’s extensive racing experience in the F1 and GT championships. The F1-Trac is completely integrated with the E-Diff to guarantee maximum acceleration out of corners.

The required ABS, F1-Trac and E-Diff calibration settings are selected via the manettino on the steering wheel, the first time this solution has been adopted on a model developed for the Ferrari Challenge series. The driver can thus either chose from the WET or DRY configurations. In high grip conditions it is also possible to select CT-OFF to de-activate the F1-Trac traction control.

In the course of the intensive development sessions involved in honing the 458 Challenge for the track, the engineers also managed to improve the car’s lap time at Fiorano by two seconds over that of its predecessor, resulting in a new record of just 1’16.5”. Equally impressive is the amount of lateral grip the new car generates – up to 1.6G.

With the new 458 Challenge, Ferrari is offering its sportier clients – professional and gentlemen drivers alike – a car that is extremely responsive, with great performance and superb handling. This mid-rear V8-engined berlinetta will allow Ferrari Challenge participants to enjoy to the full the exhilarating cut and thrust of the race weekends on the world’s leading circuits, as well as the passion that has always been an integral part of Ferrari’s one-make championship.

As from yesterday, it was at the Vallelunga circuit for a test, with two drivers, the Italian Maurizio Mediani and the Argentine Jaime Melo, taking on the role of test driver, as they took turns at the wheel of the Prancing Horse sports car. At the end of two days at the Roman circuit, both men were pleased with what had been achieved.

According to Mediani the 458 Challenge is “very quick and extremely good fun,” its handling inherited from the road going car from which it is derived, combined with modifications made for its specific use in racing. Melo, just back from the fifth round of the American Le Mans Series, in which he races a F430 GT2 run by Team Risi Competizione, highlighted how much the driving experience is enhanced by the electronics systems operated with the now classic manettino on the steering wheel, a first for a car used in the Ferrari one-make series. “I am sure that Prancing Horse competition owners will be very pleased with this car,” commented the Argentine before leaving the circuit to prepare for the next ALMS round, which takes place on 7 August at the Mid Ohio circuit.

But then he probably would say that wouldn’t he? We wouldn’t bet against it though, as it promises tobe a stunning race car in every way.

Would you like to drive one? Be a Ferrari racer? Let us know by leaving a comment below…

The 599XX is the latest development vehicle from Ferrari’s Customer Development Program. Basically you buy the car for around €1,250,000 and never actually take it home. It’s kept by Ferrari, and brought out for races, testing and track days. You become part of the ferrari development team -- quite an attractive proposition for those with the means. It has 730bhp, and when it attacked the ‘Ring in April it stunned many onlookers by setting a lap time of 6 minutes 58 seconds, a stunning acheivement. The video of the lap is shown below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJj8atDGBzk

However, as Ferrari sat back and grinned smugly, there were many people busy in another Italian garage; that of supercar builder Horatio Pagani -- builder of the legendary Zonda. Their track-only Zonda R is not as elitist as the Ferrari programme, but for your €1,500,000 you get 740bhp, and the closest thing to a group-C race car you can buy. An orgy of wings, carbon fibre and titanium, the Zonda R takes everything good about the Zonda F road car, and turns it up to 11. The result?

They turn up and smash Ferrari’s lap time by 11 seconds, with a stunning new record of 6 minutes 47 seconds. Check out the amazing lap below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPd0ATqvoJM

The thing is, this has caused quite a few rumbles in the automotive world, as there is some confusion over these manufacturers claiming to have the ‘Nurburgring Lap Record’, especially by British car makers Radical.

Their SR8LM car, even though it looks more like a race car than these two, was driven to the circuit, did a lap time of 6 mins 48 seconds, and then drove home, proving that it is totally road legal. So in reality it holds the Production Car lap record, but these cars are stealing their thunder. The Radical SR8LM has a 460bhp 2.6-litre V8, and weighs a little under 650kg.

What do you think? Should the two Italians be allowed to hold the record?

Leave a comment below and start the arguement!

Italy versus UK. Not a potential World Cup match (not with our form anyway!), but a battle of the £90,000 convertible V8 supercars.

What you have here is possibly the hardest decision you would ever have to make. It would keep you awake at night, tossing and turning. And in the end the only thing that may sway you is whether you need 2 or 4 seats.

So onto the contenders. The baby Aston has been available for 6 years, but in 2009 they made some revisions to the coupe and convertible models, taking the fight to the new rivals out there. The GranCabrio has only been on sale a few months, so it’s the new kid on the block.

They both come to the fight with soft-top convertible roofs, front mounted V8 engines of 4.7 litres, rear wheel drive, and over 400bhp. Oh, and they come with two of the most achingly beautiful shapes ever to grace four wheels.

Spec:

So looking at the two models, the Maserati has more power and torque, but is hit by weighing over 270kg more than the Aston which gives an inferior power/weight ratio. And this is what really matters in the real world as this affects performance, dynamics and outright speed.

The Italian also costs a little more, but at this level £5000 isn’t going to bother most buyers.

So even though these two cars look very similar on paper, they are actually quite different driving propositions. The Aston (especially in Sport Pack guise, pictured) is quite a hard riding, bend-attacking sportscar, ready and eager to be thrown down your favourite road. The Maserati on the other hand, is much softer and more relaxed an affair. The Maser begs to be cruised down through France to Monaco, along the coastal roads at 8/10′s.

The Maserati has the added benefit of having an extra two seats as well, and they are certainly more than capable of fitting adults in them, if not for extended journeys.

So it all comes down to – which one would you have? For this writer the Aston has the egde over the Maserati in the looks department, and prefers a harder driving style, so the UK wins for me.

What about you? Would you go Italian or British? Leave your comments below and let us know!

The battered Ford Escort in front slowed and demanded that we overtook, signalling and waving us to pass. Always the ones to oblige we gunned the 650bhp engine, dropping it down a cog for no good reason whatsoever apart from the wailing caterwaul of a V12 engine.

And as we catapulted alongside the beaten old Ford, the camera phones were waiting and the driver slowly, unwittingly, steered towards a crash with our €540,000 motor. Then there were two amateur photographers invading the shoot, it was just another day when you’re driving a bright orange Pagani Zonda F Roadster.

This is number four of just 25 Zonda F’s and they make Ferraris or Lamborghini’s look common as cow dung by comparison. So even though the basic design of the Zonda is nine years old, and we’re due a new model this year, possibly even at the impending Geneva show, this car is still capable of stopping traffic so long after Horacio Pagani first shocked the establishment with the new benchmark in the hypercar world.

It looks best from the back, which is the first glimpse almost every other driver will get as it streaks past. That Gatling Gun exhaust is the signature tune of the Zonda family and the F’s single-plane rear wing, carbon diffuser, intricate wire meshwork and pearlescent paint could all form the basis of a thesis. It’s one of those cars that you’ll never get tired of, because you’re centre stage every time you go out the garage.

That’s the thing with these cars, you could spend days poring over the details, the way the carbon-fibre weave matches perfectly, the glovebox comes with the kind of clasp that could adorn a woman’s purse and the machined switchgear sits so elegantly on the centre console plate that catches the light just so. Then there’s the other worldly instrument panel with dials like Rolex bezels.

The eye wanders past the fact that the handbrake is a bog-standard number covered with a dramatic metal collar, or that months of abuse meant the roof clasp struggled to engage, to the immaculately engineered brackets that hold the seat and the proud mirrors atop those wafer thin front wings. This car is so beautiful that you want to buy in to the idea of perfection, it captivates the imagination like nothing else – not even the comparatively clinical Enzo.

If anything the roadster surpasses the coupe’s fine groundwork as this car loses the bubble canopy that came just a little too far towards the front of the car. From the side the Roadster looks even lower slung, more chiselled and more menacing. It’s pure theatre, from every angle.

Over-the-top thinking like this that made us fall in love with cars in the first place. The Zonda F Roadster is dreams made real, the kind of thing kids used to sketch on the back of books and the modern day answer to the Lamborghini Countach that used to sit on all our walls. In terms of pure supercar design, it doesn’t get better than this.

And it comes in at full Clubsport spec, which means it gets the 650bhp version of AMG’s 7.3-litre V12, which should make for a bullying thug of an engine that doesn’t like towns and lives for the long and winding road. But incredibly, this is a liveable supercar, one you could drive every day, if you could leave it by the side of the road and not worry about such a work of beauty.

The F Roadster comes with anti-stall technology to keep the revs coursing through the engine and despite a heavy feel that wonderfully ornate clutch pedal never sends the car bunny hopping down the road. With a higher gear it will handle town’s ruts and potholes with just a shudder bouncing through the carbon-fibre chassis that is reputedly stiffer than Sauber’s old World Sportscars.

It’s a magically simply car to drive, but then I cruised past a mirrored shop window in the centre of Rochester, where Group 20 is based, and was suddenly, classically reminded of the spectacular machine underfoot as the locals struggled to comprehend what was passing before their eyes.

As the road opened out I tickled the throttle, the huge engine took a deep lug of fuel and took off down the road like a stabbed rat. Unlike the equivalent Ferrari that needs revs to truly sing, the Zonda can pull from nothing like a tidal wave building from beneath. With the hood down on a rare gorgeous February day in England, that guttural tugboat of an engine that lies directly behind the seats spins lazily until called upon to simply suck in the world in front.

When that happens the V12 hardens to a screaming metallic symphony and the Zonda F Roadster becomes just about the best car on the planet. Without even a carbon roof to get in the way that big AMG now sings through a hydroformed exhaust – and that’s F1 technology at its best.

Just imagine for a moment soaring down an A-Road in a car that serves up 60mph in 3.6s, which sounds a touch conservative from the bright orange, quilted hotseat. And despite the inevitable aerodynamic problems of a chopped roof, the Roadster hits 214mph when presented with a runway, Autobahn or possibly the Nordschleife.

That’s just 2mph less than the Coupe, and let’s be honest we were never going to get near it in England anyway. We’d have finished up on YouTube with a car this bright, and then in prison.

It comes with a low-pitched fighter plane soundtrack rather than the whining Italian racecars we have come to expect, and has perhaps more character. With modified versions of AMG’s immense driver protection, too, Pagani has produced one of the easiest cars you can imagine until you hit the race track.

He switched to a lighter weave for F, his tribute to co-designer and close friend Juan Manuel Fangio, but with the open-top and closed cars developed side-by-side there’s just no significant losses attached the soft-top version. It would take a track and a tyre budget to explore the subtleties.

At road speeds, within sane limits, the Roadster just won’t budge and hangs on to the bends with the consummate ease of a thoroughbred at work. And the monstrous braking system, ceramic of course, is beyond capable of handling anything the casual road user can throw their way. Things apparently get trickier right on its limits, but nearby Brands Hatch wasn’t an option with a borrowed car.

I just had to drink in the looks of the local youths, the thumbs-up signs came thick and fast and a few hot ladies gave us the eye. And that’s what Zonda F Roadster ownership is all about, standing out from the crowd and producing a one-man, mobile stage show. Even if we’ll never own one, we should just be glad cars like this are there. And this is one of the last Zonda’s we’ll see.

With the new car coming there will be no more Zonda’s so it’s a rare chance to get into one here in the UK. The new C9 model will surely be something else, with over 750bhp and a price tag close to a million Euros, but for now Pagani remains the top of the Italian Supercar tree, and long may it stay there…