Pagani C9

EVEN a Pagani needs a pit-stop! And when this prototype for the Italian firm's upcoming flagship hypercar made a splash-and-dash at a petrol station in South Africa, our spies were on hand to grab the best pictures yet of the newcomer.

These images show, for the first time, just how the bodywork of the Italian car is evolving – and although this prototype is missing a front splitter, you can see it's a much more homogeneous shape when compared to its predecessor.

That's because the newcomer gets active aerodynamics, complete with a flat undertray to help manage airflow and create real downforce. As a result, the carbonfibre body is made up of fewer sections, each sleeker and simpler than before – and while the finished example will boast some extra wings, they are unlikely to be as dramatic as before.

Pagani fans will also be pleased to see that despite the new body, trademark details such as the centre exhaust pipes which exit above the number plate, the triple tailights and distinctive headlights all remain, but in updated form. 



Underneath the skin lies a carbon-titanium chassis and forged aluminum alloy suspension components. Conceived as a totally new car in terms of weight distribution, materials and dynamics, according to  company boss Horacio Pagani, the C9 is powered by an all-new engine too.



Power will come from the same 6.0-litre bi-turbo V12 as Mercedes' SL 65 Black Edition. Dropping the old 7.0-litre V12 in the process, it'll produce around 700bhp and 1000Nm of torque, so the C9 should be able to do 0-60mph in under three seconds and accelerate onto a top speed in excess of 225mph.



Making sure all this power goes to the road are bespoke Pirelli P-Zero Rosso tyres – 335/30/ZR20 section at the rear and 255/35/ZR19 at the front – while enormous carbon ceramic brake discs ensure the C9 stops as well as it goes.

Expect the new model to debut at a major motor show this year, before sales start in 2011 with a price tag of around £750,000.