10. Honda Odyssey

I want a Lotus 2-Eleven, a Ferrari 599XX, an Evora GTE and I’ve always wanted a Range Rover too. Sadly, even the garage in my dream world has rules and picking just 10 cars to fill it is as hard as choosing my favorite child. As a result, each of my Top 10 dream cars serves a special purpose, and none are quite so purposeful as a Honda Odyssey.

On a list you’d expect to find Lambos and Bugattis, mine starts with a minivan. Still, it’s the Bugatti of minivans, and with a $44,000 price tag the Touring Elite model is definitely more first class than coach.

And before you doubt my sanity, understand, I have kids.

It’s got more toys than any other and features that plenty of luxury cars would be jealous of. You say your $300,000 luxury limo has self-closing doors, a fridge and a TV in the back? So does the Odyssey. And you can watch two movies at the same time!

I thought about filling this spot with a Range Rover, but really, if you’ve got two little ones in booster seats like I do, the only thing that makes parenting easier than sliding doors is having grandparents to watch your kids.

It’s hard to believe that one could improve on the amazing Pagani Zonda R. The track-only model weighs in at a scant 2,359 lbs, packing 750-hp and 524 lb-ft of torque thanks to its AMG-sourced 6.0-liter V12 engine.

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There are supercars, and then there are supercars. Sure the Bugatti Veyron holds the world record for the fastest production car, but as impressive as that is, it will never hold the hearts of auto enthusiasts like the Ferrari F40.

If those similar yet different vehicles represent two distinct categories of supercar, the Pagani Zonda falls in the latter. Built in Italy, the Zonda is a true exotic and makes even the Enzo seem as common as a Camry by comparison. (Pagani built just 12 Zondas a year during the car’s run).

But the ultimate Zonda is the “R”, a track-only special model that weighs just 2,359 lbs. Powered by a 6.0-liter AMG V12 engine that makes an incredible 750-hp and 524 ft-lbs of torque, the Zonda R can hit 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and holds the Nurburgring record for production-based cars at 6:47.

But perhaps more amazing than all these statistics is how that big AMG V12 engine sounds, especially mated to a sequential shift box. Video of the Zonda R on track has surfaced before, but listening to this engine never gets old. This latest clip shows the car on track (with the Huayra, the Zonda’s successor) at Adria International Speedway in Northern Italy. Behind the wheel is former F1 driver Andrea Montermini. Turn your speakers up and enjoy!

Watch the video after the jump:

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One of 15 of the greatest supercars in the world will be auctioned off on October 27th in London. Currently they’re estimating that it’ll go for around $2.2 million, so if you’ve ever been contemplating grabbing yourself a Pagani Zonda R, you better book your flight now to save a few bucks.

And in case you’re just really rich and know nothing about cars, stumbling across this post in a random state of mind, the Zonda R features a V12 AMG powerplant that throws down 750-hp and 524 ft-lbs of torque. Combined with the amazing carbon fiber chassis, the car blasts from 0-60 mph in 2.7 measly seconds. Better yet, it’ll spank your buddies Ferrari 599XX.

Interested? Chassis number five will be at RM Auctions’ Automobiles of London at Battersea Evolution on October 27th. Good luck!

[Source: Topspeed]

Plus, check out a video the Zonda R’s record-setting Nurburgring lap time after the jump:

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As though the Ferrari 599XX isn’t mean enough looking, a few owners have decided to turn the car’s badass dial up to 11 with matte-gray and matte-black paint jobs. The photos were taken by Sevan Calians are from a private event at the world famous Paul Ricard circuit where owners were able to fully test the car’s 700-hp V12 engine and incredible aerodynamics.

Also of interest from the photos are two shots, the first showing what appears to be Horacio Pagani, and the second showing the Pagani Zonda R on track with the 599XX. What makes this so interesting is that Ferrari and Pagani have a bit of a rivalry going on right now, with Ferrari claiming a production-based Nürburgring record of 6:58, which was promptly annihilated by the Zonda R with a 6:47 time. It’s nice to see that the rivalry is a friendly one.

Check out plenty of pics of the matte-black and matte-gray 599XX at the links below.

[Source: Sevan Calians Flicker Photo Stream via  JonSibal]

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Pagani has just released a complete video documenting the Zonda R’s outrageously fast 6:47 Nürburgring lap time. Set several weeks ago, that time tops the Ferrari 599XX’s best of 6:58 in the somewhat irrelevant category of production-based cars. What that means is, while the Zonda R might have a production chassis underneath it, it’s definitely not street legal.

The Zonda R is a track-only machine weighing just 2,359 lbs and powered by a 6.0-liter AMG V12 engine that makes an incredible 750-hp and 524 ft-lbs of torque. That’s enough for a 0-60 mp time of just 2.7 seconds, using a mid-engine, rear-drive setup with a paddle-shift sequential gearbox.

The street legal lap still belongs to the Radical SR8LM with a time of 6:48. But that’s also a bit ridiculous, as the Radical is just a street-legal prototype race car and it’s not even legal in most countries. The runner up in the production class is another odd-ball, the Gumpert Apollo, with a 7:11.57. Although it’s hard to classify that vehicle as a production car. Finally, and more reasonably, there’s the 7:22 of the Dodge Viper ACR.

But enough with the stats. Check out some incredible driving after the jump.

See the video after the jump:

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The Pagani Zonda R’s new record setting Nurburgring lap time of 6:47 has been captured on video, although the clip is a little light on driving action.

Clocking in at only 1:56, the montage is curious substitute for a real lap time video. We’d like to see an extended version of this clip, with all the awesome in-car sound effects. Better yet, lets see Pagani take a Zonda wheel-to-wheel racing, since, as Axis of Oversteer correctly points out, the Nurburgring record is solely for bragging rights.

[Source: Axis of Oversteer]

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Pagani has once again proven that its cars can go as fast as they look, setting a new production-based car Nürburgring record of 6:47. This bests the recent record set by the Ferrari 599XX of 6:58. The Zonda R’s new time also bests all times posted by street-legal cars, including the fastest street-legal “production car,” the Radical SR8LM with a time of 6:48. Other top-contenders include the Gumpert Apollo with a 7:11.57, and the Dodge Viper ACR with a time of 7:22.

Like the 599XX, the Zonda R is a track-only machine weighing just 2,359 lbs and powered by a 6.0-liter AMG V12 engine that makes an incredible 750-hp and 524 ft-lbs of torque. That’s enough for a 0-60 mp time of just 2.7 seconds, using a mid-engine, rear-drive setup with a paddle-shift sequential gearbox that’s three times as fast as anything Ferrari has.

[Source: Pistonheads]

See after the jump for a video detailing the Zonda R, as well as the 599XX’s Nürburgring run

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If the Pagani Zonda R promo video isn’t the coolest thing you see today, please post a link to what is – because we really want to see it. The hardest-core of Paganis, the Zonda R is a track-duty version of the Italian supercar, weighing just 2,359 lbs and powered by a 6.0-liter AMG V12 engine that makes an incredible 750-hp and 524 ft-lbs of torque. That’s enough for a 0-60 mp time of just 2.7 seconds, using a mid-engine, rear-drive setup with a paddle-shift sequential gearbox that’s three times as fast as anything Ferrari has.

Built specifically for the race track, it gets an FIA homolgated roll cage and racing seats with five-point safety harnesses, which are needed to keep the driver in place. After all, the Zonda R can pull incredible g-forces, with 3,307 lbs of downforce that allows the car to (theoretically, anyway) drive upside down.

The Pagani Zonda R will be produced in a limited number with Horacio Pagani signing each vehicle. The cost of ownership is extraordinary, with an MSRP of 1,460,000 Euros or roughly $1.9 million.

Check out the video after the jump:

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With the Wheel & Tire section at the 2009 SEMA Show drastically less impressive than in year’s past, Pirelli didn’t shy away and brought out a car that even frightens the Veyron. That’s right, the Italian-made Pagani Zonda… and not just any Zonda, but the Zonda R.

The R model is a track-only version and thanks to a complete carbon fiber body weights just 2,359 lbs. And motivating that chassis is a 6.0-liter V12 engine that makes 750hp and 524 ft-lbs of torque. Pagani claims a 0-60 mph time of just 2.7 seconds.

Getting all that power to the ground is made possible thanks to an ultra-light magnesium Xtrac gearbox, operated by paddle shifters. Gear changes fly by in just 20 milliseconds. To put that in perspective, the current fastest gearbox in a street car is found int he Ferrari F430 Scuderia, which changes gears in 60 ms.

Making the car a true track machine is the fully adjustable suspension, as well as adjustable aerodynamics. Pagani says the Zonda R can be set up to produce as much as 3,307 lbs of downforce – which is, theoretically, enough to to allow the Zonda R to drive upside down and still stick to a surface.

Alternatively, the car can be adapted for high speed, with a top speed rating of 217 mph.

As this is a dedicated track machine, the Zonda R comes equipped with a roll cage and an FIA homolgated racing seats with five-point safety belts.

Other state-of-the-art items include Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and an inconel exhaust – the same sort of exhaust used of Formula 1 cars.

The Pagani Zonda R will be produced in a limited number with Horacio Pagani signing each vehicle. The cost of ownership is extraordinary, with an MSRP of 1,460,000 Euros or roughly $1.9 million.

And considering that price, please also take note of the idiot we captured in the photo above, giving the carbon fiber fender a good knock with his fist. If you know this guy, please do the same to him…

GALLERY: Pagani Zonda R

Legendary Italian supercar-maker Pagani first showed us its track version of the Zonda at the Vienna Auto Show in January and now they have released full specifications and plenty of photos. Called the Zonda R, this track-only machine weighs just 2,359 lbs and makes 750hp!

Weight is kept to a bare minimum through the use of a carbon fiber body (as with all Zonda models), which sits over top of a new carbon-titanium composite monocoque. Cromoly parts are used for the front and rear suspension and all pieces are held together through the use of titanium bolts.

The engine is the same 6.0-liter V12 AMG powerplant that is the motivation behind all of Pagani’s model, except output has been increased to the 750 mark at 7500 rpm. Torque is rated at 524 ft-lbs at 5700 rpm. This is enough, says Pagani, to rocket the Zonda R to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds.

Getting all that power to the ground is made possible thanks to an ultra-light magnesium Xtrac gearbox, operated by paddle shifters. Gear changes fly by in just 20 milliseconds. To put that in perspective, the current fastest gearbox in a street car is found int he Ferrari F430 Scuderia, which changes gears in 60 ms.

Making the car a true track machine is the fully adjustable suspension, as well as adjustable aerodynamics. Pagani says the Zonda R can be set up to produce as much as 3,307 lbs of downforce – which is, theoretically, enough to to allow the Zonda R to drive upside down and still stick to a surface.

Alternatively, the car can be adapted for high speed, with a top speed rating of 217 mph.

As this is a dedicated track machine, the Zonda R comes equipped with a roll cage and an FIA homolgated racing seats with five-point safety belts.

Other state-of-the-art items include Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and an inconel exhaust – the same sort of exhaust used of Formula 1 cars.

The Pagani Zonda R will be produced in a limited number with Horacio Pagani signing each vehicle. The cost of ownership is extraordinary, with an MSRP of 1,460,000 Euros or roughly $1.9 million.

Pagani Zonda R:

Official release after the jump:

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