If you’ve ever looked through online classifieds for a used Toyota, you’ve seen some detail about how the car has was kept in a garage, driven by an old lady to the grocery store for 30 years, and it never saw rain. These are likely lies – adspeak for the uninitiated. Maybe the seller is trying to pull one over on an unsuspecting buyer even though the undercarriage is covered in rust. It’s unlikely a mid-90s Corolla never saw rain. However, if it’s a bespoke supercar from an Italian supercar maker, then the no-rain description could be correct if it wasn’t this one-offPagani Zonda Riviera.
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It’ll be hard to sell the Zonda Riviera as a supercar that’s never seen rain when there’s video evidence of the contrary. Video from the TheTFJJ YouTube channel shows the Zonda getting caught in the rain as the owner attempts to navigate crowded London streets. The car looks odd, caught on the wet streets of London like any other car from any other automaker. The YouTube description says the Zonda Riviera cost just under £4 million. That’s a pretty expensive car to get caught in the rain like a Honda.
The Riviera is rumoured to be an evolution of the Zonda F, which was originally powered by a naturally aspirated 7.3-litre V12 engine developing a massive 594 bhp and a peak torque of 560 lb-ft of torque. However, the Riviera has several cosmetic upgrades, so it’s likely the AMG-sourced powertrain received some, too. Pagani offered different power outputs over the Zonda’s life – 669-bhp Cinque, the track-only 740-bhp Zonda R, and the 790-bhp Barchetta.
Other differences on the Riviera include the extensive use of carbon fibre, a roof scoop, larger rear wing, front canards, and carbon fibre around the headlights. The additions bring the F-based Riviera more in line with the Zonda Cinque.
You have to give recognition to the Riviera’s owner. Considering he owns a Pagani, he likely has several cars in his garage he could have driven. He didn’t need to drive the Zonda Riviera in the rain. The Riviera is still just a car.
Gallery: Pagani Riviera in London