Horatio Pagani was an employee at Lamborghini whose expertise with materials saw him rise quickly through the ranks to manage the composite material department.

In 1988 he set up Pagani Composite Research which, while still with Lamborghini, gave him the opportunity to create his own supercar.

It's seven years since the first concept appeared but familiarity cannot prepare you for the real thing. For a start, it is impossibly low, while the whole shape is a work of art. The same goes for the cabin. Where you might expect leather and chrome mixed in with switchgear borrowed from the universal parts bin, the Zonda wows you as you sit behind a chunky, leathered wheel, are cradled by supportive seats and flip toggle switches that snap with delightful precision. Like any supercar worth a fig, the Zonda is crafted almost entirely from carbonfibre and is about as heavy as a mid-sized hatchback.

Then the engine ticks all the right boxes: 12 cylinders, naturally aspirated and mid-mounted. Although sourced from Mercedes, the units are hand-built and extensively modified. There's 555bhp on offer, and the same figure in lb/ft of torque.

Strap yourself in with the four-point harness, and finger the starter. A brief and loud whirr is followed by a burst of noise as the engine fires and it settles into a busy idle. The driving position is excellent, the windscreen falls away to give you a great view out, framed by the high front wings. It's also worth noting that you're seated at the sharp end: the Zonda gets wider towards the rear. The clutch engages easily, the throttle is sensitive without being hair-trigger and without fuss or sweat the Zonda is rolling. There's no slack in the suspension or steering and everything feels tightly meshed together.

The merest squeeze of the accelerator sees the mighty V12 with a lot to say for itself. It has no powerband, no peakiness or sudden kick, it just starts pushing hard from idle and gets more forceful as the revs rise. The performance is shattering but the music - calling it noise would be an insult - is something else.

The Zonda feels just like a giant rocket-powered kart. Youre constantly aware of the amount of car behind you, but the steering is so accurate it instantly earns your trust, while the brakes are strong enough to cope with even last minute applications.

This is Pagani's first car yet it manages to humble the best efforts of its more illustrious rivals who have had decades of practice.

This is a piece of pure automotive heaven.

At a glance

Model: Pagani Zonda C12 S, 330,000.

Engine: 7.3-litre petrol unit producing 555bhp. Six-speed manual gearbox driving rear wheels, left-hand drive only.

Performance: 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds.

Top speed: 220mph

Insurance group: 20.

Website: www.paganiautomobili.it

Price: If you've got to ask - you can't afford it!