Few would argue that Horatio Pagani has created something very special with the Zonda -- but then he did used to work at Lamborghini

How do you get hold of a supercar to rival a Lamborghini? Easy -- you buy it from a man who used to work there.

That man is Horatio Pagani, and he has shaken the high-performance car establishment with his new Zonda.

To look at, it's simply a stunner - dramatic and elegant, and peppered with absorbing details.

The same goes for the cabin, with no cheap plastics, no rough edges or donor parts that jar.

Like any supercar worth a fig, the Zonda is crafted almost entirely from ultra-light carbonfibre, making it about as heavy as a mid-sized hatchback.

Then there's the engine: 12 cylinders, naturally aspirated and mid-mounted. Although sourced from Mercedes, the 555bhp units are hand-built and extensively modified.

The performance is shattering accompanies it is utterly intoxicating.

The steering is so accurate it instantly earns your trust, while the brakes are strong enough to cope with even last minute applications.

What makes the Zonda even more special is that this is Pagani's first car, yet it manages to humble its more illustrious rivals who have had decades of practice. There's no reputation to cloud your mind -- this car is a piece of pure automotive heaven.