Pagani is showing a unique Zonda sports car at the 80th Geneva Motor Show this week, which is destined to remain as just a one-off: the Zonda Tricolore celebrates the fiftieth anniversary this year of the Italian Air Force's famous aerobatic team, the Frecce Tricolori.

In 2010 the busy aerobatic season of the Frecce Tricolori will see as its high point the fiftieth anniversary celebrations of this team that has impressed worldwide over half a century, and the anniversary, will be celebrated on 11th and 12th September at Rivolto Airport.

The one-off Zonda Tricolore unveiled in Geneva is based around the recent Zonda Cinque project which was a run of just five examples that stretched the decade-old Zonda into its most-powerful road-going format so far. It retained the usual, powerful AMG-tuned Mercedes Benz engine, with maximum output of 670 bhp and peak torque of 780 Nm coupled up to a 6-speed Cima sequential gearbox robotised by Automac Engineering, while the ECU, traction control system and ABS are supplied by Bosch. The carbon-titanium monocoque is a slightly-revised for the Zonda Tricolore, while there is also a ceramic-coated inconel/titanium exhaust system, suspension in magnesium and titanium, APP monolitic wheels forged in aluminium and magnesium (front 9x19 – rear 12.5x20) shod with Pirelli PZero tyres (front 255/35/19 – rear 335/30/20) and Brembo-sourced brakes in carbo-ceramic, which are self ventilated with a hydraulic servo brake (front 380x34 mm, monolitic 6 piston caliper; rear 380x34 mm featuring a monolitic 4 piston caliper).

This all adds up to a dry weight of 1,210 kg and a 47/53 front/rear weight distribution for the Zonda Tricolore, 0-100 km/h is achieved in 3.4 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 9.6 seconds while it can brake from 100-0 km/h in 2.1 seconds and from 200 km/h to standstill in 4.3 seconds.

The Zonda Tricolore is finished in the blue colours of the Frecce Tricolori, inside as well as outside, and bears the aerobatic team's famous Italian flag inspired stripe which chases up the front of the Modena-built sports car, while there is a dedicated "Tricolore" badge on the rear panel. Below the Zonda's usual twin narrow round headlights there is also a small LED light strip which has been designed to resemble the wing on a plane. The one-off Zonda Tricolore will be sold for a reported 1.3 million euros.

The Frecce Tricolori, officially known as the 313th Aerobatic Training Squadron, is the demonstration team of the Italian Air Force, based at Rivolto Air Force Base, in the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia-Giulia, province of Udine. It was formed in 1961 as an Air Force team, replacing previous teams that had been sponsored by various commands by the end of the 1920s. The team flies the Aermacchi MB-339-A/PAN, a two-seat aircraft capable of 898 km/h at sea level, with nine aircraft and a solo (the highest number of aircraft of any aerobatic team in the world).