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The driver was borrowing the £528,000 sports car from its owner when he spun out of control on a narrow country lane near Aberdeen. The Italian-made vehicle, which can reach speeds of 220mph, hit a telegraph pole before smashing through a fence.
The motorist, whose identity has not been revealed, escaped the mangled wreckage unhurt.
But Aviva, the insurance firm picking up the pieces from the crash in September last year, has been lumbered with a six-figure bill for repairs to the car.
It is thought to be the highest ever British insurance payout for repairs to a car. Adam Cracknell. a spokesman for Aviva, said: "This is the biggest insurance payout we have had for repairs to a private car in the UK. This is out of the ordinary for an insurer.
"Although the vehicle was badly damaged, Aviva decided that the car may be repairable and set about making arrangements for the car to be shipped across to Modena, Italy, home of Pagani, the vehicle manufacturer.”
Work on the damaged Pagani Zonda S, which is made out of carbon fibre, titanium and aircraft aluminium, is expected to be completed by May.
Only around 10 Zondas are produced per year and they are painstakingly constructed. Aviva said that the insurance claim was lodged by the driver, rather than the owner, who had a policy allowing him to test drive sports cars professionally.
