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To celebrate a half-century of collaboration, Zagato and Aston Martin have built perhaps the world’s most striking front-engined performance car.
Designed to pay homage to the legendary DB4GT Zagato, this latest Anglo-Italian automotive joint venture is called the V12 Zagato and it debuted at the Villa D’Este Concours in Italy on Saturday (May 21).
THOROUGHBRED HERITAGE
Following on from an illustrious heritage of cars such as the DB4GT Zagato, V8 Vantage Zagato and DB7 Zagato, this contemporary V12 version continues the proud Zagato/Aston Martin lineage with a host of classic styling cues.
Details such as Zagato's signature double-bubble roof surface (originally crafted to afford additional headroom for a racer’s helmet) and that beautifully detailed grille (reminiscent of the original DB4GT) elevate the Vantage's already striking form to a new level of aesthetic perfection.
Along the sides, Zagato’s craftspeople have sliced large air vents into the surfacing just behind the front wheels arches; around the rear there are (very) Ferrari FF-like round tail lights instead of the standard Vantage V12 items.
Rounding-off the Zagato styling treatment is an elaborate rear diffuser and Z-motif badges along the sides, the latter which rather disconcertingly look as if they have been lifted off Nissan's 370Z…
COMPOSITE DRIVESHAFT
Many of the V12 Zagato’s most iconic styling details (especially the double-bubble roof) are carefully crafted in the traditional manner on an English wheel (by hand), enhancing the overall aesthetic in a manner impossible with conventional mass-produced, pre-formed panelling.
Beyond the exquisite styling, Aston’s V12 Zagato retains the Vantage’s 380kW six-litre engine driving via a composite driveshaft to the rear wheels, courtesy of a six-speed automated manual transmission. To keep traction as secure as possible when powering out of tight corners (or on a wet road) the V12 Zagato has a limited-slip differential splitting power at the rear.
Although its specification is nearly identical to that of the similarly powered Vantage, the V12 Zagato has been finessed by an engineering team led by Chris Porritt, the man responsible for producing Aston Martin’s most outlandishly expensive (and fastest) car yet, the One-77.
Porritt’s team has worked on perfectly adjusting the double-wishbone front and rear suspension (controlled by fully active Multimatic DSSV dampers) to ensure the most rewarding driving experience imaginable.
The V12 Zagato shown in Italy at Villa D’Este will form the basis for a racer to compete at the Nürburgring 24-hour on the fourth weekend of June; a road-going version will follow soon afterwards.
Harking back to the legendary DB4GT Zagato racers of five decades ago that were driven by such legends such as Jim Clark and Roy Salvadori, this V12 Zagato is most certainly a case of retro-done-right. Then again, would one expect anything less from Aston Martin?
Designed to pay homage to the legendary DB4GT Zagato, this latest Anglo-Italian automotive joint venture is called the V12 Zagato and it debuted at the Villa D’Este Concours in Italy on Saturday (May 21).
THOROUGHBRED HERITAGE
Following on from an illustrious heritage of cars such as the DB4GT Zagato, V8 Vantage Zagato and DB7 Zagato, this contemporary V12 version continues the proud Zagato/Aston Martin lineage with a host of classic styling cues.
Details such as Zagato's signature double-bubble roof surface (originally crafted to afford additional headroom for a racer’s helmet) and that beautifully detailed grille (reminiscent of the original DB4GT) elevate the Vantage's already striking form to a new level of aesthetic perfection.
Along the sides, Zagato’s craftspeople have sliced large air vents into the surfacing just behind the front wheels arches; around the rear there are (very) Ferrari FF-like round tail lights instead of the standard Vantage V12 items.
Rounding-off the Zagato styling treatment is an elaborate rear diffuser and Z-motif badges along the sides, the latter which rather disconcertingly look as if they have been lifted off Nissan's 370Z…
COMPOSITE DRIVESHAFT
Many of the V12 Zagato’s most iconic styling details (especially the double-bubble roof) are carefully crafted in the traditional manner on an English wheel (by hand), enhancing the overall aesthetic in a manner impossible with conventional mass-produced, pre-formed panelling.
Beyond the exquisite styling, Aston’s V12 Zagato retains the Vantage’s 380kW six-litre engine driving via a composite driveshaft to the rear wheels, courtesy of a six-speed automated manual transmission. To keep traction as secure as possible when powering out of tight corners (or on a wet road) the V12 Zagato has a limited-slip differential splitting power at the rear.
Although its specification is nearly identical to that of the similarly powered Vantage, the V12 Zagato has been finessed by an engineering team led by Chris Porritt, the man responsible for producing Aston Martin’s most outlandishly expensive (and fastest) car yet, the One-77.
SENSATIONAL: Front-engined V12 performance cars come no prettier (or more purposeful) than this. The production V12 Zagato is sure to carry a significant price premium…
The V12 Zagato shown in Italy at Villa D’Este will form the basis for a racer to compete at the Nürburgring 24-hour on the fourth weekend of June; a road-going version will follow soon afterwards.
Harking back to the legendary DB4GT Zagato racers of five decades ago that were driven by such legends such as Jim Clark and Roy Salvadori, this V12 Zagato is most certainly a case of retro-done-right. Then again, would one expect anything less from Aston Martin?
