Gorgeous Aston concept becomes a reality

Published Jun 22, 2016

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By: Dave Abrahams

Gaydon, Warwickshire - When the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato concept was revealed at the prestigious Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este at Lake Como in May, the people who matter reached for their chequebooks.

Enough of them, that Aston Martin has agreed to build a strictly limited production run of 99 examples, to order.

The Vanquish Zagato Coupé is the fifth model to come out of a collaboration that stretches back more than 50 years between Britain's coolest car brand and the Milan design studio that believes performance is more important than looks and, as a result, has created some of the prettiest cars ever made.

Starting with the DB4 GT Zagato racing car of 1960 - now valued at more than R220 million - they include the 1986 V8 Vantage Zagato, the 2002 DB7 Vantage Zagato, and the 2011 V12 Vantage Zagato.

Close to the concept

The production Vanquish Zagato will stay close to the design of the concept, with its all-carbon fibre body moulded in large panels to reduce the number of split lines, visor-shaped glasshouse and signature Zagato 'double bubble' roof - originally designed in the 1950s to make room for the occupants' racing helmets without spoiling the airflow over the car.

The cockpit will be trimmed in herringbone carbon-fibre, bronze-anodised alloy and soft leather, with a special Z stitching pattern on the seat and door sections and the Zagato logo embroidered on the head restraints and centre console.

And because Zagato is, at heart, a performance-car brand, the six-litre V12 of the standard Vanquish has been uprated from 421 to 441kW, which Aston Martin says should be good for a 0-100km/h getaway in 3.5 seconds, and it will run on a special performance suspension set-up.

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