What's the news?
Aston Martin has rocked up to the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in the States with news of not one, but two new (very) limited edition models that are sure to have collectors rushing to be first in line with their cheque books.
They'll find it's a little too late to get hold of one of the new Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Speedsters, however, as all 28 are already spoken for, with delivery pencilled in for 2018. The Speedster is a strict two-seater with no roof and two streamlined 'Speed Humps' behind the cabin to give it a distinctive appearance that hints at the characteristic double-bubble roof style of Zagato.
The Speedster follows on from the Vanquish Zagato Coupe and Vanquish Zagato Volante convertible, limited to 99 examples apiece and already sold out. However, it appears there's the slimmest of chances for those not yet in the queue, as the second model announced by Aston is the fourth in the Vanquish Zagato family (and arguably the most alluring), a Shooting Brake. Production of this more practical model will be limited to 99 units.
But 'practicality' is relative, as the Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake will, despite its elongated appearance and powered tailgate, have only two seats. The rear will instead house a tailored luggage set with plenty of space in what Aston calls a 'luxuriously trimmed rear cabin area.' Up front, the Shooting Brake shares some of the Zagato detailing with its siblings and features herringbone carbon fibre, anodised bronze rotary controls, 'Z' motif quilting and the option of a fully aniline leather upholstery.
Mechanicals
All four Vanquish Zagato variants share their mechanicals with the Aston Martin Vanquish S so power comes from a naturally aspirated 6.0-litre petrol V12 engine, producing 600hp and 630Nm of torque. Drive is to the rear wheels via Aston's Touchtronic III automatic transmission, and adaptive damping will be standard.
Anything else?
A few words from the Vanquish Zagato's creative team:
Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman: "We haven't released Zagato models as a family before, at least not in this way, but the idea is not without precedent. Think back to the DB7 Zagato and DB AR1, or the V8 Zagato Coupe and Volante, for example. We've simply taken things a few steps further. Why create a family of Zagatos? Well, many of our customers want different things. Some prefer the purity of a Coupe, but others love the idea of something more extreme, like the Speedster. And yes, some of them have ordered one example of each. There's always an over-demand from our clients and patrons. We could easily fulfil demand for more cars than this, but we want Zagato to remain something very special. We're creating collectibles, future concours cars. With only 325 cars worldwide, divided between 99 Coupes, 99 Volantes, 28 Speedsters and 99 Shooting Brakes - they are still the rarest of the rare."
Andrea Zagato, CEO of Zagato: "Zagato's relationship with Aston Martin began with my grandfather and the DB4 GT Zagato, almost sixty years ago. To have a creative 'marriage' thrive for three generations is something as unique as the cars themselves. My family name is associated with all kinds of wonderful designs, but for many enthusiasts and collectors around the world those that combine the Z of Zagato with the wings of Aston Martin are the most special. Collaborating closely on the design of four complimentary, yet completely different Vanquish Zagatos has been an incredibly exciting challenge. I'm proud to continue the story my grandfather started and thrilled that our partnership with Aston Martin continues to realise such exciting cars."