Aston Martin has revealed its stunning new DBS Zagato to the public at the Audrain's Newport Concours in the United States.
760hp turbo V12
The new coupe, based on the current DBS, is the latest in a 60-year-long collaboration between Aston Martin and the Italian design house Zagato. That partnership kicked off in the sixties with the creation of the DB4 GT Zagato - a car that has since gone on to achieve legendary status.
Will the new DBS Zagato achieve the same? Well, its case won't be harmed by a 760hp version of the twin-turbo V12 engine from the standard DBS and the DB11. The show car comes in a new paint colour - Supernova Red - which will only be available on the 'Centenary Edition' versions of the DBS Zagato, the centenary being the 100th anniversary of Zagato itself.
That paint is shown off by carbon-fibre exterior finishers, 3D-machined wheels, finished in satin black and gold. Aside from the black anodised grille and the gold anodised wheel nuts, this car is wearing literal jewellery in the form of 18-carat gold strakes in the side vents. Careful where you park it...
Printed gold for the interior
Inside, you'll find Caithness Spicy Red leather, a Zagato 'Z' embroidered on the seats and exposed carbon fibre for both the steering wheel and the gearshift paddles.
In the centre of the cabin, the 'saddle' area of the centre console can be had in three finishes - carbon, aluminium, or stainless steel with a PVD (physical vapour deposition) coating of gold. According to Aston, this last option "requires almost 100 hours of print time with additional polishing and post-processing by skilled craftsmen to achieve a perfect lustrous finish."
On top of all of that, as if it weren't enough, you can have Aston's 'Q' department give the Zagato a good going over to modify it to your personal taste.
Matching pair with the DB4 GT Zagato
Oh, you want more? Well, you can have more. Aston is already building 19 'continuation' versions of the original DB4 GT Zagato - millimetre perfect recreations of the original, made in Aston's own classic workshop in England. As part of the centenary celebrations, you can buy both a DBS and a DB4 GT Zagato as a matching pair for the princely sum of £6 million (about €6.7 million at today's rates). Plus local taxes, although let's face it, if you're buying cars like this, you're probably not paying local taxes...
Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, said: "The design studio at Aston Martin has risen to the task magnificently, working alongside Andrea (Zagato) and his team. They have taken the already fabulous DBS Superleggera and shaped it into something which retains its Aston Martin identity, yet expresses itself as only a Zagato can. It is the modern expression of a timeless icon."
Andrea Zagato, Chief Executive Officer of the Design House, commented: "Aston Martin's elegance, class and purity of style have always blended perfectly with our own rationalistic design language. Zagato's Centenary represents a bridge between the past and the future, strengthened by the shared vision for an innovative approach to collectibles, recently coupled in pairs and twins with the aim to reach new standards of exclusivity in the world."
Paul Spires, President of Aston Martin Works, said: "Paired with the new beauty that is the stunning DBS GT Zagato, the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation cars are a unique and fitting celebration of the brand's 60-year love affair with this unmatched Italian automotive style icon."