Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato concept revealed

The latest car in a line of collaborations between Aston Martin and the Italian design house Zagato, the Vanquish Zagato concept, has been unveiled ahead of its public debut at the Villa d’Este concours d’elegance in Italy.

The concept is the fifth car to emerge from the partnership between the two companies and it draws on design cues featured on recent special-edition models such as the Aston Martin Vulcan and One-77, as well as the latest DB11.

Described by its makers as having “quintessentially Aston Martin proportions”, the new concept has bodywork entirely shaped from carbonfibre, with large one-piece panels being used to reduce shut-lines. The one-off model also sports Zagato’s trademark ‘double-bubble’ roof, a wraparound glasshouse, and a new evolution on Aston Martin’s trademark side-strake, which runs from wheel arch to door in a nod to the CC-100 speedster created to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary.

The concept also features wing mirrors inspired by those on the One-77, and a rear end similar to DB11's aerodynamic profile, complete with a retractable spoiler and rear hatch for access to the luggage compartment. The rear lights incorporate the ‘bladed’ LED technology seen on the Vulcan, and the round rear reflectors are an iconic Zagato design flourish. Four exhausts exit through the carbonfibre sills.

Inside, the Vanquish Zagato Concept gets carbonfibre, anodised bronze and aniline leather on the fascia, vents and rotary dials. A ‘Z’ quilt pattern stitch is used on the seat and door sections and is also embossed on the headrests and stitched into the centre console.

The Vanquish Zagato concept is powered by Aston Martin’s naturally aspirated 5.9-litre V12 engine that has been uprated to produce 599.19hp as compared to 575.87hp in the standard Vanquish. The car’s adaptive dampers have also been re-tuned to offer sharper handling.

Previous collaborative concepts between Aston Martin and Zagato have developed into limited-edition road cars, and the V12 Zagato of 2011 was even raced at the Nürburgring, but Aston Martin sources are tight-lipped as to whether this will be the case with the Vanquish Zagato concept.