99-unit run set to begin very soon.
The relationship between UK sports car firm Aston Martin and Italian design house Zagato continues to bear amazing fruit, with the former revealing the Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake in production form ahead of its production commencement, the last in a four-series instalment of vehicles brought fourth by the Italian-English tie-up.
The four ultra-limited edition vehicles are a celebration of the bond that Aston Martin and Zagato share, a link first forged back in the 1960s. Fast forward to today, and the Italian design firm will put its name on a total of 325 Vanquish Zagato cars, broken up to 99 Coupés (seen first in 2016), 99 Volantes, 28 Speedsters, and 99 Shooting Brakes. All models have been sold already though, in case you were reaching for your chequebook or about to call your business manager.
“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.” — Andrea Zagato, CEO, Zagato of Milan
Designed as a an “individual and exceptionally-practical GT,” the Shooting Brake’s more commodious body style actually spins a yarn that the interior doesn’t tie up. While some of you might be thinking that this could be the way you bring yourself and three passengers in exceptional style over a grand tour, the Shooting Brake remains a strict 2-seater like the rest of the Zagato family. Instead, the roofline has been designed to maximise practicality for cargo. The Shooting Brake’s roofline is peppered with Zagato design flourishes, like the double-bubble roof we’ve seen on other variants, complete with glass inlays to flood the cabin with light.
Unique design embellishments for the Shooting Brake include a “dramatic herringbone carbon fibre fascia,” bronze-treated rotary controls, quilting throughout the cabin in a unique ‘Z’ motif (no prizes for guessing why), and the option of fully-aniline leather upholstery. Included with the Shooting Brake is a tailored luggage set, which will help you keep all of your things safely and stylishly throughout your cross-continent trip.
While the Zagato foursome look bespoke, the ‘Vanquish’ in the name means that under the bonnet, it’s all rather familiar. While they enjoy motivation from the beautiful 5.0-litre V12 engine from the Vanquish, they’ve been massaged to produce a not-inconsiderable 441kW of power, some 20kW more than the standard Vanquish S. Power then gets sent to the rear wheels via a Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic transmission. The Zagato models also get bespoke suspension and damping tuning to deliver “exceptional driving pleasures that are every bit as stimulating and memorable as their design.”
It’s hitherto unclear how many Zagato Shooting Brakes have been sold as of yet, but it wouldn’t be of much surprise to us if all 99 have been sold already. So we’ll leave you with the gallery below, to let you think about what might have been.
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