One of the most enduring creative partnerships in the automotive industry has reached yet another milestone on Tuesday. Aston Martin, along with Italian design house Zagato, has unveiled the Limited Edition of the Vanquish Zagato Speedster and Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. For the uninitiated, Shooting Brake is nothing but a station wagon. First unveiled in 2016, Aston Martin has added two new variants to the Vanquish family which will be limited to only 325 units.
(Aston Martin has added two new variants to the Vanquish family which will be limited to only 325 units)
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While the production of the Vanquish Zagato Coupes commenced in late 2016, the Vanquish Zagato Volante followed soon after. Strictly limited to 99 cars (all of which have been sold), the production has commenced with the deliveries to be completed through 2018. Of the two remaining models, the Vanquish Zagato Speedster is the rarest, with a production run of just 28 cars. As you would expect from one of the most collectible and covetable Aston Martins ever, all 28 Vanquish Zagato Speedsters have been sold out. Completing the quartet, the Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake will also enter production in 2018, with a total build run of 99 cars matching those of the Coupe and Volante.
(The Speedster is an open-top ultra-high performance sports car)
The Speedster and Shooting Brake represent two extremes of the Vanquish Zagato family. While the Speedster is an open-top ultra-high performance sports car, the Shooting Brake is a strict two-seater. The boldest aspect of the Speedster's design is the Speed Humps that rise up to form streamlined cowls that flow back from the seats, representing Zagato's signature 'double-bubble' roof. All the body panels are made from carbon fibre (like the other cars in the Vanquish Zagato family), while shared details, such as the Aston Martin Vulcan-inspired 'Blade' tail lights and repeated 3D Zagato 'Z' motifs in the front grille and rear vent meshes, create an unbroken stylistic thread that connects these otherwise individual creations.
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(The new Vanquish variants get anodised bronze rotary controls and extensive 'Z' motif quilting)
On the other hand, the Shooting Brake has an extended roof on the concept sketch that has the iconic Zagato 'double-bubble' surfacing complete with glass inlays to let light flood into the cockpit. The sculptural roof culminates in a powered tailgate that opens onto a luxuriously trimmed rear cabin area, complete with a tailored luggage set. With dramatic herringbone carbon fibre fascia with anodised bronze rotary controls, extensive 'Z' motif quilting and the option of fully aniline leather upholstery, the Shooting Brake is a fitting complement to the Coupe, Volante and Speedster.
Under the hood is the same 6.0-litre, V12 engine from the standard Vanquish S, which puts out about 572 bhp and is mated to an automatic transmission. While the coupe can go from standstill to 100kmph in under 3.5 seconds, the other variants are not far behind in performance.
(The Speedster and Shooting Brake represent two extremes of the Vanquish Zagato family)
Marek Reichman, Chief Creative Officer, Aston Martin said, "We haven't released Zagato models as a family before, at least not in this way, but the idea is not without precedent. 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 fulfill 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."
