Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Speedster and Shooting Brake uncovered

The Aston Martin and Zagato partnership reached another milestone today with the unveiling of the Speedster and Shooting Brake variants of the ultra-exclusive Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato line-up.

The new targa-top and sports tourer models will join the Vanquish Zagato Coupe and Vanquish Zagato Volante from 2018, bringing the series to four highly rare limited production models.

This ‘family’ of four Vanquish Zagato models will yield a total of 325 cars. As the first member of the family, production of the Vanquish Zagato Coupes commenced in late 2016. Next to enter production was the Vanquish Zagato Volante. Once again strictly limited to 99 cars (all of which have been sold), production has commenced and deliveries will 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 with deliveries scheduled for 2018. 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.

With all four cars based upon the Vanquish S, each Zagato enjoys the combination of 441kW (600hp) naturally-aspirated V12 mated to the 8-speed Touchtronic III transmission. Each model gets unique adaptive damping tuning for optimum driving performance.

The Speedster and Shooting Brake represent the two extremes of the Vanquish Zagato family. The former is an open-top sports car characterised by 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).

The Shooting Brake is still a strict two-seater, but designed as a practical GT. The sculptural roof culminates in a powered tailgate that opens onto a luxuriously trimmed rear cabin area, complete with a tailored luggage set. It features dramatic herringbone carbon fibre facia with anodised bronze rotary controls, extensive ‘Z’ motif quilting and the option of a fully aniline leather upholstery.

Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, said of the Vanquish Zagato family: “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 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.”

Andrea Zagato, CEO of Zagato said of the enduring creative partnership: “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.”