► New Aston Martin Vanquishes spied
► Zagato Volante and Speedster on test
► Latest spy photos, release dates, prices
Remember the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Volante shown at the 2016 Pebble Beach concours? It seems Gaydon is very close to launching the real thing.
Our paps caught the carbonfibre roadster pounding the Nurburgring in Germany as Aston undertakes endurance testing ahead of global sales.
And there’s a further surprise: they’re readying a Zagato Speedster version too (above). Both specials were created in collaboration with Italian design house Zagato, whose relationship with Aston Martin stretches back more than 50 years to the 1960 DB4 GT Zagato.
When can I buy an Aston Vanquish Zagato Volante and Speedster?
Our sources report that the soft-top Volante (below) will be shown for real in August 2017 at this year’s Pebble Beach event, ahead of a small production run in 2018. Sales will be limited to just 99 cars, making this a collectors’ special.
It will accompany the Vanquish Zagato Coupe the company launched in May 2016 at the Villa d’Este concours.
Both Zags follow similar upgrades, including ‘bladed’ LED rear lamps, One-77 style mirrors, strakes aplenty and a new pop-up rear spoiler.
Performance should be devastating, thanks to upgraded V12 power and a lighter kerbweight, achieved through composite bodywork.
No word yet on the timings of the Speedster version (below), with its unusual hump-back buttresses paying homage to the double-bubble Zagato roof (originally designed to accommodate helmeted passegners) and more open-air vibe.
Some in the CAR office – whisper it – even saw shades of Mazda MX-5 RF in the rear end…
Power, specs, performance please…
The drop-top Zagatos stick with the same 5.9-litre V12 mustering some 592bhp and 465lb ft of torque; that should be enough to guarantee 0-62mph in comfortably less than 4.0sec, according to insiders.
If you have to ask how much the Zagato twins will cost, you probably can’t afford them. The previously announced Volante run of 99 cars has already sold out, costing around half a million apiece; the Speedster is likely to be even more exclusive, with a run of just 28 models mooted, and you’re not going to get much change out of £1.3m.
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