(May 20, 2011) Aston Martin will unveil the stunning new V-12 Zagato endurance racer concept on the shores of Lake Como, Italy, at the Villa D’Este Concours on Saturday.

The showing marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic DB4GT Zagato.

The car revives a collaboration between Aston-Martin and Zagato, which has produced some of the most beautiful and sought-after cars in the world. The partnership takes inspiration from the past, to create a modern descendent of classics such as the DB4GT Zagato, V8 Vantage Zagato and DB7 Zagato based on Aston Martin’s ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range — the V12 Vantage.



Dr Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin said: “The Zagato design language is a perfect complement to our design and engineering expertise. After 50 years of the two companies being associated with each other the partnership has produced some of the world’s most iconic cars.

“Of course, 50 years ago Italian design houses were widely seen as leading the way with new designs, but now and supported by our independency, Aston Martin has its own in-house design ability so this new venture with Zagato is more collaborative than it perhaps would have been in the past.

“The task for us has been to create a concept that is a natural successor to those iconic cars that have gone before. Matching the technology of the age with the traditional skills vital to deliver such a bespoke and exclusive sports car will lead to a strictly limited run of road going V-12 Zagatos.”

Work began in 2010 with initial meetings between Aston Martin and Zagato where sketches incorporating the design DNA of both companies were discussed and a decision was made to proceed with the project.

“The Design team at Gaydon spent time refining the concept using a mixture of the latest computer based modeling techniques along with crafting traditional clay models to give a real world idea of proportion, stance and detail,” said Director of Design, Marek Reichman.

"The V12 Zagato is an elegant yet brutal design which reflects the great balance between race performance and pure Aston Martin style. The original DB4GT Zagato was a true icon, powerful and graceful; the new design is a true representation of the spirit of DB4GT Zagato. The muscular organic forms define the thoroughbred nature of the car’s racing credentials."

Working alongside the initial design team was a dedicated group of Aston Martin engineers led by Chris Porritt — previously responsible for the engineering of the One-77. With the skills and knowledge gained from such specialized projects this team has worked to bring the unique design of the V12 Zagato to reality in a very short period of time. 

The V-12 Zagato combines Aston Martin’s most dynamic bonded aluminum platform with the power of the 6.0-liter V-12 engine producing 510 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. The V-12 Zagato will appear in the form of an endurance race car to compete at the Nürburgring 24-hour race on June 25-26.

The V-12 Vantage which forms the basis of the V-12 Zagato has been proven on the race track as early as 2009 with a class win in its debut race at the 24 hour race at Nürburgring in close to production specification. In 2011 the car has gone on to form the basis of the new Aston Martin GT3 race car unveiled last month.