Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato

The Aston Martin DBS GT Zagato Is Coachbuilt V-12 Art

Aston Martin has announced new details on its upcoming coachbuilt super-grand tourer: the DBS GT Zagato. It’s the latest collaboration between the British manufacturer and famed Italian design firm Zagato, adding to a tradition stretching back over 50 years.

The DBS Superleggera—Aston’s most powerful production car to date—provides the basis for the DBS GT Zagato. It receives a full reskin, with all-new body panels which distinguish and somehow make it even more striking than the standard car. Design elements like the double-bubble roof, turbine-esque taillights, and prominently creased rear haunches tie it in with earlier Aston-Zagato special projects based on the Vanquish and V12 Vantage.

The DBS GT Zagato pushes the envelope further with a “dynamic” grille comprised of multiple carbon-fiber elements that transforms based on the vehicle’s status. When parked, its 108 diamond-shaped pieces fold flat and interlock, giving the trademark Aston Martin grille a smooth, uninterrupted demeanor. Upon startup, each of these components actuate in a choreographed procedure to allow engine airflow past their gold-trimmed edges. Model-specific headlights and a vented hood with no apparent shut lines add to the DBS GT Zagato’s individuality.

At the rear, aesthetic pursuit appears to compromise livability: There’s no rear windshield. Instead, an uninterrupted carbon fiber panel extends across the entire roof of the vehicle. However, Aston Martin uses a camera-based digital rearview mirror to let the driver see what’s behind. It’s the first time this technology has been seen on a road-ready Aston Martin vehicle, although a similar setup was displayed in concept form on the mid-engine Vanquish Vision and Valhalla.

Mechanically, the DBS GT Zagato is presumably identical to the DBS Superleggera, meaning they share the 715 hp, 663 lb-ft twin-turbo 5.2-liter V-12. Coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the Superleggera is capable of a 3.4-second 0-60 sprint and 211 mph top speed—we imagine the GT Zagato won’t be far behind. On the new car, four prominent exhaust tips jut through the carbon fiber rear diffuser, and carbon-ceramic brakes are visible behind centerlock wheels. Clearly, Aston intends to sacrifice no performance to style with the DBS GT Zagato.

Denree Smith Author

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