There’s an ongoing argument that cars cannot be art because they serve a purpose in and of themselves — transportation. Art can only exist for its own sake — as art.
But, when you come across cars like the new Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato concept revealed recently in Italy, it’s difficult to judge where the line should be drawn. Every bit an elite performance machine, the styling on the new Zagato undeniably creates automobile as sculpture.
Also: AUTOLUST | 2017 Aston Martin DB11
Aston Martin has a long history with the Italian design and tuning company Zagato. The original DB4 GT Zagato rocked the racing world of 1960, while the V12 Vantage Zagato debuted to a short build run in 2011.
Essentially, the Zagato versions represent the most advanced and desirable limited editions of every Aston Martin car it touches. This latest collaboration greeted the world at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este at Lake Como, Italy.
The car remains only a concept car at this point, however this Vanquish Zagato offers its new styling cues while remaining very much within the Aston Martin design language. This beautiful car is not so far off the current path Aston is paving, so I would expect to see something along these lines hitting track days around the world in the near future.
The car’s bodywork is all forged from carbon fiber and assembled with large single panels. Some of the car’s design borrows flares from recent legendary performance cars out of Aston’s house — the One-77 and the Vulcan. Under the hood, the aspirated V12 engine is upgraded to 600 PS (German for horsepower).
Closer inspection reveals a Zagato essential — the so-called “double-bubble” roof. The original Zagato Aston Martin effort needed to make room for racing helmets, so the roof grooves accommodated.
Inside, would-be buyers of this car to-be (perhaps) will enjoy Herringbone carbon fibre, anodized bronze and aniline leather. Of course, the signature “Z” pattern stitch is sewed into the seats and door sections.
There’s no word when a small batch of this piece of fine art on wheels might arrive on the world’s roads, but it doesn’t seem that far fetched an idea.
