Aston Martin has confirmed it will put the stunning V12 Zagato into limited production following what it calls "an encouraging public reaction" to what started out as a one-off conceived for the Villa D'Este Concours in Italy.
A limited run of 150 cars will go into production in 2012, with UK pricing starting at £330,000 (which extrapolates to an Oz price in excess of $800,000!) for the hand-assembled coupe.
However, the extravagant price tag allegedly hasn't deterred would-be buyers, with Aston claiming there is "there is overwhelmingly encouraging interest from customers" -- particularly in the wake of its participation in the gruelling Nürburgring 24 Hour race.
Although based on the existing V12 Vantage, the Zagato is clothed in a handcrafted aluminium and carbonfibre body that allegedly would not have been achievable using pre-formed panel techniques.
Design work on the V12 Zagato began in mid-2010 with initial engineering following in January this year.
In Aston's words: "Using the influences and skill of nearly 100 years of heritage in the craft, every aluminium panel was formed using an English wheel and traditionally crafted body bucks."
Iconic Zagato design cues include the double-bubble roof created in this case from five separate pieces, which the manufacturer claims is an illustration of the attention to detail that went into the car.
"The V12 Zagato is an elegant yet brutal design which reflects the great balance between race performance and pure Aston Martin style," said Aston Martin design boss Marek Reichman.
"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," Reichman added.
Housed with the Zagato's bonded aluminium platform is Aston's familiar 6.0-litre V12, which is this application ekes out 380kW and 570Nm. Drive is relayed to the rear wheels by a conventional six-speed manual gearbox, rather than a sequential unit.
The company hasn't as yet revealed the car's kerb weight, but its carbonfibre-intensive diet is likely to have yielded at least some weight savings over the donor V12 Vantage.
Prototype versions have received a genuine baptism of fire, with the two examples entered in last month's Nurburgring 24-hour enduro covering a combined 230 laps (just under 6000km) at 'The Green Hell'.
Aston Martin V12 Zagato
Fast Facts
Engine
6.0-litre V12
380kW at 6500rpm
570Nm at 5750rpm
Selectable 'Sport' mode
Transmission
Six-speed manual transmission
Performance (estimates)
Acceleration: 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds
Maximum Speed: 305km/h
Exterior Style
Zagato styling; coupe only
Four unique Zagato exterior paint schemes
Wheels and Tyres
Lightweight forged aluminium 19-inch alloy wheels, unique for V12 Zagato
Front tyres: Pirelli P Zero Corsa 255/35 ZR19
Rear tyres: Pirelli P Zero Corsa 295/30 ZR19
Interior Style
V12 Vantage interior with Zagato stitched logos and plaques
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