A few months ago, Aston Martin introduced the V12 Zagato Concept to the world, a supercar that was born from the creative minds of Aston Martin and Italian coachbuilder, Zagato. The overwhelming popularity of the concept prompted the folks over at Aston to expedite the release of the production car and lo and behold, the production car was supposed to make an appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
But what we saw at Frankfurt appeared to be the same one we saw at Pebble Beach and Villa d’Este, albeit with a new trunk lid as opposed to the huge spoiler we saw before.
Official details behind the production version have yet to be released, but we don’t expect it to be any different from the concept, including the 6.0-liter V12 engine mated to a six-speed automated manual transmission and the output of 510 horsepower and 420 lb/ft of torque.
What we do know is that Aston Martin has revealed the price for the limited-run supercar and it’s going to take you back £330,000, which is about $538,300 based on current exchange rates. Only 150 models will be built so if you’re in the market for one, better start saving up and preparing for a speedy reservation.
The ’production version’ of the V12 Zagato was one of the highlights of Aston Martin’s booth at Frankfurt, where it was joined by the pair of V12 Zagato race car variants that participated at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring - ’Zig’ and ’Zag’ - as well as the One-77 supercar and the newly released Virage and Vantage S.
UPDATE 02/09/12: Aston Martin has released new official images of the production version V12 Zagato supercar. Enjoy!
The highly-talked about Aston Martin V12 Zagato has been a source of great interest from all four corners of the auto industry since it was first revealed last year.
Now it appears that we’re headed closer and closer to the production version’s official world debut at the Kuwait Concours d’ Elegance this coming February 15. While it appears curious for Aston Martin to pick Kuwait to reveal their new supercar, such a decision was made in large part because it’s the only event of its type in the Middle East, which is a burgeoning market for Aston Martin.
"We are excited to show the new V12 Zagato for the first time in production form at the Kuwait Concours d’Elegance," said Dr Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin.
"Over 50 years since the introduction of the iconic DB4GT Zagato, Aston Martin and Zagato have collaborated to create this modern interpretation which remains true to the original focus of craftsmanship, performance and exclusivity."
Aston Martin has yet to announce any modifications - if there are any - for the production version, so you can expect it to be as awesome as the dynamic concept seen in May 2011 which packed a walloping 6.0-liter V12 engine that developed 510 horsepower and 420 lb/ft of torque.
Only 150 units of the carbon and aluminum supercar will be built with an expected price tag of around £330,000 - that’s about half-a-million greenbacks - making it a hefty purchase for even the most financially-endowed auto enthusiast.
Check out Aston Martin’s press release after the jump.
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The first downloadable package for the new Gran Turismo 5 became available back in October, followed by a second upgrade package for December, and now GT5 honchos have come up with a third update to to add to the collection. Think they’re overdoing it a bit? Yeah, so do we, but making money is always at the forefront of these decisions.
The new 2.03 update package includes 12 new home themes and wallpapers, better tire wear prediction in B-Spec races, and adjustments to the Chaparral 2J race car’s performance point index. Gamers can also choose between two different packages. Car Pack 3 includes models like the Nissan Leaf, the 2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, the 2011 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, the 2011 MINI Cooper S Countryman, and the classic Volkswagen Beetle. Price for this package is $5.99.
The second update package choice is called the Speed Test Pack and includes an 18.82 miles long track where you can test models like the Red Bull X2011. The price for this package is $3.99.
There are so many auto shows throughout the course of the year that it’s hard to keep up with all of the cool concepts brought to each one. Then again, some of these concepts are so outlandish that they will never see the light of production day anyway, leaving us with the feeling of being offered a delectable chocolate cake only to be reminded of our New Year’s weight loss resolution.
Even if production chances are slim for some, concepts hold a special place in all of our hearts because of the attention to detail automakers put into them. Automakers use these concepts to put out just how much they are capable of doing and quite possibly may do on their future models.
From three different, color coordinated layers of information to V12 engines with spectacular power outputs, concepts have a way of getting underneath our skin and staying there until the production model is attained. This year, our choices are unmistakable and in no particular order: the Jaguar C-X16 Concept, the BMW i8 Concept, the Aston Martin V12 Zagato Concept, the Chevrolet Mi-Ray Concept, and the Nissan Juke Nismo Concept.
Hit the jump for details on each of these imaginative concepts.
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We kinda feel bad that the North American International Auto Show is being pushed to the side by all this buzz surrounding the Geneva Motor Show. But such is the case with arguably the biggest auto event in the world; only Frankfurt can match Geneva in magnitude.
But that’s neither here nor there at this point. What’s important is that automakers are slowly revealing their company plans for Geneva, even if its still three months away. One such is Aston Martin, which, according to GTSpirit, is prepared to unveil a roadster version of the vaunted V12 Vantage at Geneva. There’s not much in the way of details, but news of the V12 Vantage Roadster’s arrival has been years in the making, as evidenced by spy shots of the car dating all the way back to a few years ago.
The wait for this car has definitely taken longer than any of us expected, but at the very least, we can finally mark down our calendars to see what kind of supercar this is shaping to look like.
Numbers have yet to be confirmed, but the word is that the V12 Vantage Roadster will carry a 6.0-liter V12 engine producing 510 horsepower and 420 lb/ft of torque.
We’ll keep you posted on any updates as far as Aston Martin’s plans are for this car. Just keep crossing your fingers and hope that Aston does have plans for the official unveiling this coming March.
