Video: Sights and Sounds of the Aston Martin V12 Zagato

Having brought you a first look at the winner of the design award for Concept Cars and Prototypes at this year’s edition of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy, it is now time to show you the Aston Martin V12 Zagato in the flesh and on film. The concept study is a V12 Vantage draped in an aluminum Italian suite, and it will spawn a racing model that will compete in the 24-hour Nurburgring endurance race in late June as well as a limited run production version, scheduled for launch within the next year.
Follow the jump to get a look of the supercar’s lines and a taste of the brutal sounds produced by Aston Martin’s 517-horsepower 6.0-liter V12 engine in our collection of videos.

Aston Martin V12 Zagato: Italian Elegance Meets British Brute Force

Some companies really know how to celebrate. Take AstonMartin and Zagato, for example. The iconic British sports car maker and the legendary Italian coachbuilder will mark the 50th anniversary of their first collaboration with a brand new study.
To honor their first joint project, the 1961 DB4GT Zagato, the two companies developed the Aston Martin V12 Zagato, a race car study that will be unveiled on May 21 at the Villa D'Este Concorsod'Eleganza in Italy, where it will compete against the Ferrari Superamerica 45. But this elegant and dramatic coupe was not built for classy Concours d'Elegance events alone, as it will actually race at the Nurburgring 24 Hour event on June 25-26.

Aston Martin and Zagato Reunite, will Show New Car at Villa D’Este Concours

This year, the iconic Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato celebrates its 50th anniversary, and to mark the event, the British automaker and the famous Italian design house have joined forces once again to create a new project that could very well head to production. The new collaboration between Aston Martin and Zagato will be revealed in concept form at the forthcoming Villa D’Este Concours on May 21 to gauge initial customer reaction with a view to a production model following as early as 2012.
For the time being, and aside from the teaser rendering, we don’t get any additional information on the new Aston Martin Zagato but word has it that it could be based on the mechanical hardware and platform of the current V8 Vantage.

Zagato Perana Z-One

The Zagato Perana Z-One will see limited production (just under 1000 units with a price upward of $100,000) and was shown with a LS3 6.2-liter V-8 under the hood. The same engine in top trim when fitted to the Corvette LS3 is rated at 435 bhp. Zagato is aiming for 0–60 mph acceleration of about 4 seconds.

The overall shape of the car is striking for its similarity to the Ford Shelby GR-1 concept shown at the North American International Auto Show four years ago. The difference is in the details. The nose of the Perana Z-One is far more Italian in execution, with pontoon style fenders and a front grille opening reminiscent of early Ferrari Testarossas and the 250 GTO. Unlike the Daytona Coupe-like rear end of the GR-1, the Perana Z-One has a more conventional rounded rear with large, hooded taillamps. The fenders feature triangular openings and the hood has a semi-circular vent. And of course, the 2-seater sports Zagato's signature double-bubble roof treatment.