CLASSIC JEWELLERY IN MOTION

Be the lucky collector to park the most expensive Astons ever built in your dream garage

GOT R110 million burning a hole in your pocket? You could become one of the few lucky collectors in the world to put this curvaceous duo in your dream garage.

MEET THE ASTON MARTIN DBZ COLLECTION.

On the one side you see a modern exotic called the DBS GT Zagato, which has just been revealed in full at the Audrain’s Newport Concours in the US, and this voluptuous new Aston actually comes with the car that inspired it – a recreation of the DB4 GT Zagato of the 1960s.

As its name implies, the modern car is based on the Aston Martin DBS and created in partnership with Italian coach builder Zagato, and it has a completely modern design that takes inspiration from the DB4 GT Zagato of yore.

Aston Martin has also, for the first time, confirmed the DBS GT Zagato’s power source, which is a 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 that produces 567kW.

MOST EXPENSIVE ASTONS EVER

“Each pair represents the most valuable new sports cars yet built by Aston Martin as the luxury British carmaker celebrates its long-standing association with the world-renowned Italian coachbuilder and design house, Zagato,” Aston Martin said of the DBZ Centenary Collection.

“Indeed, this unique collaboration extends a remarkable creative partnership spanning almost 60 years.

“One that has consistently generated bold and breathtakingly exciting designs, the latest of which is the DBS GT

Zagato.”

JEWELLERY IN MOTION

The new DBS GT Zagato may well be worth its weight in gold, featuring 18-carat gold badges at the front and back and gold anodised side strakes and centre lock-wheel nuts, while the 3D-machined wheels also feature gold colouring.

The car you see in the pictures is painted in “Centenary Specification” Supernova red, which is exclusive to this vehicle.

Another dazzling design touch is the huge “dynamic” grille that features 108 individual diamond-shaped carbon fibre pieces, all of which are movable. When the car is parked, the grille forms flush with the rest of the exterior, but it “flutters” into life when the driver pushes the start button.

Inside the DBS GT Zagato features Caithness Spicy Red leather, Zagato Z seat quilting as well as configurable carbon and metal 3D-printed interior finishes. Buyers can specify one of three materials for the car’s central “saddle”, including Gold

PVD (physical vapour deposition), which requires 100 hours of print time, followed by additional polishing.

In addition, the “Q by Aston Martin” customisation service can create a number of truly bespoke parts, materials and finishes.

“The design studio at Aston Martin has risen to the task magnificently, working alongside Andrea (Zagato) and his team,” Aston Martin chief creative officer Marek Reichman said.

“They have taken the already fabulous DBS Superleggera and shaped it into something which retains its Aston Martin identity, yet expresses itself as only a Zagato can. It is the modern expression of a timeless icon.”

DB4 GT ZAGATO CONTINUATION: HANDMADE HERITAGE CAR

The other half of the collection, namely the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation sports car, is handmade at the Aston Martin Works centre in Newport Pagnell.

According to Aston Martin, each Continuation car requires about 4 500 hours of detailed labour and meticulous hand-crafting, although the team has found a way of combining artisan handcraftsmanship and modern production techniques and logistics, which allows the cars to be constructed alongside each other.

Only 19 DB4 GT Zagatos were built back in the 1960s, and fittingly, only 19 of the Continuation models will be produced, as part of the DBZ Centenary Collection.

The duo costs £6 million, before local taxes, which is about R111.6m at today’s exchange rate. |