Aston Martin and Italian design-house Zagato have revealed the Vanquish Zagato Concept, which is making its global debut at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.

The Vanquish Zagato Concept is the fifth car to emerge from a collaboration that stretches back over five decades, from the DB4 GT Zagato of 1960 through to the V12 Vantage Zagato of 2011. 

Designed in close collaboration between the Aston Martin Design team led by Marek Reichman and Andrea Zagato and his dedicated design team in Milan and developed and engineered at Aston Martin’s headquarters in Gaydon, the concept features new bodywork which is entirely shaped from carbon fibre, with the split lines on the body reduced by the use of large one-piece panels. New lights include round tail light reflectors that evoke the classic rear view of a Zagato design, incorporating the same 'bladed' LED technology as the Vulcan track-only supercar.

Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman said, “Over the years, we have developed and refined our own design language and we have always gone that little bit further with our special series cars like CC-100, One-77 and Aston Martin Vulcan. The Vanquish Zagato Concept shows how our two companies can come together and push the definition of Aston Martin design.”

Referencing elements of the brand’s contemporary design language, the concept features One-77 inspired wing mirrors and a sculptural rear end similar to the DB11's aerodynamic profile, complete with retractable spoiler and rear hatch for access to the luggage compartment.  A quad-exhaust nestles in the carbon fibre sills that run around the lower body, creating a pronounced line from front to rear.

The glasshouse wraps around the bodywork like a visor, while a new evolution of the classic side strake runs from wheel arch to door just like the new DB11. A sharp crease on the rear wheel arch transforms into the rear flanks, where it meets the cascading roofline.

The roof features Zagato’s iconic 'double-bubble', its shallow radius dipping into the rear window glass to give the car an unmistakeable rear silhouette. The trademark roof, which originally appeared in the early 1950s, was created to accommodate racing helmets with a minimum impact on the aerodynamic profile. 

Inside, Herringbone carbon fibre is paired with shadow and anodised bronze and aniline leather across the facia, vents and rotary dials, while a unique ‘Z’ quilt pattern stitch is used on the seat and door sections, along with the celebrated trademark Zagato ‘Z’ embossed on headrests and stitched into the centre console.

“We pride ourselves on our strong partnership and the creation of the Vanquish Zagato Concept was a true shared experience,” says Zagato's CEO, Andrea Zagato, “it represents the essence of an important design relationship that dates back over fifty years.”

Aston Martin says the concept’s normally-aspirated V12 engine has been uprated to 600 PS, along with enhanced driving dynamics.

The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este is being held at Lake Como in Italy from 21 – 22 May 2016.