Aston Martin DB7 Zagato

When Ferrari's marketing guru's said that they could sell roughly 400 Enzo's, the decision makers decided to build just 399.

Whether or not this marketing ploy ensures that demand outstrips supply is debatable, but it seems as though this trend is catching on...

British marque Aston Martin has unveiled the DB7 Zagato at the Paris Motor Show 2002, a slightly smaller and more performance oriented vehicle than the standard DB7, which will have a limited run of 99 units.

Loosely based on the DB7 - a V12 powered Grand Tourer with some 309kW @ 6000rpm - the Zagato model is different in a number of areas, yet it's obvious that a scalpel, not a meat cleaver, was used to update it looks.

Some may be wondering where the lively 'Zagato' name comes from, and you'd be correct if you guessed it wasn't British.

The 2003 DB7 Zagato is the fourth Aston Martin to use custom sheetmetal from Italian coachbuilder Zagato, the last of which was the 1987 5.4-litre V8 Volante.

Andrea Zagato and his team of designers were inspired by the original DB4GT, and while the aluminium bodies are made in Italy, the car is finished in the United Kingdom at Bloxham – home of the Aston Martin DB7.

Compared to the normal DB7, the Zagato model has been altered quite heavily, though to the untrained eye, both models would appear similar.

To emphasise it's sporting heritage, the new aluminium-bodied Aston Martin is shorter than the DB7 (by 60mm), using the DB7 Volante's shorter wheelbase to improve turn-in.

It also has a much shorter tail with reduced rear overhangs and a larger front grille, which is one of the biggest givaways that this is no ordinary cruiser - and also a throwback to the legendary 60s DB4GT Zagato design.

A new 'double-bubble' roof lends the car a rare, yet elegant look, plus the new model also gets larger rear-wheel arches to house custom 18-inch Zagato-styled wheels with a revised offset to give a wider track, improving rear-end grip.

The rear-end gets larger-bore twin exhaust pipes and those tail-lights that could have only come from Milan. To say the Zagato has a cute bum is a huge understatement.

Along with the stlying update, the use of Zagato-tempered sheet metal means that the car sheds a significant amount of flab, too. It weighs in at 1740kg, which is 60kg lighter than standard model.

Combine this with the enlarged front grille (it's huge!), providing the engine with a more ample supply of fresh air, and you have a sure-fire recipe for tail-out antics.

Moreover, the powertrain has also been improved, which now put vital statistics for the all-alloy V12 at 328kW of power.

The extra 19kW were liberated from the quad-overhead camshaft, 6.0-litre V12 via a new, freer flowing twin-exhaust system and other 'undisclosed' engine tweaks.

While no specific torque figures have been offered by AM, the standard DB7's 12-cylinder mill has 542Nm of torque, which leads us to believe the Zagato would hit a peak of probably 550 Newtons.

With the extra power and reduced weight, the Zag can accelerate from 0-100km/h in a blistering 4.9 seconds, which is quite gobsmacking when you consider this car weighs a portly 1740kg (though it is quite light for a luxury GT).

Aston Martin reckons the Zagato will hit a top speed of about 305km/h. With this increase in performance, the Zag also gets upgraded ABS discs and the front and rear suspension have been revised for a more sporting character and better handling at speed.

The front-engined, rear-wheel drive Zagato puts 328kW of power to the ground via the same close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox found in the DB7, though with a revised differential and a more pleasing (read: shorter) gear lever.

Inside, the driver and front passenger will feel right at home as they settle into dark chocolate-coloured hand-stitched leather buckets.

Due to the redesign, the rear seats no longer exist and boot space has also suffered. In hindsight, one might say that these reductions in space highlight the Zag's primary focus - performance.

The standard (if you can call it that) DB7 is now Aston Martin's best-selling car of all time, with some 4000 units sold so far.

As such, a Zagato special run was a no-brainer, and it's quite something that in the company's 88-year history, it's best-selling model existed through the 90s and 00s.

Even more impressive perhaps, is the mix of traditional and modern styling cues which have always differentiated the Aston Martin from lowly BMWs and Mercedes. The special Zagato DB7 is expected to retail for about $US250,000, but seeing as there's only 99 of them, all of which are already accounted for, expect to see perhaps only a handful on Australian roads.