Famous Italian design studio Zagato recently created a unique version of the MV Agusta F4 superbike for a collector. Before he can get his hands on Zagato's first-ever motorcycle project, the F4Z will represent the Italian manufacturer at the Concours d'Elegance Chantilly Arts & Elegance in France.
MV Agusta has established itself as one of the world's best-known boutique manufacturers, offering an exclusive range of three and four-cylinder sport motorcycles. The F4 superbike is a model of great significance, as it signalled the return of MV Agusta from oblivion in 1998. It was designed by the late Massimo Tamburini in its first 750 cc four-cylinder version.
The basic F4 model – now powered by the latest evolution of MV's 998 cc, 195 hp four-cylinder motor – was chosen by a wealthy Japanese entrepreneur and collector as the base for a custom build he commissioned from Zagato. Working in collaboration with MV Agusta, the Milan-based designers delved for the first time into a two-wheeled project, sculpting the one-off F4Z in accordance to their customer's taste and lifestyle.
In business since 1919, Zagato has built its reputation by designing custom bodywork for many high-end cars. As expected in the case of the F4Z, all the work focused on the bike's looks, so there are no changes in the mechanical side of things. With vast automotive experience but no motorcycle precedents, Zagato constituted a renowned, yet somehow unexpected choice for this custom build.
Using aluminum and carbon fiber, the designers opted to fashion the bike's bodywork with a small number of big surfaces and managed to land quite far from the typical lines of a standard F4 – although the iconic red and silver colors leave very little room for speculation when it comes to the bike's identity. Some parts that had to be redesigned or modified in order to fit with the new design include the intake manifolds, the fuel tank and the exhaust system. The wheels are also different, as Zagato replaced the standard rims of the F4 with what appears to be the forged aluminum alloy units of the top-of-the-line F4 RR.
The end result is undoubtedly very particular, bearing some unusual styling cues from bikes like the electric Johammer J1 or Philip Starck's design on the Aprilia Moto 6.5.
The F4Z will be unveiled in public on September 4, during the third edition of the Concours d'Elegance Chantilly Arts & Elegance just a few miles north of Paris.
Check out the unique F4Z in the latest teaser video release from MV Agusta.
Source: MV Agusta