Italian coachbuilder Zagato has unveiled the Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake as part of its 95th anniversary celebrations. Specially constructed for a European client, the 1960s-inspired Shooting Brake comes complete with functional trunk space for carrying the likes of golf clubs, fishing gear, or hunting equipment. Unveiled at the Chantilly Art & Elegance show in France, the Zagato Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake also rounds out a series commemorating Aston Martin's 100th anniversary last year, joining the DBS Coupé Zagato Centennial and the DB9 Spider Zagato Centennial.
Essentially a three-door station wagon, the term "shooting brake" is derived from an era when men went out to go shooting in a vehicle primarily used to train horses – known as a "brake".
Though there are no details mentioned by Zagato on the specifications, it is assumed that the Virage's hand-assembled 6.0-liter (actually 5.95 liter, 362 cubic inch) V12 engine delivering 490 hp (365 kW), is still in place and that the its sub 5 second 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) time remains largely unaffected.
The Aston Martin - Zagato collaboration has produced a number of concept and limited-production vehicles over the years, starting in 1960 with the Zagato version of a slimmed down DB4GT. Since then there have been a range of Aston Martin Volantes, Virages, DB4s, and DB7s, among others, to wear bespoke Zagato coachwork.
The Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake was specifically built as a one-off for a particular European client, so there is no likelihood of a production model.
Source: Zagato