Aston Martin V12 Zagato Ready For Racing

Aston Martin and Zagato will build only a limited number of their roadgoing V12 Zagato supercollaborations, but one pair was always destined for the track: say hello to Zig and Zag.

The first of the two track-enhanced V12 Zagatos, nicknamed Zag by the team and finished in a racing red and white, will be piloted at this weekend's Nurburgring 24 Hour race by Aston Martin boss Dr Ulrich Bez.

He'll be joined by Wolfgang Schuhbauer, the Nurburgring's Test Centre Director, and journalists Horst von Saurma and Matthew Marsh.

Behind the wheel of Zag's green brother Zig will be Chris Porritt, chief engineer for the Aston Martin One-77, along with professional race driver Oliver Mathai, journalists Richard Meaden and amateur race driver Peter Cate.

Both cars have been given only the most necessary safety and handling modifications, including a racing win and an extended diffuser at the rear.

Like the V12 Vantage (see our review here), the new Zagato is powered by Aston's 5.9 litre V12 engine, producing 380kW and 570Nm of torque.

The Zagato is lighter than the 'regular' V12 Vantage however, giving it a 0-100km/h time of "under" 4.0 seconds - compared to the Vantage's 4.2 second sprint.