AC Cars and Zagato launch 378 GT Zagato

AC Cars, working in collaboration with Italian design house Zagato, has announced its new sports car, the AC 378 GT Zagato.

The launch was revealed at last week's Geneva motor show, where the production version of the Aston Martin V12 Zagato – which was, in fact designed in-house by Aston Martin in the UK – was being displayed on the British carmaker's stand.

The car is instantly recognizable as a Zagato-designed car, with minimalist, organic surfacing and key features such as the C-pillar/rear window crossover. The design is also very similar to Zagato's Z-One, which was produced by automaker Perana.

The AC 378 GT Zagato, which uses a carbon composite body on a steel tube frame, features a 50/50 front-to-rear weight balance, while its curb weight is a relatively low 1,465 kg.

The low-slung body of the coupe measures up at 1,233mm high, 4,406mm long and has a wheelbase of 2,540mm, with the front and rear tracks measuring 1,627mm and 1,570mm respectively.

Following two years of testing, around ten AC 378 GT Zagato pre-production units have been completed at the manufacturing facility in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

AC and Zagato are already developing a new roadster concept that is likely to follow the classic model of a true roadster – more in line with the heritage of the classic Cobra – and thus very different to the AC 378 GT Zagato.

The new AC 378 GT Zagato is the latest in a long line of collaborations with British car manufacturers during the Italian design house's history, previously seeing projects produced alongside Aston Martin, Bentley, Bristol, Jaguar, MG, Rolls-Royce and Rover.

The 111-year-old AC brand and Zagato have previously worked together with the AC Ace Bristol Zagato racing GT Berlinetta being created in 1957. That car is set to feature alongside the new 378 GT at Pebble Beach later this year.

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By Rufus Thompson