- aston martin has revealed the final design of the dbs gt zagato, and it won't have a rear window.
- in place of a rearview mirror is a screen that displays the view from a backup camera.
- the car is based on the current dbs superleggera and is part of the dbz centenary collection.
aston martin gave us our first look at the upcoming dbs gt zagato a few months ago in the form of three sketches, but the british brand has now released three full-fledged renderings that show the limited-run grand tourer in its unexaggerated final form—its digital final form, at least.
the three new renderings show the dbs gt alongside the already revealed db4 gt zagato, which completes the second half of the pairing that aston has dubbed the dbz centenary collection. together, the two cars will cost just under $8 million, only 19 of each will be made, and you can't buy them separately. while the db4 is an exact replica of the original car from the 1960s, the dbs is a wholly modern car based on the existing dbs superleggera.
from the front, the dbs gt immediately looks distinct from its "regular" dbs sibling thanks to the gaping maw of a grille. said grille is made up of 108 carbon-fiber 3d pieces that are closed when the car is off, appearing flush with the body. but when the car starts up, the diamond-shape pieces "flutter into life," opening up to allow airflow to the v-12 engine. there are new triangular headlights and a big hood vent, too, and the front overhang and hood look longer.
from the side, the dbs gt has a prominent finlike fender vent that's capped by gold trim, which echoes the gold trim on the wheels and the grille. the rear fenders have a sharp crease, and the c-pillar sharply kicks up to meet the roof. and it's the roof that's the dbs gt's real parlor trick and sets it apart from pretty much every other car on sale.
the double-bubble roof, a classic zagato hallmark, is made from a single piece of carbon fiber that extends from the top of the windshield all the way back to the trunk. that means there's no rear window, not even a tiny sliver of one. instead, a camera at the back of the car projects the rearward view onto a screen that is mounted where a typical rearview mirror would be. according to aston, this setup has no compromises on practicality to the driver, and head of design marek reichman says its one of the rare cases where form and function meet, with no concessions given to either side.
the rest of the rear end is a bit more typical, with a huge carbon-fiber diffuser housing quad exhaust tips, clear-lensed taillights with a fluted design like those on the vanquish zagatos, and a carbon-fiber panel that looks like it might have an active rear spoiler. and yes, there is still a trunk, although aston doesn't say how large it is.
while the db4 gts are already being built and delivered, the dbs gts won't enter production until next year. expect to see the first one possibly make its debut in the metal at an auto show or event later this year.