This 1 Of 5 Porsche Carrera GT Zagato Is Even Lovelier Than An Original CGT

The Porsche Carrera GT is pretty darn close to being supercar perfection. A wailing V10 with motorsport roots, a manual gearbox, and timeless looks - why would you want to tamper with that? But tamper with that one CGT owner did in 2013, by dropping it off at Zagato.

The famed Italian coachbuilder’s changes were significant yet sympathetic. At the front, there’s a longer, more aggressively styled bumper which is actually more practical than the original since it raises the ground clearance.

While the changes to the front-end perhaps aren’t immediately noticeable, the same can’t be said of the rear. Here, a whole new decklid gives the Porsche Carrera GT a sloping C-pillar and a new double-bubble roof profile. Between the two buttresses, the engine cover sports big, red Porsche script. Despite looking more like a coupe than a roadster, alfresco motoring is still possible, the roof panels still being very much removable. The active wing is still present, too, though Zagato did add an extra lip to it.

The result of all these changes is a sense of ‘rightness’. After spending a bit of time around one of these and then taking a look at the original, the Zagato seems more like the CGT should have looked originally, as potentially controversial as that might seem.

That original Zagato-infused Carrera GT is considered the prototype, and after that, the coachbuilder had a run of five Zagato-kitted Carrera GTs, the conversion cost of each weighing in at €400,000. The car you see here is chassis #4, and it’s the only one of the five to have the full bespoke cabin treatment. This involved retrimming the whole interior, most notably the seats, which prominently feature the Zagato ‘Z’ on the headrests.

The Carrera GT’s magnificent 612bhp, 5.7-litre V10 has been left alone, for the most part, although there is a new, slightly more vocal exhaust. Having heard the car in person while having a poke around earlier this month, we can confirm it sounds delicious.

The CGT was originally delivered to the USA, making its way to the United Kingdom in 2011. It was converted by Zagato in 2019, and since then has covered a mere 1,000 miles. It had a no doubt extremely expensive engine-out service in 2021 and recently had a set of new brake discs.

So, that might soften the financial blow slightly if you fancy owning it. The Carrera GT Zagato is listed on Carhuna for an online auction starting on 14 July, with a guide price of £1.5m to £1.7m. If that’s a little too steep for you, having a good ogle when the car’s on display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Cartier Style et Luxe Concours will have to suffice.