Frankfurt Live: Aston Martin Zagato and DBS Carbon Edition

Aston Martin highlights from their stand in Hall 5 included the worldwide debut of the Aston Martin Zagato and refreshes of current model lineups such as the Virage, V12 Vantage and DBS Carbon Edition Coupe which was seen in a shimmering orange paintjob.

The V12 Zagato is available in in two editions depending on whether you want it for racetrack use or general road use. Power comes in at 510bhp and 420lb-ft of torque thanks to a trademark Aston V12 engine unit. This is attached to a rear mid-mounted auto manual gearbox. And with those credentials, it's no wonder that the fantastically designed Zagato can do the 0-60mph sprint in 4.2 seconds. Astons have never been super rapid thanks to their heavy-weight nature, but the Zig and Zag (pet names from Gaydon) look like they mean business with darkened alloy wheels, a low front splitter and indented hood markings.

The roofline on the Zagato is different from say the DBS coupe which features softer gradients whereas the Zagato has a steeply raked roof, but this only adds to the character that this sexy Aston possesses.

Elsewhere on Aston's gleaming stand we saw a pristine DBS Carbon Edition coupe. This vehicle has an all-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48 valve, 5935 cc V12 engine which again delivers 510bhp. The paintjob on this car was particularly striking in shimmering orange and I loved it so much, I had to sit inside! Once in the driver's seat, the tan leather adds class to the occassion and the car feels surprisingly tight with the driver sitting to the extreme left of the vehicle (the "right" side of the road).