Skip to main content

Zagato’s Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake is the world’s sleekest hatchback

Beginning with the 1960 DB4 GT, the collaboration between Aston Martin and Italian design studio Zagato has produced some amazing cars, and more than 50 years later, the two companies are still at it.

The Aston Martin Virage Shooting Brake Zagato was unveiled at Chantilly Arts & Elegance Concours d’Elegance in France, and is based on the short-lived Virage.

A tweaked DB9, the Virage lasted just one year. It probably would have stayed in showrooms longer if it looked like this.

Zagato ditched the current Aston Martin face in favor of a squared-off visage that resembles the 1990s Virage and, to an extent, Aston’s newly-minted Lagonda super sedan.

Related: Aston Martin DB9 replacement could be called DB11

The midsection is still recognizably DB9-Virage, but the rear end sports what may be the world’s sleekest hatchback. This two-door wagon body style is what makes the Virage Zagato a “Shooting Brake.”

Zagato didn’t reveal any mechanical upgrades, but the stock Virage packed the same 6.0-liter V12 used in every other current Aston, producing 480 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque.

The Shooting Brake completes a trilogy of recent Zagato Aston Martin projects, along with the DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial and DB9 Spider Zagato Centennial, both of which celebrated Aston’s 100th anniversary.

All three cars were built for individual buyers and won’t enter series production, but with a second Italian styling house (after Bertone) rendering a shooting brake, maybe Aston will eventually build one itself.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Live out your 007 fantasy with this special edition Aston DBS Superleggera
Aston Martin DBS Superleggera 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'

Previous

Next

Read more
Aston Martin will revive James Bond’s DB5 at a price only Goldfinger can afford

James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 is one of the all-time great movie cars, and it's about to make a comeback. Aston is working with Eon Productions, the company that produces the Bond films, to build 25 new DB5s identical to the car that appeared in 1964's Goldfinger. As with the recent DB4 GT project, Aston prefers the term "continuation cars," not replicas.

Each new DB5 will be an exact copy of the original movie cars (one of which just reportedly resurfaced after years in hiding), right down to gadgets like the trademark revolving license plate. Unlike a genuine 1960s DB5, however, the new cars won't be road legal. Aston can't certify newly built cars designed for '60s safety standards.

Read more
Rivian R2 vs R1S: How will Rivian’s cheaper SUV compare?
The front three-quarter view of a 2022 Rivian against a rocky backdrop.

Rivian has finally unveiled the R2, its long-awaited attempt at a more affordable electric SUV. The new vehicle may not be available just yet, but fans of Rivian's design aesthetics and feature set are already looking forward to being able to order the new car. The R2 is targeted at being a more affordable take on the electric SUV and will sit alongside the flagship-tier R1S.

Let's get this out of the way right now: The R1S is most likely going to be a better vehicle than the R2. Rivian isn't replacing the R1S with the R2 — it's releasing the R2 as a more affordable alternative, and there will be some compromises when buying the R2 over the R1S.

Read more