Tag Archives: Zagato
Thunder Power Unwraps Electric SUV at Frankfurt Motor Show
Hong Kong-based electric car company Thunder Power came to the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show not only to update us about its Zagato-designed sedan EV, but also to unveil a new one—an electric SUV.
Willem Sham, the CEO of Thunder Power, revealed the Thunder Power SUV, which was designed in-house in Milan, Italy and uses the brand’s modular platform. It has an electric powertrain fitted, so the car can maximize its interior space and still maintain a low center of gravity.
To reduce drag time, the automaker said it tweaked the car’s aerodynamics. The company, however, is still tight-lipped about what the electric SUV has in store for us once it reached production.
On the outside, the electric SUV is attractive enough, minus the grille’s design. The interior is comfortable and there’s ample space on the cargo area, thanks to rear doors that open rearward. It also has a panoramic roof and a large digital screen that stretches across the dashboard.
But before the unveiling of the electric SUV, Thunder Power updated its audience that the designing and the possible production of the sedan is going well. In fact, a production-spec prototype was onstage with camouflage that resembles a topographic map. The sedan is reportedly undergoing testing for battery performance.
Sham revealed that the sedan EV will have a driving range of up to 650 kilometers on the NEDC cycle. He also announced a Launch Edition Coupe with only 488 examples available. The coupe will produce 654 horsepower on its electric powertrain. It will be paired with a four-wheel-drive system and uses a torque vectoring system.
The overall design of the Launch Edition Coupe will depend on the customer’s taste, but it will have an engraved plaque of the car’s serial number. The coupe will enter production soon, but deliveries will begin on the second quarter of 2019.
Aston Martin Built Vanquish Zagato; Now Sold Out
If you’re one of the very few who were able to get their hands on the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato, then count yourself very lucky. At the same time that Aston Martin announced its plan to build a limited-edition car, the company also said that all units had been sold out.
The Vanquish Zagato concept was first shown at the Villa D’Este concours in Italy last month. Aston Martin said there will only be 99 units built, and that they already have buyers for every last one of them. This, of course, is despite the fact that the price for this car would probably be way up there.
The last Z-badged Aston Martin was the V12 Zagato, which cost more than $500,000 back in 2011. Add to that five years worth of inflation, a lower production run, and the Vanquish’s standard high price, then you’ve got yourself something not mere mortals can afford.
The Vanquish Zagato is based on the modified version of the mechanical package of the Vanquish. It, however, receives a unique carbon-fiber bodywork, as well as a “double bubble” roof. Supposedly, the “double bubble” will allow drivers to wear a helmet while driving the Vanquish Zagato.
Other features of this supercar are the front fenders with venturi-shaped air channels, bladed taillights at the back like the ones found on the Aston One-77 megacar, and a diffuser with quad exhaust pipes.
US buyers will have to content themselves with the V-12 engine similar to the one under the hood of the Vanquish. That means 576 horsepower that powers the Vanquish Zagato to go 0-60mph in just 3.5 seconds. The rest of the world would get the 600-horsepower version of the Zagato.
Deliveries of the Vanquish Zagato will begin in the first quarter of next year. Of course, we’re only speaking to those who actually ordered it.