To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato—the first collaboration between the British automaker and the great Italian coachbuilder—Aston Martin revealed their V12 Zagato to the public at the 2011 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

Uniquely clothed in handcrafted aluminum bodywork that exudes muscular elegance alongside Zagato’s signature “double bubble” roof, the V12 Zagato easily claimed the event’s Design Award for Concept Cars and Prototypes.

And with that, it instantly became the most desirable car in Aston Martin’s lineup.

Beneath the V12 Zagato’s hood is a naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V-12 engine which routes its 510 horsepower to the ground via a six-speed manual gearbox—an incredibly desirable powertrain feature all but extinct in today’s supercar market, which offers the driver an unforgettable tactile thrill.

As with the lightweight and aerodynamic DB4 GT Zagato, this new offering was developed with motorsports in mind.

Two V12 Zagato GT3 raceca...