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Zagato receives a pair of 600-hp Aston Martin V12s for its private collection

Enthusiasts who missed their chance to buy the limited-edition Aston Martin V12 Zagato released in 2012 are in luck. British manufacturer R-Reforged received permission from both brands to build 38 more cars, split evenly between coupes and convertibles, and it has just completed the first prototypes in its Warwick, England, facility. Fittingly, the first pair was ordered by Andrea and Marella Zagato, and it's headed for the coachbuilder's private collection. The roadster is finished in a darker shade of gold, while the coupe is painted silver, and each color shows up again on the center console. Both cars ride on the same center-locking 19-inch wheels, and they receive a plaque in the engine bay that certifies they were built specifically for Mr. and Mrs. Zagato.  R-Reforged didn't settle for copying and pasting the original blueprints. It made small but significant changes to the cars, including giving the front end a new-look splitter and redesigned fenders. Zagato's signature double-bubble roof remains, but the rear end gains active aerodynamic components that keep the car planted on the ground at autobahn speeds without altering its lines. Carbon fiber body panels help offset the system's weight. Power still comes from a 5.9-liter V12, but it has been tuned to develop 600 horsepower, an 80-horse increase over the original V12 Zagato. Suspension and chassis modifications make the car lower and wider, too. Just 19 pairs will be built in the coming months, and pricing for the duo starts at $2.2 million. Twelve workers make each car by hand, so building one takes up to 16 weeks. R-Reforged told Autoblog there are still some build slots left, but the catch is that the coupe and the convertible are exclusively sold as a pair, which is good news for people who buy supercars like they buy flip-flops. From there, anything is possible. Buyers can request that both cars be built to the exact same specifications, or they can work with the design team to personalize each one.

Aston Martin Bulldog gets another chance to wedge its way past 200 mph

Tell us if this sounds familiar: In the mid-1970s, Aston Martin decided it wanted to prove its engineering prowess by building a car that would hit 200 miles per hour, so company designer William Towns penned the Bulldog DP K9 concept; in 1980, Aston Martin test drivers took the Bulldog to 191 mph at the MIRA test track, but the company was short on cash, so when Victor Gauntlett bought a 10% stake in the company and became chairman in 1981, he canceled the Bulldog program. The company sold the car to a Middle Eastern collector in 1982, while Gauntlett engineered a sales recovery and Aston Martin's return to the James Bond franchise. Now, 37 years later, Classic Motor Cars (CMC) in Bridgnorth, wants to show off its new engineering facility and prowess, and it intends to do so with the Bulldog. CarBuzz picked up on the story that the concept's current owner sent the coupe to CMC for a nut-and-bolt restoration, expected to take roughly 18 months. After that, the Bulldog will take a run at its destiny, aiming for 200 mph, or even better, the 237 mph that Aston Martin engineers at the time said the car should do.      The Bulldog's ultra-wedge shape, stretched over 186 inches and just 43 inches high, could not have come from any other decade. A panel on the front lowered to reveal five square headlights, while giant gull-wing doors doubled the car's height when opened. The interior, matching the Towns-designed Lagonda Series 2, showed off LED lights, buttons and touchscreens. Designers put the 5.3-liter V8 from the front-engined "Oscar India" V8 Vantage into the middle of the Bulldog, then lashed two Garrett turbochargers on top, final output claimed to be 700 horsepower and 500 pound feet of torque. Shifting through a five-speed manual, the rear-wheel-drive, 3,814-pound coupe hit 60 miles per hour in 5.1 seconds. If the Bulldog had achieved its target, it would have been the fastest production car in the world. The plan was to build up to 25 units for sale, which would pay for development costs said to exceed 1 million pounds at the time. The restoration will return the concept to its original state, CMC's managing director adding that it "may include modern components and technology to improve the car's reliability." The original car, for instance, didn't have side mirrors; those were supposedly added by the Middle Eastern collector. The original was gray and white, not green, had a black interior instead of tan.

Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate is a little more powerful, different looking

Aston Martin is bringing this iteration of the DBS sports car to a close, so of course it's doing so with one more special edition: the DBS 770 Ultimate. It is one of the most powerful versions of the car, and has a selection of unique features. And like so many other special high-end sports cars, every example has been sold. The headlining feature of the 770 is its extra power. It makes 759 horsepower, 44 more than the standard version, and basically the same as the DBS GT Zagato. Torque remains the same, though. A tweaked intake and ignition system plus 7% more boost pressure is responsible for the extra power. Top speed has not increased, though, sticking to 211 mph. There are other light upgrades both performance-wise and design-wise. Additional vents have been added to the hood and a new splitter added to the front; both modifications are meant to improve cooling. More carbon fiber trim on the outside along with side sills, a diffuser, and unique wheels make it look more aggressive. The steering column has solid mounts for better steering feel. The front end is 25% stiffer than before, and the whole car is stiffer by 3% thanks to a redesigned front subframe and rear undertray. The transmission and adaptive suspension have been retuned, too. But it has the same carbon ceramic brakes and mechanical limited-slip differential as the regular car. The interior gets some attention, too. The standard seats are Sports Plus units with more aggressive ones available. A special strap and buckle have been added to the center console. Of course, the interior and the exterior can be further customized with different colors, materials, graphics and more. As previously mentioned, every DBS 770 Ultimate has already been sold. Only 499 will be built, 300 of which are coupes and 199 are convertibles. Aston didn't give a price, which is understandable when it's not even really on sale in a traditional way. But we're sure each one will go for a fair premium over a standard model. Production starts soon, with deliveries coming in the third quarter of this year. Related video: