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Snap up the only all-aluminum Aston Martin V12 Zagato Coupe in the world

Roses are red, violets are blue, and neither are remotely as beautiful as this extremely rare 2012 Aston Martin V12 Zagato Coupe sporting Aston Martin Racing Green. The only example of its kind, It's currently listed for sale in the U.K. Offered by Bell Sport & Classic, this V12 Zagato is the top layer of the cream of the crop. The engine plaque says the car is No. 2 of 2, but in reality, it's one of one. While the first of the two pre-production prototypes was built using part aluminum, part carbon fiber for the body, this example was built entirely out of aluminum. The two pre-pro cars were used for events, and customer viewings, and toured around the globe.  In total, a few more than 60 Aston Martin V12 Zagato Coupes were produced (some report 61, others say 64). It was unveiled at the 2011 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa dÂ’Este as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the DB4GT Zagato. Under the hood, it has a V12 that originally made 510 horsepower, and it shares mechanical parts from the V12 Vantage. It features several typical Zagato style characteristics, such as the double-bubble roof, wide-open grille, short body overhangs, and circular rear lighting. This example is right-hand-drive and features a manual transmission. Despite its status as a pre-production vehicle, it has been owned before. Aston Martin had possession of the vehicle until 2016, when Zagato was set to take ownership for its own collection, but "a very special Aston Martin client" finessed it away from the manufacturers. Before he took the car in, it was given a "full recommissioning." Originally Titanium Grey, it was repainted Aston Martin Racing Green, and the interior was retrimmed as well.  The 2012 Aston Martin V12 Zagato Coupe is currently available for purchase.  Related Video:

Aston Martin allegedly talking to Saudis, Lucid about EV plans

Last summer, Aston Martin Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll continued his shakeup of the British carmaker by making it known he sought partners for a planned range of electric vehicles. At the time, he mentioned Mercedes-Benz, Rivian and Lucid as potential sources for a platform and maybe more. Mercedes seemed an odd choice. Despite the Germans being Aston Martin's technology partner — a friend in a time of dire need — Stroll's comments over the previous year made it sound as if he viewed the tie-up more like a punishment he was bound to. We're not sure if Rivian ever got past the public musing stage. Lucid seems to be in the lead, as the California automaker was supposedly in previous discussions with the English about an EV sports car platform. Car and Driver reports that Stroll is serious about Lucid again, talking to both the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) that owns a controlling interest in Lucid and directly to Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson.  On top of needing to find a partner for a range of battery-electrics to roll out around 2027, Stroll's trying to fend off unwelcome suitors and maintain independence. Two years ago, Aston Martin's stock price surpassed GBP22 per share. Last November, it fell below GBP1 per share, now it's up to GBP2. The market's seen plenty of free-fallers over the past couple of years, so it's not like Aston is alone. But the cratered market cap has led to stories about Geely founder Li Shufu taking a close look at acquiring a second English sports car maker after buying Lotus. The Saudi PIF is currently the second-largest shareholder in Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings with an 18.7% stake, following the 28.4% stake held by Stroll's consortium. Geely is the third-largest shareholder at 7.6%. Considering what Geely's done with Volvo, Polestar and Lotus, it's hard to say Shifu would be an unworthy asset manager, but we understand Stroll's quest for independence. If Stroll can close a deal that gets his carmaker money, an EV platform and a tech partner, he gets breathing room. Coming to a new agreement with the Saudi PIF and Lucid could do all three, as well as helping Lucid, the Californians potentially being able to take advantage of Aston Martin's storefront and service infrastructure.   The C/D report says Aston Martin "allegedly" arranged in January to buy electric motors from Lucid.

Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer to leave in favor of AMG chief Tobias Moers

Aston Martin Chief Executive Andy Palmer is leaving the business as part of a management shake-up and will be replaced by Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday. The luxury carmaker said in an emailed statement that it is reviewing its management team but declined to comment on Palmer's fate. Palmer and Germany's Daimler, which owns a 5% stake in Aston Martin and supplies the carmaker with Mercedes-AMG engines, also declined to comment. The Financial Times newspaper had reported earlier that the Aston Martin chief was going to leave as part of a shake-up of its leadership, with an official announcement expected on Tuesday. Palmer had not been informed of the upcoming announcement, the newspaper reported. Aston Martin, famed for being fictional secret agent James Bond's car of choice, has seen its share price plummet since floating in October 2018. The 107-year old British luxury carmaker earlier this month posted a deep first-quarter loss after sales dropped by almost a third due to the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The company has been banking on its sport utility vehicle to drive sales in a new segment, and said production was on track. In January, dire conditions forced the company to bring in Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll who bought a roughly 20% stake for nearly 200 million pounds ($263 million), as the ailing carmaker sought to raise funds. The coronavirus pandemic and shutdowns caused by it have hit demand and forced factories around the world to suspend production, negatively impacting many industries, including car manufacturers. "We were obviously fairly significantly hit by COVID-19, starting with China in January but more clearly in what we saw as it came across towards Europe and the United States," Palmer told Reuters earlier in May. Related Video: