The Twin Tail is powered by a 248bhp 1.8-litre engine from the standard Alpine A110
Alpine A220-inspired, Zagato road-racer is one of the most expensive four-cylinder cars to go on sale
The Zagato AGTZ Twin Tail, the famed design house’s modern reinterpretation of the Alpine A220 Le Mans racer, will make its debut at Lake Como, Italy, this weekend.
Based on the Alpine A110, it is a 248bhp ultra-lightweight racer for the road, borne out of a joint venture between Zagato and Polish supercar dealer La Squadra.
Zagato will build a total of 19 examples, with each taking more than 1000 hours to assemble. The car is priced from €650,000 (£550,000), excluding taxes, making the Twin Tail one of the most expensive four-cylinder cars ever to go on sale.
It has been coachbuilt by Zagato predominantly using carbonfibre and features an elongated rear deck that can be removed to allow the driver to switch it between long-tail and short-tail guises – hence the name Twin Tail. With the extension in place, it is 622mm longer than a standard A110.
According to its creators, it is significantly more aerodynamic and stable at high speed.
To that end, it uses the base-model A110’s turbocharged 1.8-litre four-pot engine. This gives the Twin Tail a 155mph top speed and 0-62mph sprint time of less than 5.0sec, Zagato claims. For reference, the standard A110 hits 62mph in 4.5sec and will also do 155mph.
Zagato has yet to publish an official kerb weight, but – given the Twin Tail’s carbonfibre construction – it is expected to be lighter than the A110, which tips the scales at 1102kg.
Jake Pietzrak, founder of La Squadra, said: “The automotive industry is changing faster than ever before. Electrification increases competition and it’s harder to differentiate products in terms of performance and driving stimuli.
“Design will take on greater significance, allowing artisan coachbuilders to step onto the stage and deliver unique projects which will separate intrepid brands from the rest of the pack. AGTZ Twin Tail demonstrates a bold step in this exhilarating new direction.”
Twin Tail buyers will be able to configure their cars with a “vast array” of options, including 19 shades of paint, nine liveries, an uprated exhaust and carbon wheels.
The car will be shown at the FuoriConcorso event on 25-26 May, ahead of its dynamic debut at an as yet unspecified event. Customer deliveries are scheduled to begin in October.
