When the rich and beautiful descend on Lake Como for the annual Villa D'Este Concours d'Elegance, the world's coach-builders better come up with something spectacular if they want to attract any attention from the spoilt-rotten visitors.
Zagato is used to the spotlight shining brightly on its creations, and the 13th annual celebration of gorgeous cars was no different.
The Milan design powerhouse trailered in the ravishing Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa, and one sentence from the powers at large rung loudest: "The TZ3 Corsa is not a design exercise."
Commence drooling…
And to take a step away from the usual bodywork-massaging that takes place at the Concours d'Elegance, this isn't just a re-dressed 8C or something. (Who would be crazy enough to attempt that anyway?) This is an all-out race car.
The TZ3 Corsa honours 100 years of racing and victories of Alfa Romeo Zagato men and machines.
They really pulled out all the stops — the concept is based on a mono-shell carbon fibre tubular chassis, coupled with a tubular frame and a lightweight aluminium body.
Commissioned by German Zagato collector Martin Kapp, the TZ3 Corsa tips the scales at a featherweight 850kg. Its short wheelbase, typical of Zagato racing cars, measures 2,500mm, or 146mm shorter than the 8C's. It is also shorter, much lower, and wider than the 8C, seating strictly two people, obviously, and featuring a dry-sumped, front-mid mounted 4.2-litre V8. Although the engine's power calibration is manually adjustable, the default is still set at a modest 420bhp, but remember that lightness, which ensures a power-to-weight ratio of 494bhp per tonne.
A six-speed sequential gearbox delivers the good stuff to the 285/45 R18 tyres at the back. The front Pirellis keep the profile, but are 40mm narrower, and wider full slicks are also available.
All this ensures a blistering sprint to 100kph from rest — 3.5 seconds, while top speed is over 300kph. Of course, comparisons to Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Porsches are irrelevant, since the Zagato remains a one-off race-car designed for a very fortunate enthusiast. But hey, if you manage to get a hold of a couple of 1989 SZs, a 1962 Giulia TZ and maybe a 1950 1900 SSZ, Zagato might just consider you a collector worthy of your own one-off.
Just don't expect matte-gold paint and gloss-black rims. Zagato has class, you know.
