Zagato turns Alpine A110 into twin tail throwback

Italian coachbuilder Zagato is no stranger to thinking outside the box when it comes to its automotive designs, and its latest creation is no exception to this. Behold, the AGTZ Twin Tail, a shapeshifting version of Alpine’s mid-engine sportscar created to honour a 24 Hours of Le Mans racer from the 1960s.

We’re of course referring to the A220, arguably one of the most gorgeous race cars of its time which sadly never quite lived up to its looks on the track. That was until the engineers sliced 30cm off its bodywork, allowing it to find success on short circuits and rally stages.

It may not have been a championship winner but alas, Zagato thought its very existence was enough of an excuse to recreate it in modern-day form based on the new age A110.

While we’d normally start by addressing the styling changes made up front, this car is called the Twin Tail after all, so we’ll start at the back.

The AGTZ has been designed in such a way that it can be transformed into a shorttail or a longtail by means of removable rear bodywork. In its shorter form, the car measures 4305mm long but extends to 4802mm with the removable panel attached.

What the owner does with the tail itself when it’s not in use is up to them, but Zagato says it can make for an “exquisite automotive sculpture” in the corner of their garage.

With regard to the front end, gone are the quad headlights of the A110 and in are a set of vertically arranged lamps which mimic those found on the old A220.

Not a single panel on this car has gone untouched, with a new aerodynamic opening appearing on the bonnet, leading up to a panoramic-like windscreen (its A-pillars being disguised behind glass), while restyled air intakes can be found behind either door with each feeding the Alpine’s mid-mounted 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

We’re unsure if any changes have been made to the interior or if the power plant has been upgraded though.

“Zagato was always a Grand Touring coachbuilder, producing cars capable of racing but which you could use every day on the road or grace a Concours of Elegance lawn with. This is the reason behind the name ‘AGTZ’ and the mission of our project,” says Andrea Zagato, CEO of Zagato.

“We didn’t want to make a pure racing car because technology, aerodynamics and power have changed a lot since the 1960s. Instead, we wanted to capture the inspiration and design innovation of the A220 shorttail and create an authentic Gran Turismo in the true Zagato tradition.”

Zagato plans to build just 19 examples of the AGTZ Twin Tail, each priced from an eye-watering €650,000 ($NZ1.14 million). Production has already begun and they’re selling out fast.