AC
378 GT Zagato
At
the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, one of the less well known world debuts came
courtesy of a joint venture between AC Cars and Italian coachbuilders Zagato.
If the AC 378 GT Zagato looks familiar, then that’s probably because you’ve
seen the Perana Z-One before. Well
basically the AC 378 GT Zagato IS the Perana Z-One, just with a different name.
AC Cars are reasonably honest about the vehicle’s beginnings, however they say
the car was announced back in 2009 as the ‘Perana Concept’, while forgetting to
mention that the car wasn’t originally designed with AC Cars in mind. It was
intended to be sold under the Perana banner as a South African-built supercar.
The South African connection remains however, and all AC 378 GT Zagatos will be
built and tested there.
AC
378 GT Zagato is powered by a GM-sourced 6.2 litre V8 which develops 434
horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. The transmission is a six-speed manual
which sends all the power to the rear wheels. With a total weight of 1,465 kgs, the AC 378 GT Zagato can scoot to 60 mph in under four seconds.
Top speed is 185 mph.
The
AC 378 GT Zagato may have originated from an unrelated project born in the
far-away lands of South Africa, but something about the classically
proportioned shape of the original Perana Z-One lends itself quite well to a
modern day AC. Although there are a few things about the AC Cars press release
which stick in throat.
The
car will initially be offered in the UK and Germany, priced at £ 89,990 and
€ 109,990 respectively. No word yet on other potential markets. The first cars
are expected to be delivered mid 2012. And to keep themselves busy they’re
already working on a roadster version.
