Zagato unveiled its latest project at the Geneva Motor Show this week: the Perena Z-one is bursting with the historic Italian design house's traditional cues and the sports car is set to go into production this summer in South Africa.

Zagato unveiled its latest project at the Geneva Motor Show this week: the Perena Z-one is bursting with the historic Italian design house's traditional cues and the sports car is set to go into production this summer in South Africa. Based on a Corvette platform and mechanicals the Z-one, designed in record time by Zagato thanks in part to using cutting-edge virtual development software, revives the famous defunct South African tuning name, and it is set to go on sale for a price of 50,000 euro.

Perana Z-one

The Perana Z-one is the product of a vision born in the hearts of a collection of motoring enthusiasts and signals the first collaboration between Zagato, the renowned Milanese Coachbuilders, with a South African Vehicle Manufacturer, Perana Performance Group.

Following in the footsteps of Zagato's long tradition of designing some of the most beautiful sports cars made in the last century, the Perana Z-one is no mere dream car. The Zagato Design Centre has styled the Perana Z-one with the same spirit as they have designed all their prestigious limited series marques, mainly for Collectors.

The Perana Z-one is Zagato's first car specifically designed for low volume commercial production. In line with Zagato's new direction, sales of the Perana Z-one will be limited to 999 cars per annum within Europe, thereby assuring ongoing exclusivity and to commemorate the 90 years of Zagato design.

Design

Functionalism and Rationalism are elements that have always inspired Zagato-designed sports cars and the design of the Perana Z-one resonates with the Zagato styling heritage "Simple, Light and Aerodynamic". The Perana Z-one is defined by its particularly aggressive front and the sculpted sides that rise over the rear wheel arch. That, along with stylish interior appointments, contributes to the overall feel of speed and fluency. By effortlessly encapsulating the Perana Z-one's uncomplicated flowing lines, lightweight construction methods and a return to purist racing traditions where driver input reigns supreme, makes the Perana Z-one breathtaking.

Performance

The iconic Perana Z-one was designed with the intent of returning to driving fundamentals, where driver input reigns supreme. From the innovative tubular and box section chassis to the exciting interior styling, the Perana Z-one is a concentration of advanced design and engineering that synthesises raw power, racing technology and design excellence to deliver the ultimate driver's car. Fully certifiable for the road, this ultra high-performance, front-engined sports coupé uses a powerful 6.2 litre V8 engine to drive the rear wheels. The Perana Z-one is a genuine 2-seater coupé that enjoys the benefits of 50/50 weight distribution allowing for exhilarating, balanced and predictable road manners.

The powerful 6.2 litre V8 engine produces 330kW and allows the Perana Z-one to attain a 0-100km/h figure of under 4 seconds and reach 0-160km/h in under 10 seconds. The secret to the Perana Z-one's iconic performance is the near perfect combination of its supremely powerful engine, light weight design, balanced weight distribution and 6-speed performance transmission.

Perana Performance Group

The idea of producing an Italian styled, South African designed and manufactured Super Car was incubated in late 2007. To give this idea mobility, the Perana Performance Group was created as the entity to bring what was a concept to where it is today with a show car that enjoyed its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show on 03 March 2009. The Perana project is the result of Zagato's nine decade-long expertise in constructing fully functioning running concepts. Virtual reality development has been integrated from inception, effectively eliminating the need for the traditional styling model and enabling the prototype to be completed in less than 4 months.

The Perana factory has a successful manufacturing legacy in producing low volume, high performance sports cars for a global market. The demise of low volume manufacturers around the world coupled with the changes in EU legislation relating to low volume manufacturers created the opportunity for the Perana Performance Group to launch a car of true Super Car performance capabilities. The new car which is built at the Hi-Tech Automotive facility is very much a back to basics, no frills Super Car which demands driver input beyond that required by the established players in this segment of the market.

With the appointment of the European Dealer network and full production established, the creation of much needed jobs underscores our commitment to social upliftment. The Perana Z-one also offers South Africa the opportunity to showcase its engineering and production capabilities to the world at a price hitherto perceived to be unattainable. There is no car available in the world that boasts this level of performance and equipment levels at less than £50,000 excluding taxes.

Perana Z-One - Technical Specifications

Accommodation

Engine

Drive train

Wheels

Tyres

Chassis

Performance