The Aston Martin DB7 Zagato An Instant Hit
The classic Zagato line from Aston Villa had an addition with the 2003 DB7. The DB7 was first unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concourse and immediately was a hit with the car world as the DB7 carries on with the classic Zagato tradition with its exsquisite look, sleek design style, and ultimate performance. The DB7 Zagato is one of the premier automobiles that Aston Villa has ever produced.
The interior of the DB7 Zagato is ultimate class as it features a special, just for the DB7 model, aniline leather trim and door trim that was modified so that it would match the high waistline. The seats in the cabin are pure luxury and are also finished in aniline leather and to give the DB7 a distinct signature there is an embossed "Z" on the back of the seats. The DB7 Zagato is a 2 seater but there is a luggage shelf in the rear of the cabin. The stereo in the DB7 Zagato gives superior sound in the 6 speakers throughout the cabin featuring an AM/FM Becker 6-disc auto-changer.
The exterior design of the DB7 Zagato is all style as it has a very low to the ground build and is curvaceous from bumper to bumper. The body is constructed from aluminum that is hand beaten and the DB7 Zagato has Aston Martin's signature bubble roof and large signature grill. The DB7 Zagato has large 18" wheels that have a revised offset to create a wider track. The DB7 Zagato is a very sleek and aerodynamic car that has maximum performance and a distinct aesthetic look that is both sexy and classy.
The DB7 Zagato features a 6-speed close-ratio manual transmission with a short shift gear lever. The car has superior braking capabilities with four vented disc brakes and Antilock Braking System on all four wheels. This allows for the car to stop on a dime even at high speeds. The DB7 Zagato is a car that has excellent handling abilities as well featuring an upgraded DB7 Vantage sports suspension in both the front and rear, which were designed especially by Aston Martin for the DB7 Zagato. This gives the car maximum handling abilities on the road evne at high speeds and when taking tight turns. The DB7 Zagato also features the Electronic Traction Control gives the car superior traction as it grips the road superbly.
The Zagato DB7 features a 48-valve 5.9-liter V12 engine that produces 420 horsepower and accelerates to a maximum speed of 186 mph, going from 0-60 in an impressive 4.9 seconds. This engine is exactly the same that was used in Aston Martin's DB7 Vantage Volante but because of the Zagato twin exhaust system, as well as the fact of the shorter body, the Zagato DB7 is 133 pounds lighter, which gives the car more power and quickness.
The Aston Martin DB7 Zagato is an aerodynamic and exquisite car that has excellent performance. The handling, traction, and braking capabilities are second to none and the interior is pure class and functionality. This classic supercar has a distinct look all its own and is in a class of its own.
By Michael Hood.
Visit the Blog about aston hartford martinWhen The Car Is The Real Star?
A recent press release that landed in my inbox was from Lamborghini about the Gallardo featuring in the Tom Cruise starrer Mission Impossible: 3 quite prominently. Apparently, the movie's cast arrived in ten Gallardo's to the movie's premiere in Rome.
The connection between cars and Hollywood is not a recent one. Cars have been the stars since James Bond was born. The British agent was one of the reasons why Aston Martins are considered iconic. So effective was James' rub on Aston's image that German carmaker BMW decided to hijack Bond from under Aston's nose and manage to get the rub for some of its cars. BMW not only placed Bond's butt in the diminutive Z3 but also the lavish 750iL and the futuristic Z8, not to mention the R1200C cruiser. It was only with die Another Day that James Bond returned with Aston Martin again, perhaps now a healthier Aston Martin under Ford was ready to support the movie.
There are others too who have had cars (and bikes) as the stars. Nothing gave a rub to Honda Civics and Mitsubishi Lancer Evos and Eclipses than the two The Fast and the Furious movies. Cruise's earlier MI: 2 made a Triumph Speed Triple look delicious while admit it or not, the Spyker C8 Laviolette in Basic Instinct 2 looks better than the female lead.
So what do companies get out of this infatuation with Hollywood? A positive image in a hot movie is often better than 100s of adverts and many editorial pages. A bad movie does no wonders for anyone. So for instance, a Biker Boys did not give the rub to the Hayabusa or the ZX 12R or the R1 or the Ducati 996S or GSX 750, all featured prominently in the movie. It did not make a star out of it. The cult hit serial from the 80s - Street Hawk - did make the bike a star but then no one Not for a reason did Spyker fend off heavy competition from Mercedes-McLaren SLR to get close to Sharon Stone in BI 2. For a boutique manufacturer like Spyker to be associated with a major Hollywood movie is a major achievement and casts the limelight on the company in one stroke. This will ensure that Spyker's entire production of 80 odd cars every year will stay sold out for a decade.
So important is product placement in movies for international carmakers that some have sections in their marketing departments to work on this aspect uniquely. After all an unflattering use of a product can be really damaging to the product's image. And who else but Tata Motors can vouch for that. While the RGV factory production Road made the Tata 1210 truck a star when it catches up with a Safari, it did nothing great for the Safari's already dodgy image.
In fact, product placement by Indian car manufacturers is often bad, bordering often on slanderous. While Maruti did well to associate the Swift with a blockbuster like Bunti aur Babli, not many will recall seeing the Swift in the movie. In fact the biggest car stars in Indian moviedom have often been the ambitious creations of stylist Dilip Chabbria. No one remembers a movie called Tarzan - The wonder car but everyone does remember the car.
By Deepesh Rathore.
