Okay, so we may have brought you an Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato to drool over previously, but it really wasn’t anything like today’s car. While the Zagato is already a rare car, we are looking at the even-rarer shooting brake version of that model, making this car doubly rare. And, in a car already notable for its wild Italian bodywork, the shooting brake is the most flamboyant of the lot. Add in the fact that it is also the most practical, and we have ourselves a real treat here today.

Because the Zagato models are built on the Vanquish S platform, its performance is very similar. Of course, there is the same 6-litre V12 that produces 595 bhp and 630 Nm of torque in this application– good for a top speed of over 200 mph. A Touchtronic III 8-speed gearbox made by ZF fires off lightning-quick shifts while achieving respectable fuel economy figures, at least for a sports car boasting a 6.0-litre, 12-cylinder engine. Aston claims the Zagato can hit the 62-mph mark in just 3.5 seconds. The real story here, however, is the achingly beautiful carbon-fibre bodywork. It just flows so effortlessly. And check out those fantastic star-patterned slotted taillights that look like nothing you will see on any other production car. Those glowing red beauties are bisected by a subtle body-coloured wing that sits low on the rear of the car. Like the standard Vanquish, carbon fibre is everywhere, including the hood vents and front splitter. No matter where you train your eyes, you will find new and exciting elements on the Zagato, but the overall design manages to remain clean and cohesive. This is truly a special car.

This Lava Red beauty is offered for sale by Kaaimans International in Tollerton. Here is what they have to say about it:

This is truly one of the best specified Shooting brakes to come out of the factory and believed to be 1 of only 3 cars that have the optional bronze front grille. To achieve this incredible piece of jewellery, the grille is machined from a single billet piece of aluminium and takes approx 200 hours of machining.

Zagato truly worked their magic with this head-turning design. And there really isn’t anything better than a shooting brake, if you ask me. All of the performance of a high-end GT car with enhanced practicality. Now you really can take all of your luggage with you. Assuming you have the requisite £700,000, of course.