This fascinating, and very rare car shown here is known as the 2015 Zagato Perana Z-One (Z10005). The Perana was originally a styling exercise for the 2009 Geneva Motor show completed by Italian coach building and design company, Zagato, and in total, just 7 cars are believed to have been created. An additional 4 cars were also completed, however, the name was changed in 2012 to become the AC 378 GT Zagato. The Perana Z-One project was developed by a South African car company known as Perana Performance Group and each car was manufactured at the Hi-Tech plant of Hi-Tech Automotive & Superformance. The reason for the name change from the Z-One into the AC 378 GT was due to Superformance partnering up with British specialist automobile manufacturer AC Cars in the year 2012. The car you see here, the Z-One is built based upon the chassis of a C6-generation Corvette, and the result was a beautiful collaboration between the Italian design house, Zagato, and South Africa’s Perana Performance Group. On top of the elegant lines and styling, the engine options were to be chosen by the buyer of each vehicle, most of which opted for a Chevy small-block LS3 aluminum V8, however, this specific Z-One is equipped with a custom built Thompson Automotive LS7 7.3/600 HP engine paired to a Tremec 6-speed transmission. Some other unique touches on this rarity include Recaro leather sport seats with Ferrari leather inserts, power windows, power brakes, power steering, staggered 19" and 20" Wheels, a 6 speaker sound system, a fantastic ‘Liquid Blue Pearl’ paint finish, and of course, the famous Zagato ‘double bubble roof’. The interior features a black and saddle tan colorway, as well as air conditioning and a double DIN radio (IPOD Ready, USB Ports, SD card, satellite navigation, bluetooth). Certainly a car that is both mesmerizing in design, as well as highly impressive in technology and performance, especially for almost 10 years ago!
How many made? 7 total (plus 4 additional cars under a different name)
Engine: Thompson Automotive LS7 7.3/600 HP
Debut: 2009 Geneva Motor Show
Top Speed: n/a
0-60mph: n/a
Photo Credit: @johnmarkbreid
Research: @rarecarsonly