Zagato unveiled this MV Agusta F4Z one-off motorcycle at the third international Concours d’Elegance Chantilly Arts & Elegance in France this past weekend. It is the first two-wheeled vehicle the independently owned Milan-based coachbuilder has ever created, and it’s quite a successful design.
Built for an unnamed Japanese collector who dabbles in the fashion and publishing sectors, the F4Z is based on MV Agusta’s F4. Its fairing and limited number of relatively large panels are made from carbon fiber and aluminium. They were designed and engineered by the Zagato team, which is headed up by former NDE design director Stephane Schwarz and chief designer Norihiko Harada.
The Zagato team started from the notion that a motorbike expresses its owner’s lifestyle more than a car, so it was essential to understand the character, passions and wishes of the person to whom the bike was destined.
Compared to the production MV Agusta F4, the F4Z features exclusive bodywork, a custom seat with integrated LED lamps, a bespoke front windshield and headlamp, unique inlets and special wheels. Some parts had to be adapted and re-engineered, while others were fully replaced by specially-made components. The intake manifolds, fuel tank, battery, and exhaust system are all unique to the bike.
The client’s love for bikes dates back to the 80s, when he bought his first motorcycle and started to customize it with his own hands. It was his visceral passion that stimulated the designers’ creativity and set forth the challenge of creating a bike that would interpret his lifestyle.
The customer didn’t want anything modern or fashionable, but something that would keep its value and appeal. What he wanted was a motorbike that wasn’t comparable to any other — a classic, timeless design.
The F4Z represents a different result compared to the traditional rules of customization in the motorbike sector, witnessing the brand’s entrance into the niche of collectibles, built on request and expression of exclusivity, uniqueness and investment in durables.
