MV Agusta F4Z Exposed | Zagato Build for Japanese Collector

September 2, 2016

MV Agusta F4Z Photo Gallery

Since the Milan-based Zagato was founded in 1919 by Ugo Zagato, the focus was designing and building lightweight car bodies. Known as a coachbuilder overseas – a manufacturer of automobile bodies – Zagato has created timeless designs for Alfa Romaeo, Fiat, Maserati, Jaguar, BMW and Lamborghini, to name a few.

But in 2016, Zagato took its design skills in a different direction, and collaborated with MV Agusta to build the F4Z. As the name implies, the MV Agusta F4Z is based on the F4 superbike; the F4, designed by the iconic Massimo Tamburini, arrives with a 998cc four-cylinder that produces 195 horsepower at 13,400 rpm.

The F4Z is a one-off build for an unidentified Japanese entrepreneur in the world of fashion and publishing who is also a collector of Zagato cars and Italian motorcycles.

The F4’s chassis and engine remain the same, but the bodywork is pure Zagato, built from carbon fiber and aluminum. MV Agusta reports that some parts had to be re-engineered and others fully replaced by new components, such as the intake manifolds, fuel tank, battery and exhaust.

Speaking of the build, MV Agusta says: “The starting point was the notion that a motorbike expresses its owner’s lifestyle a lot more than a car. Therefore, it was essential to know and understand the character, passions and wishes of the person to whom the bike was destined.

“The collector or investor who turns to the Zagato Atelier requesting an exclusive piece is certainly someone with a strong passion. The love for bikes of the client dates back to the Eighties, 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. He didn’t want anything modern, fashionable, but something that could instead keep its value and appeal. What he wanted was a motorbike that wasn’t comparable to any other, that was classic, but always up to date and with a timeless design.”

The MV Agusta F4Z is without a doubt timeless in design, and we can only imagine what this will be worth a decade from now.