Italian automotive design firm Zagato teamed up with South African manufacturer Perana to build a low-volume grand touring sports car called the Z-One. On display at the Geneva Motor Show this week, the vehicle will enter production in July.

Zagato has a history of designing mostly low-volume re-bodied vehicles for its customers, but the Perana partnership will result in a considerably higher production volume than is typical for recent Zagato-styled products.

Expected to sell for less than 50,000 euros, the Perana Z-One will be limited to a production run of 999 units per year. The coupe will be available to European customers, but it’s unclear how easily North Americans will be able to buy the car. The companies say the Z-One will comply with strict Euro 4 emission legislation.

Power comes from a 440 horsepower GM-sourced LS3 V8, connected to a six-speed manual gearbox. Curb weight is just over 2,600 lbs, which should result in a zero to 62 mph time of under 4.0 seconds and a zero to 100 mpg time of under 10 seconds. The light weight and relatively modest engine should also deliver reasonable fuel economy for a car of this type.

The car has a 50:50 weight distribution. Wheelbase is 100 inches, while overall length is 173 inches. Height is height is just 48.4 inches, while width is 75.6 inches.

“Stripped to a bare minimum of most stability-control technologies which can be found in almost all cars today, the Perana Z-One tries to give the driver back that nostalgic feeling of driving without inhibitions, all of course in complete safety,” Perana explained in a release to the press. “The whole car has been built around the concept of simplicity, offering the passionate driver an exhilarating driving experience which is very down-to-earth and gives a wholesome feeling.”

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