Click for high-res gallery of the Aznom MINI Chateau

Mothers Against Drunk Driving are not going to like this one. Italian coachbuilder Aznom, which has previously rolled out custom MINIs like this pickup "tender", has now produced a Clubman inspired by a vintage of another sort. The Aznom MINI Chateau is distinguished by a mobile wine cellar installed in the trunk, capable of housing six wine bottles in isolated comfort, along with six wine glasses with which to enjoy them. Aznom's wood veneer finish decorates the exterior and cabin, which also gets a unique leather trim. Riding on 18-inch TSW Pace rims shod with Yokohama rubber, Aznom will only produce 12 examples, each one individually numbered and personalized for their owners. We'll have to wait a few years to see if the Chateau gets better with age like the vino it transports.

Images in the gallery below and press release after the jump. Please enjoy responsibly.

Gallery: Aznom MINI Chateau

[Source: Aznom via Luxurylaunches.com]

Continue reading Chateau Clubman: Aznom's rolling MINI wine cellar

Chateau Clubman: Aznom's rolling MINI wine cellar originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the images to view in high resolution

Carrozzeria Castagna loves tinkering with little retro hatches. The Milanese design house has brought us wave after wave of unique creations - including MINI pickups and custom 500s - and is looking to continue its grand tradition of peculiarity at the Geneva Motor Show this week.

The MINI Woody Passion Kit (try saying that three times fast) is fairly straightforward because MINI already makes a wagon, so Castagna has put together a package of trim pieces for the Clubman in contrasting dark and light woodgrain effects. For the 500 WoodyWagon, however, Castagna had to take things a step further. About 50-60mm further, actually, as the coachbuilder has stretched the Cinquecento - only the rear overhang, it seems, with the wheelbase left intact) to create its interpretation of how a 500 wagon would look. The reports suggest that the 500 WoodyWagon will also come equipped with Castagna's supercharger kit, boosting power from 100 up to 155hp. Equally intriguing, however, is the suggestion that this is only a preview, as Fiat itself reportedly plans on making a 500 wagon by 2010 to be called the Giardiniera, which is news to us.

Gallery: Geneva '08: Castagna WoodyWagon

Geneva '08 Preview: Castagna gives Fiat 500 and MINI Clubman a big Woody originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click the image above to see the hi-res gallery of the Fiat 500 by Aznom

So far the aristocratic tuners at Castagna have given us MINI pickups, a psycho-retro rebodied Corvette Z06 codenamed Aznom, and, uh, this thing they call the Gran Tourer Sport. For their next trick, they tackle the Fiat 500. Surprisingly, for a car that looks like it's about to go collect pollen, we don't mind it. The car's just so bloody cute, it Aznom gets away with it.

There are three versions: Amabile, Intrigante, and Seducente. They are loaded up with Alcantara throughout, as well as the most fascinatingly patterned wood. No word on whether the purse comes with one of them. There are also Aznom badges and stitching throughout, which was previously the name of a Castagna car, and now appears to be an entire brand.

Follow the jump for the press release -- make sure you have a glass of Chianti and Puccini in the background for that first paragraph -- and be sure to check out the hi-res images.

[Source: 4 Wheels Blog]

Gallery: Fiat 500 by Aznom

Continue reading Aznom tunes the Fiat 500

Aznom tunes the Fiat 500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sometimes the past deserves to remain in the past, but once in a while the automotive industry reaches into its history to resurrect something worthwhile whose demise was regrettable and whose return is welcome. The return of coachbuilding is one example of an industry trend we're glad is making a comeback.

Coachbuilding was popular decades ago among the extremely wealthy for whom the ordinary offerings of the automotive industry weren't anywhere near exclusive enough, so they had special bodywork fitted to regular cars to make them their own. Contemporary coachbuilt motors follow the same formula: an existing car fitted with new bodywork, and often customized mechanicals, for the most discerning and obscenely wealthy clients. Results have varied, but variety, as the saying goes, is the spice of life. Here we've chosen our ten favorite examples.

Continue reading Autoblog's Top 10 Coachbuilt Supercars

Autoblog's Top 10 Coachbuilt Supercars originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Jul 2007 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One of the most exciting recent developments in the industry, by this writer's account at least, is the re-emergence of the coachbuilding industry. Cars like the Fisker Latigo and Zagato Ferrari 575 GTZ have heralded a revival of the long-lost segment that inherently gives birth to some of the most unique automobiles on the road. It was only a matter of time until the Italians picked up where they left off by crafting unique Corvette-based sportscars.

Italian coachbuilder Castagna Milano, originally founded way back in the 1850s and revived in the 1990s, has created a number of bespoke models, including the Imperial Landaulet concept and a slew of custom Minis. The carrozzeria's latest offering, the Castagna Aznom, was previewed in skeletal form back in April at Monaco's Top Marques show, and the firm has now released further details and images.

Based on the Corvette Z06, the Aznom also draws on retro Corvette styling elements, blended with thoroughly modern design features to create a heart-stopping supercar. The egg-crate grille is drawn from the original '53 Vette, slab-sided flanks from the '58 Stingray and fenders from the '56 SR-2 Sebring race car. On the contemporary side of things, LED rear lights, retracting rear wing, three-section rear diffuser and F1-style fender-mounted carbon-fiber wing mirrors round out the design. Those sharp five-spoke wheels measure 20 inches, shod in 285/30 and 335/30 Pirelli PZero rubber front and rear respectively, housing 356mm cross-drilled discs with six-pot calipers fore and 340mm discs with 4-pot calipers aft. The cockpit even features a Google Earth-powered sat-nav system.

Whether you love or hate the unique styling, the Aznom has the "go" to back up the "show". Castagna has thoroughly massaged the Z06's 7-liter V8 from 500 horsepower to a whopping 750, and with the use of carbon fiber, aluminum and magnesium bodywork, has trimmed the weight down to 1,400 kg. With that magical formula of more power and less weight, the carrozzeria puts the performance figures at 0-60 in a scant 3.4 seconds on its way to a claimed top speed of 217 mph.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Gallery: Castagna Aznom

RetroVette: Castagna Aznom unveiled originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Castagna, the Milanese atelier for cars run by an architect, used the Top Marques Monaco show to debut its new supercar. Known for its work with all things Mini (check out the outlandish Mini Crossup), this is a departure for the coachbuilder that got its start in 1849, and was formerly known for its unique creations during the Jazz Era.

The car is called Aznom, and in coachbuilt tradition utilizes the rebodied chassis from a Corvette Z06. Laid over that is a carbon fiber body that brings the entire car in at under 3,080 lbs. It probably looks much more elegant sitting on its wheels than it does on jacks, but it appears absolutely mean from any angle. A grill reminiscent of the first Corvette gapes beneath a waspish-looking front end flanked by monumental wheel arches. From there, the curves, lines, vents and scoops don't stop until the 3-piece rear diffuser. Not apparent in the picture, the silhouette of the car on the Castagna site has mirrors mounted on the fenders on stalks.

No matter what you think of the looks, if Castagna's telling the truth, the Aznom is going to be excruciatingly quick: 700 hp, 701 lb-ft of torque, a 218 mph top speed, 3.4 seconds to 62 mph, and 9.5 to 124. You can expect the price to likewise be excruciatingly high. An official launch is slated for May.

[Source: Supercars.net]

Supercar ad nauseam: Castagna Aznom originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Apr 2007 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.