The $1.6 Million Australian Coupe Built for the Driven
Kanebridge News
Share Button

The $1.6 Million Australian Coupe Built for the Driven

Hand-built in Melbourne and limited to just 10 cars a year, the Zeigler/Bailey Z/B 4.4 is reshaping what a modern collector car can be.

By Staff Writer
Tue, Dec 9, 2025 1:29pmGrey Clock 2 min

In a quiet workshop in inner city Melbourne, one of the most ambitious performance cars in Australia is being built by hand.

Limited to just 10 cars a year and priced at $1.6 million, the Zeigler/Bailey Z/B 4.4 is not designed to chase mass appeal.

It is built for a very specific kind of driver. One who wants feel over flash, engineering over hype, and a car with soul as well as speed.

The Z/B 4.4 takes visual cues from the classic air-cooled Porsche era of the late 1970s and 80s, but beneath the familiar silhouette sits an entirely new platform.

Rather than restoring or lightly modifying an old chassis, the team has replaced the floor and structure with a clean-sheet, motorsport-bred tub, engineered to modern Australian safety standards and designed to work in both right- and left-hand drive.

The result is a car that looks nostalgic, but behaves like a thoroughly modern performance machine.

Power comes from a bespoke 4.4-litre air-cooled flat-six engine, designed and assembled in-house and machined from solid aluminium billet.

With 300 kilowatts of power and 500 Newton-metres of torque, its output slightly surpasses that of today’s Porsche 911 Carrera, while retaining the raw sound and character of classic air-cooled engineering.

Much of the car’s suspension architecture is inspired by Le Mans prototype racing, with push-rod actuated dampers and a multi-link rear system designed to deliver both comfort and precision.

The electronics have also been built from scratch, using a solid-state CAN-bus architecture that allows for digital instrumentation, remote diagnostics and ongoing software updates.

Every Z/B 4.4 begins life as a donor Porsche 911 from the 1975 to 1989 G-series era. From there, almost everything mechanical, structural and electronic is reimagined. More than 3,500 bespoke parts go into each finished car.

Despite the engineering depth, this is not a track-only machine.

Owners are involved in the personalisation of colour, trim and finishes, with many choosing to take part in selected phases of the build itself. Seating, ride settings, digital displays and even engine tuning can all be adjusted to suit the driver.

Behind the project are entrepreneur and Porsche collector John Zeigler Jr and automotive engineer Greg Bailey.

Together, they have created not just a car, but a global low-volume manufacturing model, using advanced CNC machining and 3D printing to produce parts that would once have been impossible to fabricate locally.

The business now employs a specialised team of designers, engineers and assemblers, and has plans to scale internationally through engines, components and licensed assembly.

For collectors, the appeal is as much about rarity as performance. Only 10 cars a year will be built for the Australian market. Six are already sold. Delivery from order is about 12 months.

In a world where hypercars increasingly blur into one another, the Z/B 4.4 stands apart as something deeply personal and proudly Australian. It is not designed to dominate social media feeds or sit under velvet ropes. It is designed to be driven.

As the creators like to say, you do not buy cool. You build it.



MOST POPULAR

From bushland greens to valley reds, the country’s most awarded designers are proving that the best colour palette was never on a swatch card; it was outside the window all along.

The Australian leather house has opened an immersive four-day pop-up in Manhattan, unveiling its Bloom Collection and redefining what a product launch can look like.

Related Stories
Lifestyle
Property of the Week: Longueville harbour home listed for the first time in a quarter of a century
By Staff Writer 17/07/2026
Lifestyle
The Australian Palette: How Landscape Is Rewriting the Colour Rulebook
By Jeni O'Dowd 16/07/2026
Lifestyle
MAISON de SABRÉ turns luxury shopping into theatre with New York’s Floral Atelier
By Jeni O'Dowd 15/07/2026
Property of the Week: Longueville harbour home listed for the first time in a quarter of a century
By Staff Writer
Fri, Jul 17, 2026 2 min

Held by the same family for 26 years, this Harbour Bridge-facing residence at Longueville is the type of property that rarely comes to market. Set on more than 1,100 sqm on one of Sydney’s most tightly held peninsulas, it combines complete privacy with uninterrupted views across the harbour to the city skyline.

It’s the sort of offering where the land is just as important as the home. Positioned directly opposite Aquatic Park with a prized northeast aspect, the residence captures sweeping harbour views from almost every main living space while remaining remarkably secluded from neighbouring properties.

Large picture windows frame the outlook throughout the home, flooding the interiors with natural light and making the harbour the centrepiece of everyday living.

Designed for family living

The home offers multiple living zones, including a formal lounge and dining rooms, a separate family room and an open-plan living and meals area. Blackbutt timber parquetry flooring, high ceilings and ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning feature throughout.

The kitchen sits at the heart of the home, with induction cooking, a generous island bench, and a walk-in pantry, connecting both the formal entertaining areas and the more casual family spaces.

A ground-floor master suite includes a walk-in robe, dressing area and ensuite, while upstairs are three additional bedrooms with built-in robes, together with a spacious home office or study.

The lower ground level adds another layer, with a temperature-controlled cellar and tasting room, plus a flexible gym, wellness or recreation space.

Resort-style setting overlooking Sydney Harbour

Outside, landscaped gardens wrap around a heated swimming pool, an expansive entertaining terrace, and a level lawn, creating a private resort-style setting against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour.

Additional features include a solar system with battery storage, remote lock-up garaging for three vehicles and generous storage throughout.

Beyond the home itself, the location remains one of Longueville’s biggest drawcards. Longueville Ferry Wharf sits around 150 metres away, providing direct access to the CBD while preserving the quiet character of one of Sydney’s most tightly held waterfront suburbs. The property is also within the catchments of Lane Cove Public School and Hunters Hill High School.

Simon Harrison and Kim Walters of Belle Property Lane Cove are marketing the property on a Contact Agent basis.

At a glance

Address: 3 Mary Street, Longueville NSW 2066

Configuration: 4 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 3-car garage

Land: Approximately 1,100 sqm

Highlights: Harbour Bridge and city skyline views, northeast aspect, heated pool, cellar, solar with battery storage

Held: First time offered in 26 years

Price: Contact Agent

Agents: Simon Harrison and Kim Walters, Belle Property Lane Cove

This article is produced by the Kanebridge Media editorial team. Property information has been supplied by the listing agent. Buyers should conduct their own due diligence before relying on any information contained in this article. Enquiries: propertyconcierge@kanebridge.com.au.

MOST POPULAR

MAISON de SABRÉ’s new Spring Harvest Collection turns everyday produce into collectible leather charms and introduces fresh silhouettes in its cult Bucket bag family.

A survey of people with at least $1 million in investable assets found women in their 30s and 40s look nothing like older generations in terms of assets and priorities

Related Stories
Property
Boutique mountain retreat loved by celebrities on the market
By Kirsten Craze 19/12/2025
Lifestyle
A GLOBAL CIVIC VISION LANDS IN SYDNEY
By Jeni O'Dowd 24/10/2025
Property
Rose Bay House: Sydney’s newest waterfront mansion 
By Staff Writer 18/11/2025
0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop