the Aston Martin Cygnet
The Cygnet Raises Aston Martin’s iQ | Autopia | Wired.com
Aston Martin Unveils New Luxury Minicar- Yahoo! Autos Article Page
The Cygnet Raises Aston Martin’s iQ | Autopia | Wired.com
Aston Martin is swaddling a lowly Toyota iQ in leather and giving it a grin like the Cheshire Cat. Aston calls it the world’s first luxury urban commuter. We call it an idea so crazy it might just work.
The Cygnet is all grille and no go, given that it sports the same 1-liter three-cylinder engine as the 56-mpg Toyota iQ. And though the baby Aston is just a concept at this point, a company insider tells the Telegraph it could see production by the end of next year. Look for a production run of around 4,000 a year, with sales limited to existing Aston Martin owners. The idea is those well-heeled souls will drive the Cygnet around town and save the DB9 Volante or One-77 for the weekends.
The Cygnet could have its coming out party at the Geneva auto show in March. As is the case with all the coolest cars, we probably won’t see it here in America. We’ll be stuck with that ugly boy-racer version of the iQ sporting a Scion badge.
Aston Martin Unveils New Luxury Minicar- Yahoo! Autos Article Page
How can James Bond recover the control disk for the dual GoldenEye satellite weapons driving something like this?
Brace yourself. Aston Martin just released more detailed photos of its Cygnet luxury minicar, and it isn’t pretty. In fact, it looks a lot like Toyota’s Euro-based iQ on which it’s based.
Jalopnik, which published official photos this morning, writes: “[T]he looks are...umm...well...as these first official images show, the Cygnet is still closely based on the Toyota iQ city car, retaining the same basic body shape and even the same front lights. The front has been given a heavy Aston-style rework, however, complete with trademark grille and even miniature bonnet vents.â€
Inside, the Cygnet will feature new colors and higher-quality materials, but retain the iQ’s “instrument pack and architecture,†adds Autocar. And though it has yet to be confirmed, industry analysts believe that it’s also likely to feature the iQ’s 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine.
So what’s the general consensus? Most critics would agree with USA Today’s assessment: “t could be the perfect car for a paunchy, middle-aged Bond, who long ago lost his license to kill and now works as a British bureaucrat.â€
Nevertheless, Aston Martin is touting the new Cygnet as a big win for the environment. “Aston says the Cygnet concept ‘represents a creative, environmentally conscious solution, being small, yet with presence – and highly fuel efficient, now combined with the prestige of Aston Martin's luxury brand ownership,’†write USA Today.
However, Motor Authority asserts that Aston is just trying to nab itself a piece of the mini-car pie: “The luxury automaker has identified that around 30% of existing customers have small cars such as a Mini or Smart ForTwo in their garages for city traffic.â€
Regardless, the Cygnet is expected to hit the European auto market in 2010 before making its way further west. Initially it will only be offered to current Aston Martin owners, but will eventually be made available to the general public. Expect a sticker price of $32,000.
