RE: Official Images: Aston Martin Cygnet

[LuS1fer]

Will there be a Cygnet'Ring time....

[Twincam16]

I understand their need to reduce average CO2 emissions, and the idea of the 'tender' makes sense, but what I don't understand is why they've tried to give it an Aston Martin identity. A similar thing happened in the '80s with the Tickford Metro, but that was all about the interior - from the outside it just looked like a Metro Turbo with bigger spoilers. Obviously it was aimed at Aston Martin V8 owners who wanted a small second car trimmed like an Aston, which made sense.

Problem I can see with this is that before you can blink a replica body kit will be available for IQs from some company run out of a railway arch by some drum'n'bass enthusiasts, and Ebay will be full of adverts on the lines of ASTRON MARIN REPLICCA FOR SALE L@@@@@K! - NOT BUGGATTI FRERRARY LAMBUGEENY LOWTUSS ETC - INDISTINGWISHABUL FROM THE REAL THING L@@K L@@K L@@K!!!!!!!!!!!

Before long, every McDonald's car park will be full of Cygnet 'RELPICCAs' and puffa-jacketed poseurs claiming to own an Aston, and as far as the engineering of the thing is concerned, they'll be right. It will be, in essence, a 'genuine' Aston Martin Cygnet.

And then the value of one of Aston Martin's core values - subtlety - will wither and die.

[I WISH]

There seems to be something missing ...... oh I know .... 2 bloody great big exhaust tail pipes.
If it had those I would probably buy one.

Dunno though ..... praps its something else .....

I'VE GOT IT!! A bigger body and a nice V12 engine .... that's what's missing.

Fix that and I might buy one.

[jamiesim]

a great idea, poorly executed!

put it in the bin Aston before you let some over paid banker embaress himself further.

[Mr Gear]

Who's it for? People that are such brand-snobs, they can't stomach the Toyota badge? Who are they trying to kid? You're going to look like an utter knob in this, whereas the IQ is quite a smart choice.

[mybrainhurts]

What is it with Dave Richards...?

One destruction derby after another...

First he destroys international rallying, now he's doing this...

I think a strait jacket is called for...

[Black S2K]

Twincam16 said:

I understand their need to reduce average CO2 emissions, and the idea of the 'tender' makes sense, but what I don't understand is why they've tried to give it an Aston Martin identity. A similar thing happened in the '80s with the Tickford Metro, but that was all about the interior - from the outside it just looked like a Metro Turbo with bigger spoilers. Obviously it was aimed at Aston Martin V8 owners who wanted a small second car trimmed like an Aston, which made sense.

Problem I can see with this is that before you can blink a replica body kit will be available for IQs from some company run out of a railway arch by some drum'n'bass enthusiasts, and Ebay will be full of adverts on the lines of ASTRON MARIN REPLICCA FOR SALE L@@@@@K! - NOT BUGGATTI FRERRARY LAMBUGEENY LOWTUSS ETC - INDISTINGWISHABUL FROM THE REAL THING L@@K L@@K L@@K!!!!!!!!!!!

Before long, every McDonald's car park will be full of Cygnet 'RELPICCAs' and puffa-jacketed poseurs claiming to own an Aston, and as far as the engineering of the thing is concerned, they'll be right. It will be, in essence, a 'genuine' Aston Martin Cygnet.

And then the value of one of Aston Martin's core values - subtlety - will wither and die.

Great post!

Actually, since just about every manufacturer has descended into the worst excesses of badge-enginnered brand wedom, it means there's actually nothing wrong with the foregoing.

You are now perfectly at liberty to buy badges and bits off Fleabay of the defunct car of your choice and to make your own re-creation based upon whatever you please: Convert a C-Class into a Borgward, a Z4 into a TR4 or Ausin-Healey, whatever takes your fancy. Pegaso or Hispano-Suiza out on an old Audi? Better than making a bloody SEAT out of one!

And no-one driving anything else can laugh at you for doing so!

[Flumpetboy]

At last!!! The perfect car for where I live: Guernsey - where our MAX. speed limit is 35mph (25mph in some areas) and many of the roads are so narrow that I often have to drive my Grand Cherokee 6.1 SRT onto the pavement to get past oncoming traffic (even on some of our "major" roads!)
We are an offshore tax haven and there's a LOT of money here so the idea of an Aston iQ that shouts out that you are well-heeled is perfect! Bring it on!

[RichB]

But until recently Aston chaps simply didn't shout about how well healed they were, those sort of people bought a Rolls.

[DeadMeat_UK]

Mr Gear said:

Who's it for? People that are such brand-snobs, they can't stomach the Toyota badge? Who are they trying to kid? You're going to look like an utter knob in this, whereas the IQ is quite a smart choice.

Looking like a cock doesn't stop people buying 3 series convertibles, Range Rover sports or Cayennes though does it.

[JohnG1]

I like it and I think I'll buy one in preference to a Fiat 500. Then I can leave my Vantage in the garage when I pop down to the shops.

What would be great would be if Toyota would allow Aston Martin to use the V10 from the LF-A.

Now that would be bonkers fast in a Vantage body and allow Aston to have a V8, V10 and V12 all in the same body - not been done before I think!

[Mr Gear]

JohnG1 said:

I like it and I think I'll buy one in preference to a Fiat 500. Then I can leave my Vantage in the garage when I pop down to the shops.

What would be great would be if Toyota would allow Aston Martin to use the V10 from the LF-A.

Now that would be bonkers fast in a Vantage body and allow Aston to have a V8, V10 and V12 all in the same body - not been done before I think!

Have you considered that a Toyota IQ would achieve exactly the same thing? Maybe I'm not of the right mindset to understand how this car would find any buyers.

Please explain if you can why an Aston-Branded IQ is better than a Toyota one.

[RichB]

Mr Gear said:

Maybe I'm not of the right mindset to understand how this car would find any buyers..

You are right, I can only imagine it must appeal to the newer type of Aston owner?

[LuS1fer]

The designer seems to like it.

[JohnG1]

Mr Gear said:

Have you considered that a Toyota IQ would achieve exactly the same thing? Maybe I'm not of the right mindset to understand how this car would find any buyers.

Please explain if you can why an Aston-Branded IQ is better than a Toyota one.

I'm not a petrol sniffing automotive purist, I bought my Aston because I wanted one, it's beautiful, it makes a great sound with fuse 22 removed, it has a plate with the name of the guy who built it and I grew up watching Bond movies. Oh, and because I could.

Maybe if you try not to appear like some kind of arbiter of taste and decorum you'd be able to enter into a reasoned dialogue, rather than using this somewhat strident and hectoring tone.

[Mr Gear]

JohnG1 said:

Mr Gear said:

Have you considered that a Toyota IQ would achieve exactly the same thing? Maybe I'm not of the right mindset to understand how this car would find any buyers.

Please explain if you can why an Aston-Branded IQ is better than a Toyota one.

I'm not a petrol sniffing automotive purist, I bought my Aston because I wanted one, it's beautiful, it makes a great sound with fuse 22 removed, it has a plate with the name of the guy who built it and I grew up watching Bond movies. Oh, and because I could.

Maybe if you try not to appear like some kind of arbiter of taste and decorum you'd be able to enter into a reasoned dialogue, rather than using this somewhat strident and hectoring tone.

Erm, I understand all of that. I understand why someone would want an Aston (even the ones that are essentially Jaguars at heart), but this is a Toyota! Nothing wrong with that, I like Toyotas... why would anyone be so ashamed of this that they feel its worth the premium of an AM badge? Where's the value in it? What's the point in it?

This isn't some handbuilt GT dripping with heritage, so why kid yourself? What makes this worth the extra over the IQ? So many questions!

EDIT: If you take the car on it's own and pretend there was no such thing as the IQ, and you didn't know what badge was on the bonnet, it looks like a cool little city car. But the IQ DOES exist, and that is a cool little city car for half the price... That is the Cygnet's problem as I see it.

Edited by Mr Gear on Friday 18th December 11:19

[bertie]

Mr Gear said:

.......Aston (even the ones that are essentially Jaguars at heart),

Eh, which?

[Mr Gear]

bertie said:

Mr Gear said:

.......Aston (even the ones that are essentially Jaguars at heart),

Eh, which?

The DB7.

"The DB7, known internally as the NPX project, was made mostly with resources from Jaguar and had the financial backing of the Ford Motor Company, owner of Aston Martin since 1988. The DB7's platform is an evolution of the Jaguar XJS"

Edited by Mr Gear on Friday 18th December 12:07

[bertie]

Mr Gear said:

bertie said:

Mr Gear said:

.......Aston (even the ones that are essentially Jaguars at heart),

Eh, which?

The DB7.

"The DB7, known internally as the NPX project, was made mostly with resources from Jaguar and had the financial backing of the Ford Motor Company, owner of Aston Martin since 1988. The DB7's platform is an evolution of the Jaguar XJS"

That's not been in production for how many years though?

But they were a crock!

Edited by bertie on Friday 18th December 12:10

[Mr Gear]

bertie said:

That's not been in production for how many years though?

But they were a crock!

Dunno, but there's plenty of them around still.