RE: Aston Martin Cygnet Explored/Explained

[Engineer1]

FFS the Cygnet is exactly the same as the 2L Ferraris etc it is a legal dodge, it is an Aston only in name, it exists to allow Aston to survive, I doubt they can afford the fines for missing the emissions targets and they'd probably struggle to get a new engine designed in time.

[Leggy]

Over took one today on the M40. Not difficult I suppose. It looked quite eye catching from the back I didn't realise what was initially. Still a bad idea though!

[shortar53]

williamp said:

...Think of the superminis: Tne Volvo C30 is better equipped, nicer to drive, argaubly better looking car then the MINI.

Err... wot?
neither are superminis.
The Mini is significantly smaller than the C30 and appeals to a totally different market.
I agree that the C30 trumps the Mini in every aspect, including i'd imagine, retail price.
Does the Mini offer a 2.5 turbo pot too?

[Mustardo]

Engineer1 said:

FFS the Cygnet is exactly the same as the 2L Ferraris etc it is a legal dodge, it is an Aston only in name, it exists to allow Aston to survive, I doubt they can afford the fines for missing the emissions targets and they'd probably struggle to get a new engine designed in time.

To be brutally honest if this is the sort of nonsense they have to do - sticking tat on Japanese runabout - then i'd rather they didn't survive!

IMHO Aston have gone from a very regal, british, cool marque to the sort of cars footballers and chavs covet, and this seems to be the final straw.

Obviously i don't want Aston to go but i surely there must have been a better way around these emissions?

[ewenm]

Mustardo said:

IMHO Aston have gone from a very regal, british, cool marque to the sort of cars footballers and chavs covet, and this seems to be the final straw.

You might equally have said "Aston have gone from bust or nearly bust several times to a manufacturer of quality products and now profitable" (I think).

[OJ80]

I don't know if anyone's spotted one on the road yet, but I saw a couple being delivered to the Aston/Alfa dealer in Walton on Thames on the 24th of Jan.

(Sorry for the poor quality, had the resolution set to low)

[Rodimus]

GTEYE said:

Well I'm sure there will be lots of hate posted shortly.

But the fact remains, it has a job to do which is to keep Aston alive, so I'm all for it.

Edited by GTEYE on Friday 18th February 13:27

Edited by GTEYE on Friday 18th February 13:29

There is other things they could do to improve. For starters, get rid of the same boring design for the cars. You can't tell which is which anymore. Or do what Porsche did and introduce an suv first, not an IQ and certainly not a rebadged Toyota.

[markhuby]

The Cygnet reminds me of the attempt by Austin Rover to produce a "posh" small car as a revenue earner, namely the Vanden Plas Allegro, which failed on so many levels. They say that "History Repeats"!

[R500POP]

I wonder if the second hand values will plummet to IQ levels fairly quickly, would make an interesting alternative toi the usual commuter choices if they do.

[Simond S]

Rodimus said:

There is other things they could do to improve. For starters, get rid of the same boring design for the cars. You can't tell which is which anymore. Or do what Porsche did and introduce an suv first, not an IQ and certainly not a rebadged Toyota.

but a rebadged VW is ok?

[OMNIO]

It just looks like a chavved up Citroen C1

[Zod]

Mustardo said:

IMHO Aston have gone from a very regal, british, cool marque to the sort of cars footballers and chavs covet, and this seems to be the final straw.

and they don't covet Maseratis. No, not at all.

[drivin_me_nuts]

If this car made the difference between a brand surviving or dying under a mass of increasing taxes and further restrictions, should we not at least accept that the car is there for pragmatic reasons?

Someone will buy it. It may not be you, but if every car sold means that the brand continues longer, then surely that is a good thing. There is no 'glory' in being a bankrupt company that stood by it's 'values'... they make large noisy cars in a world determined to cap this market for good. Can people just not accept that a product is more than the mythology surrounding a 'name' and a 'badge'... it's also about having brains enough to realise they need to do something different to survive and thrive. Don't like it, don't buy it. Simple really, but none of those bemoaning its existence have to sit worrying at night about the survival of the business, the livelihood of the workers and the many more jobs involved in the supply chain.

If in time it turns into a thriving success, then fantastic. If it does not, then they'll try something else... the trouble is in this world of back seat brand visionaries, you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't. All credit to them for having the passion to stand by their design. I for one would love to see a dozen a day - needless to say the likes of the prancing donkey would then take note. Of course should it be a success and span many clones then the same people bemoaning it's existence would then be banging on the 'Aston were there first' bible. Such is life.

[auditt]

Are these out yet? Anyone got one, drove one, seen one for sale?

[MigX]

i seen one the other day near banbury. took me a few seconds to realize what it was as i dont pay much attention to IQ`s.

[arbseven]

elisek said:

but how is registered?' as toyota or AM??

also they buy from toyota factory or from local toyota delaer??

Mine according to DVLA is an Aston Martin. No mention of Toyota. In fact you have to look hard for a Toyota label, unlike my old Esprit that had Toyota written on the tail lights.

[iphonedyou]

Holy thread revival.

[arbseven]

JHS said:

this aston is a marmite car you either hate it or love it.
plus that is the closest thing that any normal person will ever get to owning one

Driving both a DB9 and Cygnet, as well as racing a DB7 Vantage, I can say the Cygnet is a fun car that has a real sense of luxury when you drive, and gets more attention than my DB9.

[arbseven]

parki11 said:

djt100 said:

So 30K and you get am aston branded tomtom stuck on the dash.. class

That's exactly what i thought!

Well it works better than the Volvo unit in my DB9

[arbseven]

LewisR said:

I WISH said:

I used to aspire to owning an Aston .... now I don't.

Undoubtedly there will be an Aston 4x4 .... then possibly even a van.

If the Cygnet is now a reality then anything is possible.

How to destroy 60 years or so of sublime motoring heritage in one silly stupid reckless philistinistic move.

I keep thinking that I will wake up.

An interview with Gauntlett back in about '87 revealed that he himself wanted Aston to have a super-luxury 4x4 Range Rover competitor and that he also wanted a much lower priced sports car to the hand built V8s of yore. He got the DB7 project by selling to Ford.

Now, my main point was:
Why didn't they badge this as a Frazer Tickford or something, then it could keep the CO2 boys happy but no one would ever worry about it not being a proper Aston because it wouldn't be, it'd be a Frazer. Did anyone get upset about an Aston-trimmed Metro all those years ago?

And remember Aston almost bought the rights to the MGB, they even made a prototype.