Aston Martin Cygnet Explored / Explained
Love it or hate it, it certainly smells delicious!
Aston's Marek Reichman is unsurprisingly proud of the firm's little city car which now boasts its own space in the glamorous line-up that greets visitors to Aston's VIP Reception area. (To the extent that we found it hard to keep up a decent level of PH 'standard issue' wry cynicism under the enthusiasm assault.)
Did you know it's the smallest car in the world to have a proper aluminium grille, for instance? It was news to me and fellow PHer Garlick, who at one point seemed almost overcome by the leathery 'proper Aston' aromas emanating from the Cygnet's impeccably finished diamond-stitched and piano-black interior.
Having had a chance to sit in the car, there's no doubt it gives off more than a whiff of what Aston Martin owners look for in their more traditional purchases. The style and finish of the cabin is beguiling, truth be told, and certainly does the 'handcrafted in England' sill plate justice. And while Toyota remains explicitly expressed in the exterior shape (in spite of every panel except the roof having been Aston-ised to a greater or lesser degree), detail evidence of the Japanese brand has been thoroughly expunged - right down to the word Toyota being sandblasted off the window glass.
Marek offered some interesting insights into the exterior treatment, too, such as the new nose which has been designed without any compromises to factors such as 'ease of repair' that would be common to the city car sector. (It will be fun to learn what the insurance group is, given the amount of paint that's been applied to that one piece composite front end!) Still, 'punters' considering a £30k+ town car probably won't be bothered by such details, or by the fact that they'll need to visit their Aston dealer for servicing in order to get the Cygnet's warranty book stamped. Why not? Because as Marek pointed out, they're just as likely to spend £30k+ on a wristwatch.
It was also amusing to hear Marek's take on Cygnet performance, when quizzed as to why there's been no effort to upgrade handling or engine power as a nod to the more traditional Aston values: 'City driving is not about zero-to-sixty, it's the zero-to-parking space time that counts,' he says, while acknowledging that leaving the car's mechanicals untouched has made the homologation process a whole lot simpler (and cheaper).
So why was the Toyota chosen to underpin the project in the first place? Well the BMW Mini isn't small enough, and perhaps more importantly Aston's chief Ulrich Bez and Toyota boss Akio Toyoda are racing buddies through shared Nurburgring 24hrs experiences - in fact their respective 'factory' teams tend to share a garage at the race.
And what of those dyed-in-the-wool Aston enthusiasts who can't stand the sight of the Cygnet? Marek is big enough to admit there are indeed folk out there with strongly held views on the matter, but his comeback is straightforward and to the point. 'Without the Cygnet (and its hoped-for affect on the company's C02 averages), there won't be any Aston V8s or V12s in future either,' he says.
Words to make any enthusiast shudder, and food for thought for the nay-sayers perhaps? The debate will rage on, but hoping that Aston can shift the Cygnet in numbers beyond the One-77 customers apparently lining up to order them (in shades to match) seems reasonable under the circumstances the company finds itself in today.
So, umm, here's hoping!
But the fact remains, it has a job to do which is to keep Aston alive, so I'm all for it.
And the IQ as a starting point could be a lot worse. Not a PH car, but not intended to be either. And for this reason, and in the low volumes it will sell in, it will not dilute the brand.
All body panels different? Then please, why is there a bit of body colour plastic inserted into the rear lights, as opposed to a continuation of the rear wing. This wouldn't happen on a "proper" Aston. That said, there's not been a "proper" Aston since the Vanquish.
All body panels different? Then please, why is there a bit of body colour plastic inserted into the rear lights, as opposed to a continuation of the rear wing. This wouldn't happen on a "proper" Aston. That said, there's not been a "proper" Aston since the Vanquish.
All body panels different? Then please, why is there a bit of body colour plastic inserted into the rear lights, as opposed to a continuation of the rear wing. This wouldn't happen on a "proper" Aston. That said, there's not been a "proper" Aston since the Vanquish.
- Aston Martin needed to have a car in their range, that when included in their average emissions for their entire range will drag the average output down significantly.
That's at least what I heard!
Horrid pointless car - buy the original its based on and save a fortune.
honestly, it's crap
Comparison to a 30k watch is stupid. 30k is relatively cheap for a desirable watch, this ‘thing’ (said with the disdain applied to the wookie Chewbacca) is so not desirable, it’s simply a joke. If Aston really wanted to lower their CO2 average, then why not do a funky electric car? something like an electric roadster with DB1 lines? Or a hybrid at least.
- Aston Martin needed to have a car in their range, that when included in their average emissions for their entire range will drag the average output down significantly.
That's at least what I heard!
Horrid pointless car - buy the original its based on and save a fortune.
Giving the IQ a nose job and calling it an Aston is insulting. The nose job also makes it ridiculously vulgar. Seriously, given the choice between that and a 1990 Rover Metro as a town car, I'd take the 'tro every day of the week. At least I could get around town without looking like a prize tit.
Now can anybody put me right here. I thought that although Ford had sold Aston, they kept a stake in it. Look at Ferrari; no small town car so Fiat must have that covered for them. Lambo; no small town car but assume Audi will have that covered. Porsche have their hybrids.....enough said, but without them, VW would have it covered.
So, why is it (if Ford have a stake) that the baby Fords can not contibute to the average CO2 figures for Aston?
An Aston Martin motorbike, bought in from one of the usual suspects and given a fresh fairing, fascia and seat, would be cool, economical, and not nearly so damaging as the Cygnet.
Could be sold for £15k without dragging down the brand centre-of-gravity, and may even be regarded by the cognoscenti as A Good Thing.
I really quite like the IQ but this is not what I'd expect from AM
Hey, Gordon Murray has one on paper ready to roll apparently, or just do your own, it’s prodrive for goodness sake, you guys are smart (no pun intended), oh well, too late I guess?
That is what the people in the marketing department want people to think.
It is really for 20 something estate agents and people who live on credit.
Also, the 1000s of people who use Aston Martins on a daily basis in London don't appear to have any problem with the existing models.
If I was rich, I would much rather drive the Toyota version if I had a need for a car of this type.
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