100CC Speedster concept stolen?
Discussion
Appologies if this has been covered before but I just found out:
I'll be upfront and say I never liked this 100CC. It's the worst looking Aston for, well, maybe forever, and that includes the Cygnet! And I know all the jokes about the lazy designers in Gaydon, but I was still suprised to find out that before they smacked it around the design studio with a massive ugly stick, Aston actually stole the 100CC design off a Mazda MX5 tuning company who offered it as a conversion at least as early as 2 years ago! Rather aptly called the catfish, it includes all the main styling cues except for the holes in the doors, and even has the plastic faux racing bonnet catches!
http://ca.autoblog.com/2012/11/11/catfish-mazda-mi...
I'll be upfront and say I never liked this 100CC. It's the worst looking Aston for, well, maybe forever, and that includes the Cygnet! And I know all the jokes about the lazy designers in Gaydon, but I was still suprised to find out that before they smacked it around the design studio with a massive ugly stick, Aston actually stole the 100CC design off a Mazda MX5 tuning company who offered it as a conversion at least as early as 2 years ago! Rather aptly called the catfish, it includes all the main styling cues except for the holes in the doors, and even has the plastic faux racing bonnet catches!
http://ca.autoblog.com/2012/11/11/catfish-mazda-mi...
...& what about Caterham's aeroseven concept car. Are these examples the strange shape of things to come?
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?sa=X&espv=210&a...
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?sa=X&espv=210&a...
I prefer that AM only made two of this really ugly car. It would have been better if they'd made none!
Still, I find it very strange the similarities between the CC and the admittedly far better looking mx5 kit that came out a year before the CC was sketched. Am I the only one that finds that weird?
Still, best thing about the 100CC is that it makes the current range look AWESOME!
Still, I find it very strange the similarities between the CC and the admittedly far better looking mx5 kit that came out a year before the CC was sketched. Am I the only one that finds that weird?
Still, best thing about the 100CC is that it makes the current range look AWESOME!
mikey k said:
Yeah. It looks like bar soap on wheels. robgt said:
Chris I really agree with you on all counts. I could never understand why AM would go to all the trouble of producing 2 examples of a car that they have no intention of marketing and then drag it all around the World. Unless it was to satisfy a personal whim.
Aston has a long history of designing/building one-offs for customers. It doesn't cost Aston anything, does it? And keeps people employed during difficult times.mikey k said:
Missed my post a couple above this one then Mikey?
DB9VolanteDriver said:
robgt said:
Chris I really agree with you on all counts. I could never understand why AM would go to all the trouble of producing 2 examples of a car that they have no intention of marketing and then drag it all around the World. Unless it was to satisfy a personal whim.
Aston has a long history of designing/building one-offs for customers. It doesn't cost Aston anything, does it? And keeps people employed during difficult times.I can understand some people not liking the design as it's more marmite than some Astons - I personally love it and think it looks even better in the flesh but as I say, fully understand those that don't like it. I don't quite get the 'it's a copy' thoughts - there are a number of designs along these kinds of lines, in this instance clearly heavily influenced by the DBR1
But as a project, I fully understand it. They clothed an existing chassis & running gear with a new body which is an old tradition, somewhat like the Disco Volante on TG this weekend. That's a much cheaper exercise than say a ONE77 but because they only built 2, they can charge a lot of money for it with a much easier sell than the V12 Zag where they produced too many to justify the premium.
The 2 buyers effectively paid for the project (and some profit) whilst generating huge exposure for Aston and a shiny toy to help celebrate the centenary. Everyone's a winner as I see it. This is exactly the sort of project Aston can & should do more of as it doesn't stretch the R&D budget plus buyers will put up with some of the Aston 'shortcomings' far more on a one off car that costs fortunes than a mass produced car that costs £100-200k whilst at the same time, enhancing the Aston upmarket image to the wider world
jonby said:
... This is exactly the sort of project Aston can & should do more of as it doesn't stretch the R&D budget plus buyers will put up with some of the Aston 'shortcomings' far more on a one off car that costs fortunes than a mass produced car that costs £100-200k whilst at the same time, enhancing the Aston upmarket image to the wider world.
The CC100 design was not really to my liking, but with almost closed eyes, I suppose you could just about see a DBR1.
Yes, my understanding was that customers paid for the whole project.
That gives me an idea.
RobGT has (I think at least once) been telling us all, that he is yearning for a Vantage GT4 type road car.
Finance the project Mr Rob, perhaps with a friend to create two very unique cars, and you could have exactly what you want. Don't worry about the cost, just think of the subsequent rarity value.
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