Car Moon

You would never think that an Aston Martin would need any sort of marketing push from a personality like Sir Stirling Moss, but to play around with our own words, up until recently, you would never think that Aston Martin would actually try to sell a hugely overpriced city car that’s a rebadged Toyota model…

In any case, the British racing legend is one of the first customers to receive the Aston Martin Cygnet, which he purchased as a birthday gift to his wife, Lady Moss. Appropriately, there was a photographer in hand to capture the gift-wrapped Cygnet.

The Cygnet is on its way to becoming a true Aston Martin, but not in the sense you might think. We are referring to its price tag with the release of a new limited run special called “Cygnet & colette” that will set buyers back a whopping €48,995, equal to £43,800 and US$70,550!

That’s £18,000 or US$29,000 more than the entry-level Cygnet. This kind of money can buy you a Porsche Boxster in the UK and you would still have more than £7,000 left for spending! And all this for a car that is essentially a re-trimmed Toyota iQ…

You can’t spell, “Cygnet” without, “cynical marketing ploy”. The Toyota iQ-derived stocking stuffer iPhone accessory subcompact has prompted a neat little op-ed piece by Bloomberg correspondent (an ex-pat Aussie) Adam Haynes that includes some fascinating dialogue from Aston Martin insiders.

Most of our readers will know by now that the Cygnet exists purely to counteract the 120 grams of CO2 per kilogram EU carbon restrictions to be introduced in 2012. With a combined CO2 g/km rating of 400, Aston Martin’s current fleet of high performance vehicles could never match this.

To celebrate the start of production of its new Toyota iQ-based Cygnet city car, Aston Martin has announced two special launch edition models called White and Black.

Set to go on sale in April, both are offered with the iQ's 1.33-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine producing 98HP, matched to either standard 6-speed manual gearbox or optional CVT automated transmission, and each will be produced for a strictly limited run.

The British automaker says the Cygnet with the manual gearbox completes the 0-62mph (100km/h) sprint in 11.6 seconds while returning an estimated combined fuel economy of 56.5 mpg UK, equal to 47 mpg US and 5.0 lt/100km.

If we had to give a prize for the most ridiculous new car of 2010, it would go hands down to Aston Martin's Cygnet luxury mini. The British firm's pint-size model is nothing more than a Toyota iQ (Scion iQ in North America) decorated with fancy-pansy wraps - something like those silly replicas we show you from time to time with an even sillier price tag.

Ah, Harrods. Not only is it the swankiest and largest department store in the world, but starting from today and running through December 11, it will also be home to Aston Martin's new luxury city car, the Cygnet. The British firm's polished up Toyota iQ is making its global debut at the renowned shopping center in London occupying a prominent position in the store's Brompton Road window display.

Now that the Aston Martin Cygnet has officially received the green light (previous post here), the brand of James Bond has put together again CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez and design director Marek Reichman for the Cygnet PR video below.

The 4-passenger Cygnet, based on Toyota's iQ city car, is meant to provide Aston Martin owners something more practical for daily use within cities and still offer said owners the level of exclusivity they desire. That means it can be ordered with all the same interior and exterior colors, leathers, and materials found on any other Aston.

Say 'hallo' to Toyota's bling-bling shiny iQ Disco, a concept model that was created by the firm's German division purely for demonstration purposes as the oversized Japanese disco ball on wheels will tour dealerships all over the country, starting from showrooms in Cologne.

It's officially official; Aston Martin today confirmed that the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet luxury city car is to go into production with sales to start in 2011. The British automaker said details on pricing and specification will be announced by the end of this year. However it is believed the Cygnet will cost between £30,000-50,000 in the UK, or about US$47,500-79,000 / €34,000 -57,000 at the current exchange rates, and will initially be sold only to existing Aston customers.

Originally shown as a pre-production concept car at this year's Geneva Salon in March, the Cygnet is an Aston Martin-flavored version of the Toyota iQ city car with unique styling cues such as the front grille, bumper designs, exterior trim and alloy wheels, plus a high-luxury interior with details inspired by the automaker's supercar range.

"It is time to think differently. Aston Martin is honest and we don't make compromises" says Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez.

In an interview last week with British car magazine Autocar, Aston Martin boss Ulrich Bez explained the reasons behind the company's decision to launch the Cygnet city car, which as you know, is a Toyota iQ with a new face and some fancy pansy dressings inside.

The only truly original 'Aston Martin' quality of the car appears to be the price tag which is rumored to range anywhere between £30-50,000, or about US$45-75,000 / €33-55,000.

We can think of a few dozen reasons to as why the British automaker shouldn't build, err we mean caricaturize the iQ into an Aston, but why bother when the company digs itself a grave by launching a childish wallpaper generator on its official site.

Will Aston fans and owners begin to see the future as Ulrich Bez sees it? With the Aston Martin Cygnet, which recently debuted in Geneva, Bez says the British marque hopes to create "a more sustainable product lineup".

This means lowering Aston's carbon footprint company-wide and fulfilling a niche that supposedly exists. After all, Aston Martin is a business, and businesses are about making money in the long term.

According to Bez, "We have many customers who live in London, Paris, Rome or Milan, and who would like to drive their Aston Martin more often, but with a V12 sports car, it's just not appropriate. They tell me that they want an Aston Martin that fits better into their urban lives. And it is our job to give them what they want."

Aston Martin is calling its Cygnet a "tailor-made solution" to the city transportation equation, a personal luxury commuter "designed for the heart of the city", the result of a collaboration between "two companies that are leaders in their respective fields".

Really, it's an Aston-skinned Toyota (a name they mention ONCE in the entire 1600+ word press release ... DENIAL AIN'T JUST A RIVER IN AFRICA, PEOPLE!).

That means this AMiQ retains the same basic layout of Toyota's version, allowing for a few different seating arrangements: 2+2, 2+1, or just plain 2. It also has the same 98bhp 4-cylinder engine with either a 6-speed stick or optional CVT.

But enough already. For any major facts such as dimensions, feel free to check out our posts on the Toyota iQ, because we're here to discuss how this Cygnetic parasite differs from its Japanese host.

To begin with, there's no official information about this short film, but unless someone managed to sneak into Aston Martin's headquarters in Gaydon, we have to assume that the British supercar maker and soon-to-become a re-badger of Japanese minis, created the viral video to ignite some online attention on its controversial Cygnet mini.

The Aston Martin-ized Toyota iQ is shown towards the end of the clip and after a minute or so of some guys practicing the French freestyle/urban sport of Parkour that involves negotiating obstacles using just the human body.

As strange as it may sound, this is Aston Martin's new premium mini car, the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet. The British supercar maker had previewed the Cygnet earlier this year with a clay-covered prototype, but these are the first official photos of the production-ready concept model.

The Cygnet looks like the iQ because that's what it is; a retrimmed Toyota. Aston Martin's designers essentially took numerous design cues from their sports cars like the trademark grille and air-vents and applied them on the small Toyota without making any other changes on the car's shape.

We know what you're thinking but you couldn't be more wrong; this is not some funky replica kit but an official concept for an Aston Martin mini car! The Cygnet is based on the Toyota iQ and it is expected to go on sale before the end of next year with an estimated base price somewhere around £20,000 or about $30,000 - €25,000. The initial plan is for the Cygnet to be offered only to current and future Aston Martin owners but a general release could follow at a later date.

"Now is the right time for Aston Martin to take this first bold step to embark on this special project - made possible with the support of an organisation of Toyota's stature and capability and the intelligent design and perfect city car package of the iQ," said Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez.

The British automaker did not disclose any specific details, but from the official teaser shots released by Aston Martin it is evident that the Cygnet will feature a new skin while retaining the basic shape of Toyota's iQ citycar. Expect to see a new interior adorned with Aston Martin-esque details.

"Much work is still required, but I am confident that this project could become reality in the not too distant future," said Bez. "This concept - akin to an exclusive tender to a luxury yacht - will allow us to apply Aston Martin design language, craftsmanship and brand values to a completely new segment of the market."

There's no word on the powertrain options but it is believed that the Cygnet will be us the iQ's 1.33-liter four-cylinder petrol that makes 100HP at 6,000 rpm and peak torque of 125Nm at 4,400rpm. It is possible that Aston Martin's engineers will tweak the iQ's suspension and brake system.

"The offering of a 'Cygnet' with a DBS, DB9 or Vantage is a unique combination of opposites and a novel transport solution allowing intelligent and sensitive mobility on an exclusive and innovative level," Bez noted.

The Toyota iQ donor cars will be built in Japan and then shipped to Aston Martin's Gaydon factory in the UK where they will be transformed into Cygnets.

And you thought GM's badge engineering was ridiculous...