#cygnet

It’s no secret; Toyota is buddy-buddy with British luxury automaker Aston Martin. The two firms have collaborated before, perhaps most famously the iQ-based Cygnet city car, and the latest gossip indicates is the “capital T” is interested in buying Aston.

Is it April Fools’ Day or late October? Allegedly the folks at Aston Martin have figured out how to cram a V12 into a Cygnet city car.

Undoubtedly, the big news coming from Aston Martin this year will be the release of its new Vanquish model this fall. The British automaker plans to add some of its Vanquish technology to other models, but no real big changes will come from its lineup for the 2013 model year.

Ahead of the official Geneva Auto Show unveil tomorrow, we managed to catch an example of Aston Martin‘s new “Q” bespoke service between polishings.

Aston Martin is furthering its exclusive image by offering a new service called “Q by Aston Martin.”

Lotus and its parent company, Proton, will be releasing their City Car to rival the new Aston Martin Cygnet and will be a production version of the Ethos concept originally seen at the Paris Auto Show. The vehicle will first be offered as a Proton, with the Lotus version coming at a later date with a higher price tag.

A pair of Aston Martin Cygnet subcompacts will be testing their worth at this weekend’s Bridgestone Eco-Rally. The two Cygnets will be making the drive through the extended route of the Eco-Rally, going from Exeter College, Oxford to The Mall, London taking advantage of a 56.5-mpg rating along the way.

This Toyota iQ based super-mini is the most controversial product ever offered by Aston Martin, and many believe the project will only harm Aston’s credibility than improve its greenhouse footprint.

In their ongoing quest to assuage the guilt of the fabulously wealthy, Aston Martin will be electrifying their ugly-duckling née-Toyota Cygnet—in case wealthy city-living socialites still think Cameron Diaz has a thing for environmentally caring men.

Aston Martin has just released details of an upcoming concept car the luxury British automaker is working on… and it’s not at all what you might expect. Rather than a high-powered exotic, this new machine, called the Cygnet, is a tiny commuter car.

The Cygnet is based on the Toyota iQ and while it sounds like an April Fool’s joke, the reality is that this mini-car has a lot of potential. For starters, Aston Martin is working on giving the Cygnet a unique Aston Martin look and a serious luxury interior. No doubt owners, particularly in large European urban centers, could use a vehicle like this and then take their $300,000 DBS out to the country on the weekend.

There is, however, an additional (and very strong)  reason the Cygnet may become a reality, and that is the increasingly restrictive fuel-economy regulations in both Europe and the United States. If Aston Martin builds a car like this with what will no doubt be a tiny fuel-efficient engine, it will offset the gas-sucking V8s and V12s that are used in the rest of the company’s lineup.

Currently the Toyota iQ is offered overseas with three engines, the most potent of which makes 99hp from a 1.33-liter gasoline engine.

“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 organization of Toyota’s stature and capability and the intelligent design and perfect city car package of the iQ,” said Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez. “Much work is still required, but I am confident that this project could become reality in the not too distant future. 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.”

Dr. Bez even alluded to selling the Cygnet like an add-on package to compliment one of the company’s pricier models. “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,” he said.

According to Automotive News, the Cygnet could be made available to current and prospective Aston Martin owners as early as next year with mass-market sales following the year after. The price of the Cygnet is expected to be around 23,000 Euros – or roughly $32,000.

[Source: Automotive News]

Official release after the jump: