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June 29, 2009 11:12 AM PDT

Car by Toyota, cabin by Aston Martin

by Wayne Cunningham

Aston Martin Cygnet concept

Aston Martin engineers work on the concept Cygnet.

(Credit: Aston Martin)

There's an old joke, part of which says that in hell, the cooks are English. If that's true, then today's news suggests our world is far from fiery. Aston Martin has taken Toyota's iQ small car platform and built a luxury commuter car.

Aston Martin suggests the iQ-based concept Cygnet would work like a yacht's tender to a DB9, DBS, or Vantage. There is even a suggestion in Aston Martin's press release that the Cygnet could be sold as an option to one of Aston Martin's bigger cars.

We like the idea that a luxury car doesn't have to be a huge gas guzzler. Lexus is already exploiting that theme with its new HS 250h. And we can imagine that a fuel-sipping iQ would be quite nice fitted with wood and leather coachwork, a pothole-absorbing suspension, and sound-deadening cabin. Especially as dense traffic in urban areas means you're not exactly tapping the 470 horsepower available in a DB9.

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) (9 Comments)
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by NervClaX June 29, 2009 11:51 AM PDT
For all of you taking the SAT...

Laptop is to Netbook
as
Aston Martin Vanquish is to Toyota iQ
Reply to this comment
by TechnoMan475392 June 29, 2009 11:55 AM PDT
+1
by antuan.goodwin June 29, 2009 3:24 PM PDT
Nice!
by WingWingDabbit June 29, 2009 8:55 PM PDT
I think a more accurate analogy would be...

laptop is to netbook
as
Aston Martin Vanquish is to Aston Martin Vantage
by jchanski21 June 30, 2009 7:37 AM PDT
That's the EXACT thing that went through my mind.
by Cooper33 June 30, 2009 11:57 AM PDT
For all you old people...

Analogies are no longer a part of the SAT.

But I did like the analogy.
by ITcomposer June 29, 2009 4:20 PM PDT
Buy an aston martin DBS get an aston Martin IQ for $1500, sweet.
Reply to this comment
by Lemon5 June 30, 2009 12:58 PM PDT
What an odd idea. Sounds cool though. It is cool to see new ideas getting thrown around in today's economy. Not everyone has given up and begs for money from the government.
Reply to this comment
by Shaun822 June 30, 2009 12:58 PM PDT
Interesting, I think, maybe, sort of
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