The Aston Martin Cygnet city car could be sold with the firm’s V12 engine if there is sufficient customer demand.
Sources suggest that a feasibility study has already been completed, and that the 6.0-litre V12 from its range-topping cars will fit the tiny city car’s engine bay without extensive modifications.
Other upgrades to allow the Toyota IQ-based Cygnet to handle the weight, horsepower and torque of the powertrain are said to be “significant but not insurmountable”. It is likely, however, that the V12 would have to be detuned significantly from the 510bhp it produces in the new DB9 and Vantage models.
The Cygnet is currently sold in one state of tune, powered by Toyota’s 97bhp 1.3-litre petrol unit.
If Aston gives the go-ahead for a production Cygnet V12 it is likely to be sold as a project car much like the Nissan Juke R has been. The Juke R, which fits the Nissan GT-R’s running gear into a Juke supermini body, sells for around £400,000. It was put into limited production, mainly for the Middle East market, following a positive reaction to the concept car’s creation.
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can someone at Autocar please
can someone at Autocar please do something about the amount of spam posts this article gets. 80 comments and I'd guess at least 30 of them are spam.
'Sources suggest'
Those in the know would be able to spot a V12 Cygnet by the discreet power bulge in the bonnet.
And the sight of the engine and transmission where the driver and passenger would normally sit. The engine bay being taken up by the 5.9L engine's radiator and battery.
And the big radio antenna on the roof of the car. Yes, you read it first here, sources suggest that this will be a life size remote controlled car.
Ignorant Journalism
I find it utterly baffling that a motoring journalist unquestioningly accepts 'the 6.0-litre V12 from its range-topping cars will fit the tiny city car’s engine bay without extensive modifications.' as a valid statement. Even if he doesnt remember the fuss that was made about specially developed micro heater and air con at launch of the iQ to enable everything to fit, surely he should have a very basic understanding about physical dimensions of engines (1.0 4cyl tiny, 6.0 V12 huge). I'd be very very surprised if the V12 could fit at all in an iQ whilst still leaving space for the driver.
Either Jim Holder has been victim if a joke by Aston Martin to see if any journalist will unquestioningly reiterate what they have been told regardless of its implausibility, or he has at the very least embelished (badly) on a single sentence someone may have told him to create a story.