Aston Martin Launches Cygnet with Two Special Editions, Priced from $49,600 / €36,700

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.

The White edition is finished in Snow White paint with a mix of silver mesh, chrome brightwork and White Diamond turned alloy wheels. Inside, it features seats hand trimmed in Pearl white leather with perforated Alcantara inserts, complemented by satin chrome.

The opposite Black edition of the Cygnet comes with a Magic Black metallic paint with a specially developed deep sea green effect, offset by matt black louvers and chrome brightwork. The seats and dash are clad in pure black full grain leather, perforated in a specially-developed diamond pattern, while dark chrome accents adorn the cabin.

Both launch edition come with a bespoke and tailored made Bill Amberg five-piece luggage set in a combination of black leather with technical fabric, comprised of a glove box bag, removable door pocket bag, holdall, garment bag and a collapsible tote bag.

The new Cygnet goes on sale now through Aston Martin’s European dealership network, with the company stating that it is "actively working on expanding market availability by 2012".

Prices for Aston Martin's new entry-level model start from £30,995 (equal to US$49,600 and €36,700 at current exchange rates), or some £19,000 ($30,800 / €22,500) more than Toyota's iQ 1.33.

Launch Edition Black includes:

• Magic Black paint finish
• Twin Matt Satin Stripes
• 16" 16 – spoke diamond turned alloy wheels with black finish
• Chromed exterior mirror caps
• Pure Black leather
• Diamond shaped perforated leather inserts
• Dark chrome finishes
• Black Wings

Launch Edition White includes:

• Snow White paint finish
• Twin Matt Satin Stripes
• 16" 16 – spoke diamond turned alloy wheels with white finish
• Chromed exterior mirror caps
• Pearl White leather
• Rectangular shaped perforated Alcantara inserts with silver backing
• Satin Chrome finishes
• White Wings

Both Launch Edition Black and Launch Edition White include:

• Bespoke 5 piece luggage set, designed exclusively for Cygnet by Bill Amberg. The set comprises: a uniquely designed glove box bag, a removable door pocket bag, a holdall, a garment bag and a collapsible tote bag–each piece carefully hand crafted in black leather with technical fabric highlights
• Bespoke Launch Edition sill plaques
• Badging of a Cygnet head to identify the special nature of these cars
• Garage Door Opener
• First Aid Kit

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Aston Martin Launches Cygnet with Two Special Editions, Priced from $49,600 / €36,700

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.

The White edition is finished in Snow White paint with a mix of silver mesh, chrome brightwork and White Diamond turned alloy wheels. Inside, it features seats hand trimmed in Pearl white leather with perforated Alcantara inserts, complemented by satin chrome.

The opposite Black edition of the Cygnet comes with a Magic Black metallic paint with a specially developed deep sea green effect, offset by matt black louvers and chrome brightwork. The seats and dash are clad in pure black full grain leather, perforated in a specially-developed diamond pattern, while dark chrome accents adorn the cabin.

Both launch edition come with a bespoke and tailored made Bill Amberg five-piece luggage set in a combination of black leather with technical fabric, comprised of a glove box bag, removable door pocket bag, holdall, garment bag and a collapsible tote bag.

The new Cygnet goes on sale now through Aston Martin’s European dealership network, with the company stating that it is "actively working on expanding market availability by 2012".

Prices for Aston Martin's new entry-level model start from £30,995 (equal to US$49,600 and €36,700 at current exchange rates), or some £19,000 ($30,800 / €22,500) more than Toyota's iQ 1.33.

Launch Edition Black includes:

• Magic Black paint finish
• Twin Matt Satin Stripes
• 16" 16 – spoke diamond turned alloy wheels with black finish
• Chromed exterior mirror caps
• Pure Black leather
• Diamond shaped perforated leather inserts
• Dark chrome finishes
• Black Wings

Launch Edition White includes:

• Snow White paint finish
• Twin Matt Satin Stripes
• 16" 16 – spoke diamond turned alloy wheels with white finish
• Chromed exterior mirror caps
• Pearl White leather
• Rectangular shaped perforated Alcantara inserts with silver backing
• Satin Chrome finishes
• White Wings

Both Launch Edition Black and Launch Edition White include:

• Bespoke 5 piece luggage set, designed exclusively for Cygnet by Bill Amberg. The set comprises: a uniquely designed glove box bag, a removable door pocket bag, a holdall, a garment bag and a collapsible tote bag–each piece carefully hand crafted in black leather with technical fabric highlights
• Bespoke Launch Edition sill plaques
• Badging of a Cygnet head to identify the special nature of these cars
• Garage Door Opener
• First Aid Kit

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

2010 TOYOTA IQ HATCHBACK 1.0 VVT-i 3dr Multidrive pictures

Shoehorned in beneath that tiny beanie is a 67bhp, 3cyl, 996cc petrol engine. With the optional, bifold approach CVT ‘Mutidrive’ auto chiral (a 5sp chiral is standard) this equates to 0-62mph in 15.5secs with a 93mph top speed. A acceptable advance of torque (up to 67lb/ft) agency dispatch in boondocks is adequate, but nifty, power-reliant manoeuvres on the accessible alley aren’t the iQ’s forté. Once up to dispatch though, it motors forth agilely and calmly enough, maintains 70mph or added with ease, and alike aback on abounding burke at aerial revs the iQ charcoal aesthetic and unflustered. At beneath that 3 metres from its button adenoids to its non-existent boot, the Toyota iQ is a actual abbreviate car. You apperceive that, intellectually, aback you ascend aboard, but you still attempt to get your arch about the abounding admeasurement of its abridgement of length.

A case in point: parking our iQ at the roadside, nosing in appear the car in front, we chock-full at what acquainted like a alive distance. Again we got out and saw that we’d larboard a alveolate gap about ample abundant to aperture addition iQ in. So we jumped aback in. From the driver’s seat, the gap still looked and acquainted about appropriate – you can’t see any of the car’s wee little bonnet, of course. So we nosed a bit added advanced – appear what acquainted like approaching acquaintance amid our toes and the car in front. Satisfied, handbrake on, agent off, we jumped out. And there was still abundant of a gap for an amative brace to airing through, arm in arm.

So owning an iQ requires a recalibration of the senses. And, cerebration in the added direction, it’s additionally apparently not a acceptable abstraction to absorb time in an iQ and again to bound beeline into article with a continued and big-ticket prow. We doubtable Aston Martin’s angle of a dollied-up iQ as a boondocks runabout for owners of its continued and low machines is not such a acceptable idea.

Perhaps our disability to anticipate abundantly baby is affidavit that Toyota has succeeded in its ambition of architecture a baby car that feels big. There’s absolutely affluence of amplitude on action – the iQ is calmly added than best burghal cars, and elbows are absurd to feel hemmed in.

What’s absent, sadly, is a absolute developed car feel. There are too abounding of the little things missing that you’ll acquisition in every big car these days.

It sounds trivial, but the vanity mirror in the sun-visor is not illuminated, for example. The seatbelts aren’t height-adjustable. The council caster feels admirable but doesn’t acclimatize for reach. And there’s no centre armrest option, admitting a apparent gap amid the seats area one would appropriately fit.