The World’s Only V8 Aston Martin Cygnet Is For Sale
With a 4.7-liter Aston Martin V8, rear-wheel drive, and a wheelbase the size of a running sneaker, the V8 Cygnet would be a hilarious way to turn tires into dust. The post The World’s Only V8 Aston Martin Cygnet Is For Sale appeared first on The Drive.
Remember the Aston Martin Cygnet? What a ridiculous little thing that was. It was essentially just a Toyota IQ supermini hatchback—with the same 1.3-liter, 100-horsepower, three-cylinder engine—just with some cuter styling and pillows on its leather seats. However, in 2018, Aston Martin finally let the ugly duckling evolve into a swan with a V8 Vantage S powertrain inside. It’s called the V8 Cygnet, and it’s one of the most fantastically funny vehicles ever made. And now you can buy it.
Aston Martin only made one of these hilarious death traps. It was designed and built by the brand’s Q by Aston Martin division, which usually makes unique options packs and colors for customer cars. Under the same hood that was originally designed for a transversely mounted three-cylinder engine, Aston shoehorned a 4.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 in longitudinally. Mounted to that 430 horsepower rip-snorting monster is a seven-speed automatic transaxle that powers only the rear wheels. Did I mention it has a 78.7″ wheelbase? That’s more than two feet shorter than the current Volkswagen Golf. It weighs around 1,800 pounds and has 430 horsepower going to its rear wheels.
All of that power is worthless if it can’t be handled. How well this thing actually gets around a track … I’m not sure. But the V8 Cygnet also borrowed the Vantage S’ front and rear suspension, brakes, and ABS system. With Vantage suspension, its wheel track had to be widened considerably and given massive carbon fiber fender flares. With its absurdly short wheelbase and wide track, its stance looks almost perfectly square.
To keep that econobox structure strong enough to handle the rigors of its newfound power and handling capabilities, Aston Martin wisely beefed up its chassis and body and gave it a full roll cage. Very little of the original Toyota IQ remains. And with Vantage V8-power in something the size of a mailbox, that roll cage is a very welcome addition.
Despite looking like a race car inside, with its Recaro seats, four-point harnesses, exposed roll cage, FIA-compliant fire extinguisher, and airbagless racing steering wheel, this is indeed a fully functioning road car. It still has power mirrors, USB ports, and even a cupholder built into its carbon fiber dashboard.
The V8 Cygnet was built for a specific customer, who only put 2,900 miles on it, and it’s been maintained by Aston Martin since it was built. So it’s in about as good of condition as you could possibly want. This little V8 monster is being sold by Aston Martin specialist Nicholas Mee, but it’s hard to say how much it will sell for. Even regular Cygnets are uncommon; the handful we could quickly find for sale are listed for around $50,000 but this one is considerably more special. Whoever buys it, though, will own one of the coolest, most outrageous hot hatchbacks ever built. Oh, in case you were wondering, it sounds like this.
Seen any other excellent small-car big-engine setups? Drop us a line at tips@thedrive.com.
The post The World’s Only V8 Aston Martin Cygnet Is For Sale appeared first on The Drive.
