Thursday, February 24, 2011

Aston Martin Rapide Concept

Aston Martin confirmed that the Cygnet luxury city car – originally shown as a concept car in March – is to go into production in 2011 at the company’s Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire. It is derived from the Toyota IQ and its purpose is to allow Aston Martin to comply with the strict emissions rule by the European Union in place in 2012.It is time to think differently. Aston Martin is honest and we don’t make compromises” says Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez.

“Whatever we do, we do right. If we do performance, we do performance; we don’t downsize or compromise our sports cars. The Cygnet needs to satisfy the demands of emissions and space. It is a car without compromise, just like every other Aston Martin.

“Our customers need a small car for urban and city use, and they want the right tools for the right job, to downsize creatively without compromising intelligence, artistry and personality.”

Cygnet expresses a simple but fundamental idea: in the modern city, scale equates to speed and freedom. Just 118 inches long, the Cygnet gives the driver a new dimension of freedom, able to slot into gaps in traffic, exploit the smallest parking spaces, consume the least fuel and emit the lowest emissions, all while delivering exceptional levels of quality and comfort.



Cygnet is a product of Aston Martin’s experience in craft, technology and design. The future city will present a very different luxury brand landscape, as social change and legislation increases the division between urban and anti-urban product categories. With the Cygnet, Aston Martin will be at the forefront of these changes, ensuring the company’s enduring brand image will continue to prosper in new market conditions.

Aston Martin hot car
Aston Martin back side view
Aston Martin wall paper
“Cygnet is small but luxurious, an Aston Martin tailor fit for the city,” says Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s Director of Design. With an almost unlimited palette of materials, colors and textures, each hand-finished Cygnet will be truly unique, a personalized space within the city. “Luxury is not constrained by scale.”