Car Throttle

Auto manufacturers are increasingly entering smaller and smaller segments as governmental regulations demand an increase in fuel efficiency and reductions in emissions. For luxury performance and exotic manufacturers under a large corporate umbrella, other brands in the portfolio are able to produce smaller models. Aston Martin is a standalone brand owned by a joint venture company headed by David Richards and co-owned by by equity companies, Investment Dar, Adeem Investment and English businessman John Sinders. As such, it doesn't have the ability to do that - for now it has to be introduced under the Aston Martin brand name. The Cygnet is a lightly-modified Toyota iQ with Aston Martin cues. This enabled the car to be introduced cheaply and quickly. Since news of

Aston Martin recently gave the green light to the much-derided Cygnet minicar. The car was developed in cooperation with Toyota, as it is heavily based on the iQ. Interestingly, Aston keeps saying four people will fit in there. Good luck to the two lucky (not) passengers in back. This new video aims to explain the car. It shows the unique build process the car goes through and how that helps make it a "real" Aston Martin. We'll let you be the judge of that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgTMxEujwU0&feature=player_embedded#! Lexus Driving Simulator Commercial Lexus isn't exactly best known for its "wow" factor. More like refined and sedate - with a few exceptions of course. There is the new LF-A, and on a more down to earth level, the IS and accompanying F performance models. However, Lexus

Over the course of time, luxury manufacturers have been on a relentless drive to make their vehicles more accessible. Models at manufacturers like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have proliferated up and down the spectrum. Today's global luxury market is in the millions of units. Many have often equated size with luxury - as in, the bigger the better. What is different than size though is compromising brand values - and many have decided Aston Martin has done so with the Cygnet minicar. Regardless, it is a go for production. It is unclear what the exact motivation is behind the car - most likely governmental fuel economy regulations. Selling a few hundred of these a year with high MPG numbers should help things out significantly. There is also likely

Scion had two introductions at the New York International Auto Show - the updated tC and the all-new iQ minicar. There was rumors about the iQ coming to the United States as a Scion to help reinvigorate the brand's youthful images. In other markets, it is known as a Toyota - or, an Aston Martin. We've been hearing a whole lot about the iQ lately, but in its Aston Martin form. And no that isn't an April fools joke - we promise. Although a few years ago it definitely would have qualified as one. Lets take a look at the iQ. In transitioning to our market, the iQ doesn't get a whole lot of changes - and that isn't a bad thing. The minicar is only 120.1-inches

Is it April Fools yet? If this weren't true, it would definitely qualify as one. Ever since its introduction last year, Aston Martin has been pushing the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet minicar heavily - for unexplainable reasons. Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez has described the car as being like an "exclusive tender to a luxury yacht." Except, it isn't being marketed that way at all. Early this year, the company launched a puzzling "viral" video that showed two "free runners" running past real Aston Martins to reach a Cygnet. Now, as the main feature on its website it has introduced a bizarre configurator that generates wallpaper. Of all the cars Aston Martin has; (this is the same brand that produces the beautiful Rapide) they're pushing a modified Toyota minicar

The latest trend in online automotive advertising is to create "viral" videos, that aren't really viral at all. Still, they make for some entertaining watches sometimes. Aston Martin's newest is for the Cygnet, showing two "free runners" dodging various obstacles to reach a Cygnet. For a few different reasons, we're not sure the point of the video - the Cygnet isn't even going to be available to the public, so what is the point of drumming up interest? This somehow doesn't seem aimed at the traditional Aston Martin audience. Also, if you want to appeal to non-Aston Martin buyers, I think normal Astons will do just fine. It also seems to project the message of running past real Aston Martins to reach a - Cygnet? Hmm, doesn't seem

Earlier this month, Aston Martin released official details on the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet minicar. The car has been met with howls of dissaproval from Aston Martin purists, and has left many scratching their heads. Regardless, Aston Martin is announcing some measures that should quell some of the worries that people had about the car. First of all, there is one very big barrier for entry: you must already be an Aston Martin owner. That means buyers of the Cygnet will be an exclusive club. That is an important thing, being the Cygnet's relatively small $35,000 asking price could ensure that a new vehicle with the Aston Martin name on it isn't far out of reach for quite a few people. Offering the car to just anyone would destroy the

Really Aston Martin? You're really going to go through with this? Remember when the guys that owned the rights to the James Bond films thought that Pierce Brosnan was a good idea? What we have here, the coming in 2010 Aston Martin Cygnet is the automotive equivalent of that. Look, I understand. The world is changing, and you have to keep up. V12 Astons are wonderful cars, but you have to do something green, or at least have some show that you care about the environment, right? But this? This is just a Toyota iQ with a nice interior and some AM styling touches. Is this really what you want to do with your brand? And who's going to buy the Aston Martin Cygnet? Are there really

When word of the Aston Martin Cygnet broke last week, not much information was available about the minicar (supermini?). Now, days later there isn't a whole lot more to pore over. One more actual image of the car has came out, and AutoExpress has had some renderings done that give us a better idea of what to expect stylistically. There also have been some comments made by Aston Martin's CEO Dr Ulrich Bez. For one thing, we now know that the car's underlying Toyota mechanicals will not change. 1.0-litre Aston Martin-badged minicar - did you ever think you'd see that day? Here are the comments made by the CEO: “Until now, small cars offered a message that people are buying something cheap,” he said. “The Cygnet will show

Every time that you think you've seen it all, something comes along that outdoes it. Aston Martin has made an announcement about a new minicar. That's right, a Aston minicar. In collaboration with Toyota via it's iQ small car, no less. What's next, a Rolls-Royce MINI? Err wait - they're going to do that. While some would immediately be against the idea, I actually think it could be good one if done right.   First of all, the picture looks good, the Aston Martin design cues work well on the car. However, it has to be well differentiated both inside and out (and furthermore, they look like the iQ's headlights to me). Word has it Aston will just be redoing the leather and trimming in the car's interior without a complete redesign. To