The shock announcement
On 29th June 2009 Aston Martin released a single image of a full size clay model. It showed a small city car with a distinctive, but large, grill, and a full width front spoiler. In the accompanying release it was disclosed that it was based on the Toyota iQ, and that although it would retain the iQ’s engine and running gear it would feature Aston’s own bespoke interior.
The shock announcement
On 29th June 2009 Aston Martin released a single image of a full size clay model. It showed a small city car with a distinctive, but large, grill, and a full width front spoiler. In the accompanying release it was disclosed that it was based on the Toyota iQ, and that although it would retain the iQ’s engine and running gear it would feature Aston’s own bespoke interior.
The shock announcement
On 29th June 2009 Aston Martin released a single image of a full size clay model. It showed a small city car with a distinctive, but large, grill, and a full width front spoiler. In the accompanying release it was disclosed that it was based on the Toyota iQ, and that although it would retain the iQ’s engine and running gear it would feature Aston’s own bespoke interior.
The shock announcement
On 29th June 2009 Aston Martin released a single image of a full size clay model. It showed a small city car with a distinctive, but large, grill, and a full width front spoiler. In the accompanying release it was disclosed that it was based on the Toyota iQ, and that although it would retain the iQ’s engine and running gear it would feature Aston’s own bespoke interior.
The motoring press loved the V8 Cygnet
Street Weekend 4
The Cygnet "Kimi" was entered into Street Weekend 4, a four day event starting at Santa Pod Raceway, then on to Elvington and Melbourne Raceway, before heading back to Santa Pod. Being 6th car on the line at Santa Pod on Thursday 4th June meant that at least one run was complete using the smaller diameter 205/50 R15 Nankang NS-2R tyres, although too much wheel spin of the line caused issues. The time for the 1/4 mile (19.81 s @ 67.5 mph) was less that at Brighton Speed Trial on 175/60 R16 Bridgestone Ecopia EP150 tyres (18.46 s @ 77.1 mph), but rain stopped further runs and since not everyone got a run everyone got a set time. Then with Merrie navigating and handling social media duties (that are part of Street Weekend) it was back on with 195/65 R15 Hankook Ventus Prime3 street wheels and off to York via The National Motorcycle Museum and The Viking Way Cafe Bar checkpoints. Day 2 (Friday 5th June) started at Elvington Airfield for two 1/8th mile runs (11.67 s @ 58 mph; 11.88 s @ 56 mph) then on to check points at Sutton Bank and Billy Bob's Parlour in Skipton before heading back to York. The route to Sutton Bank involved climbing the 1-in-4 switchbacks on the A170. Day 3 (Saturday 6th June) involved two 1/8th mile runs at Melbourne Raceway (12.28 s; 12.38 s @ 58.2 mph). Both runs were plagued with hitting the revlimiter between 1st and 2nd. It was then the long drive back to Santa Pod via the checkpoint of Matlock Bath in the Derbishire Dales. The last day managed three 1/4 mile runs, while trying lower front tyre pressures that helped the wheel spin on the line, but decreased the final top speed and increased the time (19.21 s @ 71.01 mph; 19.47 s @ 70.69 mph; 19.70 s @ 68.7 mph). The Cygnet finished 154th out of 168 entrants, not bad for the lowest bhp car on the event. Kimi recieved lots of positive attention and an Aston Martin employee was even one of the grid marshals at Santa Pod. The takehome is that the smaller diameter tyres may have better initial speed but over 1/4 mile the larger will work better. Return to Rallying & Competition.
