VIDEO: Aston Martin goes Viral with Cygnet Mini

To begin with, there's no official information about this short film, but unless someone managed to sneak into Aston Martin's headquarters in Gaydon, we have to assume that the British supercar maker and soon-to-become a re-badger of Japanese minis, created the viral video to ignite some online attention on its controversial Cygnet mini.

The Aston Martin-ized Toyota iQ is shown towards the end of the clip and after a minute or so of some guys practicing the French freestyle/urban sport of Parkour that involves negotiating obstacles using just the human body.

To gear heads like ourselves, this film makes as much sense as Aston Martin's decision to go ahead with the Cygnet project... Video after the break.

Via: Autoblog.com

Aston Martin One-77 Supercar Records 220mph - 355km/h Top Speed During Testing

When it's not 'badging' around with mundane Japanese mini cars like the Toyota iQ, Aston Martin is actually in the business of making exotic supercars like the limited run One-77 which has moved closer to setting a new all-time record for the British marque after breaking the 200mph - 320km/h mark in initial high speed testing at a secret proving ground in southern Europe.

In fact, Aston Martin said that in a series of test runs completed last week, the One-77 exceeded the firm's original expectations by recording a top velocity of 220.007mph (354.86kmh) in "dry but windy conditions", meaning that the Brits are expecting the exclusive supercar to go even faster in better conditions.

The British maker said that it will continue the development of the One-77 in the new year with handling tests.

The two-door, two-seat supercar uses a carbon fibre monocoque chassis with power being provided by a front-mounted, 7.3-liter V12 engine cranking out around 750HP. The V12 sends its power to the rear wheels through a new six-speed robotized gearbox with paddles shifters on the steering wheel.

With a projected weight of around 1,500kg or 3,300 lbs, Aston Martin expects the €1.1+ million One-77 to hit 0-60mph (96km/h) in 3.5 seconds.

As the supercar's name suggests, only 77 individually numbered examples will be built, with first deliveries expected to commence in mid-2010.

Special Edition Aston Martin DBS and V12 Vantage Carbon Black

The maker of the Cygnet mini has momentarily returned to the business of making exotic supercars as Aston Martin revealed today a pair of special edition versions of the DBS and V12 Vantage. Called Carbon Black, both models feature a bespoke -you guessed it- Carbon Black metallic finish that takes 50 man-hours of hand painting and quality checks to complete.

Both special editions ride on gloss black 10 spoke diamond turned alloy wheels while the V12 Vantage also gets a carbon fiber side strake over a black mesh vent, a bright finished grille and front parking sensors which are normally an option.

The interior of the DBS and V12 Vantage Carbon Black specials are adorned in Obsidian Black leather contrasted by hand stitched silver thread.

The sport seats are formed from Carbon Fibre and Kevlar which saves 17 kg or 37 pounds over the standard seats while other features include the Piano black facia trim, centre stack and centre console, anodised black tread plates and unique sill plaques made out of carbon fiber.

The V12 Vantage gets a standard 700w Premium Audio System while its DBS counterpart is equipped with a Bang & Olufsen Beosound DBS audio system.

Under the skin, everything remains the same with both the DBS and V12 Vantage Carbon Black editions being powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine churning out 510-horsepower.

Detailed pricing is to be confirmed in January 2010, but Aston Martin said that buyers should expect a 5 per cent increase over the price of the basic models. Deliveries of both models will commence from March.

Aston Martin Cygnet: First Official Photos of Toyota iQ-Based Mini, Goes on Sale in 2010

As strange as it may sound, this is Aston Martin's new premium mini car, the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet. The British supercar maker had previewed the Cygnet earlier this year with a clay-covered prototype, but these are the first official photos of the production-ready concept model.

The Cygnet looks like the iQ because that's what it is; a retrimmed Toyota. Aston Martin's designers essentially took numerous design cues from their sports cars like the trademark grille and air-vents and applied them on the small Toyota without making any other changes on the car's shape.

Unique styling features on the outside are limited to the pop-up handles, reshaped front and rear bumpers, specific head and tail lamps, and newly designed multispoke alloy wheels.

The same goes for the Cygnet's cabin which has been adorned with premium materials and different trim, but other than that, it retains the iQ's basic architecture and design.

Aston Martin chose not to release any information on the car's hardware, but it is believed that the iQ's 1.33-liter petrol engine will be carried over to the Cygnet.

The firm's plan is to initially sell the Cygnet to current and future Aston Martin owners with a general release to follow at a later date.

Aston Martin said that it will continue to develop the Cygnet, but expects to have the car into production and on sale in the UK and Europe before the end of 2010.

Even though the Cygnet is nothing more than a more premium Toyota with DB9 styling cues, the mini will get an Aston Martin price tag, estimated to be somewhere around £20,000 or about $32,000 - €22,000 at today's exchange rates.

Aston Martin Cygnet

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Toyota iQ

New Photos of Aston Martin Lagonda Crossover Concept, What's Up with the Retro Seat Cushions?

We know that most of you would rather forget about Aston Martin's conceptual nightmare endeavor to revive the Lagonda nameplate with the aptly named Concept at the 2009 Geneva Show Concept, but new images of the luxury crossover have popped up on the automaker's site. Q67JA9WA82WC

Well, to be completely frank, the reason why we chose to share these pictures with you are those laughable cushions seen on the independent rear seats that take us back a few decades. Oddly enough, Aston Martin's home decorators skipped on the fuzzy dice...

The four-seater Lagonda Concept is based on the mechanicals of the Mercedes GL-Class with power coming from a V12 engine - apparently the same one found in the DB9. Aston Martin has not made any new announcements concerning the future of the Concept crossover.

Source: Aston Martin , Via: Egmcartech