Brand Dilusion: Aston Martin - Toyota iQ supermini...

I like it....

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529534,00.html?test=faces

It is quite real too........maybe I'll trade in my SMART car.

 

James Bond will be proud.

 

I am an Aston Martin lover and owner so I hope I can feel free to quote Comicbook guy from the Simpsons: Worst idea....ever!

 

as a person who fears change, i must say i like it!

 

The brand need to survive. It cannot continue to build $ 100k vehicles in small quantity nd expec to pay bck the shreholders. Pockets are only sooo deep.
Nothing wrong in line extension as long as the do not repeat the Jaguar X-Type fisaco. I think it will do all alright as Toyota is a good alliance.

 

Somehow I think the Aston Martin Owners Club is going to have a Fit...
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I too am a Aston Martin Owner...The Cygnet will ONLY be available to those people who buy a new AM and order the City car at the same time...inevitably there will be a few that find their way ti the 2nd hand market, but prices will be highly unattractive, at PoS it will cost in excess of £20k GBP when the list price of an iQ is less than £8k GBP.

Ferrari manages to build their supercars only because Fiat provides the balance (both financially and to meet fuel economy and emissions averages across the whole range). Part of the Cygnet's raison d'etre will be to raise Aston's CAFE and Emissions averages.

The more I look at it the more I see some SMART querkiness and MINI attitude. "I'm expensive, little and cool" This car is the red socks on an other-wise Saville Row suited gent. In fact, this car has more of the original Mini Cooper's Union-Jack'd roof attitude going for it than BMW's current interpretation.

Rolls has BMW; Ferrari has Fiat; Bugatti, Bentley have VW; Lambo have Audi. All provide balance both financially and regulation-wise. For Aston to thrive, they have to have a similar balance. Maybe this is why Koennigsegg bought Saab? (to provide some economy of scale while at the same time allowing them to meet ever-stricter fuel economy and emissions standards).

If I read the press relaese correctly, they won't be building a million of them. In fact, it'll be a very exclusive little car.

Cars like the Cygnet have to exist so that the cars we adore can live. It's really that simple, IMHO. And I don't think it's a bad thing. Dealers have already taken calls from some Aston clients - not expressing outrage, but rather wondering how quickly can they get one!

Argento

 

It is my understanding that the Cygnet will INITIALLY be sold only to existing Aston Martin owners and those with cars on order. However, after an introductory period it will then go on general sale. That does not really matter though. An entry level Toyota dressed up as an Aston Martin will never be exclusive Aston Martin just as a Honda Civic kit car dressed up as a Ferrari will never be a Ferrari.

In any case, this reaks of desperation. Ferrari has Fiat and yet Ferrari has the good sense not to slap a few prancing horses on a Fiat and introduce it for sale in its Ferrari dealerships. Aston Martin must be very close to going out of business to even think of floating this stinker out into the public domain.

Ulrich Bez once said that Porsche stopped being a sports car manufacturer when they began building light trucks. John Sinders, one of Aston Martin's new owners recently said that "an essential part of Aston is its English character. Just as I cannot imagine a Ferrari not being Italian or a Peugeot not being French, I cannot imagine an Aston not being English. The essential nature of an Aston-how it's stitched together, how it's hand assembled, how it's designed, how it feels and smells-is English and will remain English." In the same interview Ulrich Bez said "what you can never do is farm out brand development and marketing. You must always control the brand, its content, and its mission. That's the secret of success, and that's the intellectual property we have to define and execute with total dedication."

Of course Bez now has to defend the Cygnet with the company and his job apparently on the line but I am sure that deep down everyone associated with this monstrosity has to be embarrased that it has come down to this. I posted in another forum that there is something to be said for death with dignity and I stand by that.

 

Argento,

I was thinking that your post sounded very familiar and then I remembered this post by "David Brown's Ghost" who I believe is a salesperson in California which was posted 1pm yesterday on the AMOC.org forum thread on this topic (page 20):

"Ferrari manages to build their supercars only because Fiat provides the balance (both financially and to meet fuel economy and emissions averages across the whole range). Part of the Cygnet's raison d'etre will be to raise Aston's CAFE and Emissions averages.

It's also cool. Sorry if you disagree. But the more I look at it the more I see some SMART snarkiness and MINI attitude. "I'm expensive, little and cool as all H**l." This car is the yellow socks on an other-wise Saville Row attired gent. In fact, this car has more of the original Mini Cooper's Union-Jack'd roof attitude going on than BMW's current interpretation.

Rolls has BMW; Bentley has VW; Ferrari has Fiat; Bugatti and Lambo have VW. All provide balance both financially and regulation-wise. For Aston to thrive, they have to have a similar balance. Heck - I'm starting to think this is why Koennigsegg bought Saab (to provide some economy of scale while at the same time allowing them to meet ever-stricter fuel economy and emissions standards).

If I read all this correctly (the press/releases, etc., not referring to this thread), they won't be building a gazillion of them. In fact, it'll be a very exclusive little car.

I started out thinking this car represented the Beginning of the End (I hated it and what I thought it represented for the brand). In just 24 short hours, however, I'm starting to think this is the End of the [new] Beginning for AM.

Cars like the Cygnet have to exist so that the cars we adore can live. It's really that simple, I think. And I don't think it's a bad thing, either. I've already taken a few calls from some of my Aston clients - not expressing outrage, but rather wondering how quick they can get one!"

Are you and David Brown's Ghost one and the same or has some borrowing / plagarizing been going on?

 

I brought the astounding similarity of Argento's post on this forum posted today to "David Brown's Ghost's" post which I read early yesterday on the AMOC.org forum to "David Brown's Ghost's" attention.

Here is "David Brown's Ghost's" reply:

"Someone took it. I'm not on very many forums, but I'm DBG in all of them. And I'm kinda bugged by it. They edited it slightly too."

I'll just say that if someone is going to borrow the thoughts and words of other people wholesale, they should have the courtesy of acknowledging the source.

 

I drool over the Fit, such a sexy hatch! Not joking, my neighbor has one, and I love it.

 

Not so sure about it. It looks pretty mean though.

What does Cygnet mean?

 

Baby swan

 

sad

 

Frisco,

"Mea Culpa" - I should have added a credit to the post I agreed with so much DBG said I wanted get the point across here too - I have apologized to DBG seperately...

I am sorry if I upset anyone else here too - Was not my intention !

Argento

 

I assume this is a joke? Still waiting for the punch line though...

 

I stand corrected:

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=20581

Another awful idea, in my opinion.

 

It was already being discussed here--> http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=249408

I disagree.

There's a big difference between the Aston and the Abarth. The Aston is actually branded as an Aston...the Abarth is merely a Ferrari "edition" car which doesn't pretend to be a Ferrari.

 

Seems like hairs are being split pretty thin at this point. In any case, I would not be caught dead in either car.

 

No...I think that the difference between the two is very (VERY) big.

 

Is this for real?!

 

Yes.

Unfortunately.