New Aston......Joke?

[Andy3536]

Surely this must be a joke?

http://www.astonmartin.com/thecompan...5-942854135911

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...llCars/241124/

So there saying it's based on the Toyota IQ and will be £20,000? That's more than double that for the IQ. Are you really paying £10,300 for an Aston badge on the front??? Even though people will point and laugh at your stupidity for paying twice what the cars worth...........

[SHare]

I seen that, many folk speculate this is merely to bring down the average co2 emission of the manufacturer. Seeming some outrageous EU rule penalises manufacturers if they don't make 'green' cars.

[Rave]

I seen that, many folk speculate this is merely to bring down the average co2 emission of the manufacturer. Seeming some outrageous EU rule penalises manufacturers if they don't make 'green' cars.

Quite possibly.

But I can also totally see the point. Personally I like old bangers rather than top-end luxury cars, but for a few hundred quid you can get anything from a Micra to a Vauxhall Omega or even an old 7-Series/S-Class. Most days my suburban commute is in a Mk1 Diesel Renault Clio- it's frugal, easy to drive, it nips through gaps and is easy to park. I could buy a Mk2 V6 Mondeo Ghia X with leather seats and all the toys for about £500-700, but it just wouldn't be as nice to drive around city streets. It'd probably be better than the 1.8td Mondeo I borrow from my father in law when I have to give the Clio back to my mum, but not much I'd wager.

And so why should rich people feel any different to me? If you're just popping to the shops in Knightsbridge do you want to take your 4.7m long, nigh on 2-ton DB9 or would you rather take a nippy 3m long Cygnet?

I'm fairly sure that they're not going to just slap an Aston nose on a bog-standard iQ and double the price- I reckon you'll get at least a lovely interior and some expensive suspension for your extra 10 grand. As I understand it part of the joy of owning an Aston is that they make you feel special and cosseted every time you sit in one- why not sell a city car with the same ambience?

[kalniel]

And you have to be an existing Aston owner to buy one. Makes sense to me - Astons are never that easy to park in the tight multi-storey

[[GSV]Trig]

And here was me thinking this was a thread about the V12 Vantage.

[Vimeous]

I dislike the iQ, mainly because it's somewhat ugly next to the Aygo.

That aside I reckon Aston is onto a winner here. It's perfect for their customer base and should offer the reliability (and servicing) of a Toyota ontop of the usual Aston values.

After 2 yrs they plan to sell it to joe blogs too (max 5000 a year). Of course it'll be a status symbol and sell for the same reason London was full of Smart FourTwo Brabus's.

Frankly its genius!

[Saracen]

They also have a track record of doing this type of thing .... remember the AM Tickford Capri? Obviously, this is the 21st Century environmentally conscious version of the idea, but it seems like they've taken the same sort of notion, filed of the serial numbers and given it a modern facelift, and are test-flying the notion with a concept car.

Like Rave, I can see the appeal. This will no doubt be covered in sumptuous leather and deeply polished wood trick, have thick pile carpet and probably the planet's best sound system. It's absolutely perfect for someone that wants to show off their green credentials and wave their affluence around at the same time .... especially if you need to be be buying a "proper" Aston at the same time, because then, what you're really doing is driving a small, luxurious advert for the fact that you've got, and can afford, a supercar on the drive too. Wonderful idea for those with more ego and money than brains.

[TheAnimus]

The fact they can sell this for less than some of the options cost means they will probably shift a view because people ticked the wrong box.

Personally i think its a very good idea, one of the nice things about AM is how comfortable they are, I'm 6"4, i've got a large upperboard broad shoulders and the like, so i'm used to been uncomfortable in cars. If AM ensure they don't compramise on the interior, ensuring it is of the highest standard, it should be quite nice for the luxury runabout car neiche. But they need to make sure its a pleasure to be stuck in traffic inside, like the current line of AM.

[handscombmp]

My only problem is that this may not do the brand name any good.

Whilst existing owners are allowed to buy it it will do ok but once anyone will buy it, it may start to become ish common. People will buy it so they can say 'I've got an Aston Martin' and one of the reason people like saying that is becausce they're fairly rare. But if there's tonnes of these about it's not going to sound the same.

Just my view but i personally don't reckon the brand will be as 'cool'

[Mblaster]

My only problem is that this may not do the brand name any good.

Whilst existing owners are allowed to buy it it will do ok but once anyone will buy it, it may start to become ish common. People will buy it so they can say 'I've got an Aston Martin' and one of the reason people like saying that is becausce they're fairly rare. But if there's tonnes of these about it's not going to sound the same.

Just my view but i personally don't reckon the brand will be as 'cool'

Being priced at double that of the normal car it's based on, I don't think they'll be many people buying it for that reason. You've gotta be pretty loaded (or just stupid) to spend the extra £10k for a nicer interior and an Aston Badge.

[Flibb]

Being priced at double that of the normal car it's based on, I don't think they'll be many people buying it for that reason. You've gotta be pretty loaded (or just stupid) to spend the extra £10k for a nicer interior and an Aston Badge.

The £10K orice that keeps getting banded around is for the base model, smallest engine, etc. Move up to the "larger" engine, chuck in satnav, leather and you will soon hit £15K

[TheAnimus]

Just my view but i personally don't reckon the brand will be as 'cool'

Tbh its already lost the cool, they are quite common on the roads now, and as the hamster put it too many on the Kings Road.

[HSK]

Yup, I see a handful of them everyday. Along with 911's.

[schmunk]

Yup, I see a handful of them everyday. Along with 911's.

Ah, but that's just where you (and TheAnimus) live/work. I would imagine that most others will go from week to week without seeing an Aston Martin.

911s are distinctly less rare, as they generally sell at a far lower price point and have been seen as a class-leading car pretty much consistently for the last 30-40 years.

[alpha channel]

After seeing the pic's of it on the web my first reaction to it was yuck (frankly it still is). As for seeing AM's I think I've seen only one since the beginning of the year (I have however seen a fair few Bentley Continentals, the odd Gallardo, open top version and any number of 911's, hell there's a garage near where I live that's selling an '06 plate 911 for just shy of 9K, they're becoming as common as muck).

[schmunk]

hell there's a garage near where I live that's selling an '06 plate 911 for just shy of 9K, they're becoming as common as muck).

This I do not believe, unless it's Cat C or worse, seeing as the cheapest 2006 car on Autotrader is at £32k.