Aston Martin V8 Cygnet is Real and Completely Bonkers
Most people call up Aston Martin’s ‘Q’ customizations division so they can get a special exterior color or unique interior feature on their new Aston Martin – but one customer called up the folks over at Q to place a much stranger request. They wanted an Aston Martin V8 Cygnet.
Aston Martin, being the fun-loving company that they are, obliged this customer. What you see here is the finished result – complete with a 430 hp 4.7-liter Aston Martin V8 from a Vantage S.
The build process started by taking the exterior body shell of the Cygnet and welding in a steel roll cage. Aston Martin then manufactured a new front bulkhead and transmission tunnel out of sheet metal before dropping in the naturally aspirated V8 engine and seven-speed single clutch gearbox. The vehicle also features the same subframes and suspension as the previous-generation Vantage and a fuel cell in the trunk (or boot, since this is a British car).
Aston Martin says the V8 Cygnet tips the scales at just over 3,000 lbs. Thanks to the minimal weight, it will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.2s and top out at 170 mph.
SEE ALSO: Build Your Own Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, But Try Not to Drool
The exterior isn’t trying to hide the fact that this is no normal Cygnet. With pronounced carbon fender flares, 19-inch Aston Martin wheels and two large, centrally-mounted exhaust tips – it’s clear this Cygnet has a couple of secrets to hide. The interior is fairly bare bones, feature a racing steering wheel, Recaro bucket seats, a carbon fiber dash and the instrument cluster from a V8 Vantage. Luxurious amenities are limited to some leather pull straps on the doors and air-conditioning.
This V8 Cygnet is like nothing you’ve ever seen from Aston Martin. #FOS pic.twitter.com/laG629dp68
— Goodwood Road&Racing (@GoodwoodRRC) July 12, 2018
“The V8 Cygnet shows the fun side of both Aston Martin and its customers,” said Aston Martin vice president David King. “It is also a fine example of the engineering talent within the company as it’s no small achievement to fit the Vantage’s V8 engine so harmoniously into the Cygnet’s compact body.”
The V8 Cygnet will be making runs up the hillclimb course at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend before being sent off to its owner. It’s hard to turn heads at Goodwood, with just about every exclusive supercar on sale today in attendance, but the V8 Cygnet will have no trouble attracting attention.
Discuss this story on our Aston Martin Forum.
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
More by Sam McEachern
Comments
Join the conversation