Aston Martin Resurrects Cygnet Concept With A V8 Engine

One of the most exciting, extreme and pocket-sized creations ever to wear the famous Aston Martin wings made its world debut at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Dubbed the 'The Ultimate City Car', a one-off Aston Martin Cygnet has been built with a 4.7-litre, 430bhp V8 engine from the Vantage S and a very short torque tube. The Aston Martin V8 Cygnet has been brought to life for a single customer through the 'Q by Aston Martin - Commission' service.

(The Aston Martin V8 Cygnet has been brought to life for a single customer through the 'Q by Aston Martin - Commission' service)

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Aston Martin Vice President and Special Operations Officer, David King said: "The V8 Cygnet shows the fun side of both Aston Martin and its customers. 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. I am sure that it will amaze and thrill people when they see and hear it on the hill at the Festival of Speed."

(On the inside, the Aston Martin Cygnet gets a fully FIA compliant fire extinguisher system)

The Aston Martin Cygnet concept is developed in-house by Aston Martin's engineers; built on a right-hand drive Cygnet steel body shell and panels. A roll cage was welded to this that became an integral part of the chassis in the process, while a new front bulkhead and transmission tunnel were fabricated from sheet metal to accommodate the 4.7-litre naturally aspirated V8 Vantage S powertrain. The sub-frames and suspension were also carried forward from the previous generation Vantage and steel fuel tank housing has been mounted in the boot area.

(In order to accommodate the significantly wider front and rear tracks, the carbon composite flared extensions were made)

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The face of the little Aston Martin remains largely untouched, with no extra bulges in the bonnet and just a subtle black mesh for the famous grille. However, there is no disguising the extra width of the wheel arches. In order to accommodate the significantly wider front and rear tracks, the carbon composite flared extensions were made. These also house the new forged, five-spoke, diamond-turned wheels, which have grown from 16-inch to 19-inch. At the back, the Aston Martin V8 Cygnet gets central twin exhaust pipes, which is a bespoke system with twin underfloor mufflers and catalytic converters.

(At the back, the Aston Martin V8 Cygnet gets central twin exhaust pipes, which is a bespoke system with twin underfloor mufflers and catalytic converters)

On the inside, the Aston Martin Cygnet gets a fully FIA compliant fire extinguisher system while the seating is taken care of by composite, fixed back Recaro bucket seats with four-point harnesses. The alcantara covered steering wheel is removable and behind this sits a bespoke carbon dash with the familiar Vantage instrument cluster. There are, of course, little touches of luxury inside as well, with leather pull straps on the unique carbon door cards and two USB ports alongside the bespoke controls for the air conditioning.

(The engine itself is the 4.7-litre, naturally-aspirated V8 engine)

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The engine itself is the 4.7-litre, naturally-aspirated V8 that is more usually found beneath the bonnet of the previous-generation Vantage S. The power and torque figures remain the same at 430bhp and 490NM respectively, while the engine comes coupled to a seven-speed Sportshift II transmission sourced from the V8 Vantage S. Power is transferred via a miniature torque tube to the 9.5-inch rear wheels, which are complemented by 275/35 Bridgestone tyres.