If Mikey's experiences are anything to go by, perhaps it was for cortesy cars that Aston could rely upon?

Mind you, the Triumph Acclaim gave BL a lesson in modern techniques as how to build a reliable car, so maybe there's hope for them yet.

 

PMSL though you have point!

 

I reckon a Sygnet conversion with grilles from Halfords and a badge from ebay would be amusing

 

Funny you should think that - I was musing about sticking Ford Fiesta badges on a Cygnet...

 

There's a company selling parts from the base iQ, which were removed from the car by Aston Martin prior to the iQ being transformed into a Cygnet. I suspect they have surplus Cygnet parts too; Aston targeted 1,500 sales, but there were apparently only 142 sold.

The Cygnet's speedometer and tachometer graphics are much nicer than the iQ's rather dated italicised typographic approach, and the dealer has a new Cygnet cluster for £99. If the speedometer did not feature the Aston Martin logo on it, I might have been tempted with that!

I can't say I have any desire at all to transform the iQ externally into a Ford Fiesta, but the Cygnet's sculpted bonnet and front wings with faux vents are rather attractive, as are the Aston LED tail lights, with body colour inserts.

The existing iQ tail lights are typically Japanese; overdone and a smidgen bling-tastic with all the chrome.

I have been investigating the official Toyota Modellista front and rear bumpers and side skirts... but what a feckin' price! It makes Mugen pricing positively Lidl-esque.

 

Fear not!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BODYKIT-TO...item3f3644b9e0

 

Ok, just over two months of ownership and 1500 miles...

Nowt has fallen off, it always starts, and is actually quite fun to drive. It's returning c. 55- 56 mpg (that's an average from four tankfuls so I could determine the range from a tank; the LCD fuel gauge is rather inaccurate). And it has a surprisingly good stereo.

Amazingly, I have carried three passengers in it on a few occasions, so Toyota's claim of it being the world's smallest production 4-seater were true!

It's the automotive equivalent of a domestic appliance.

I have treated it to an OEM exhaust finisher to 'finish-off' the dreadful looking pea-shooter sticking out from the rear. There's also now a Hawaiian ukulele-playing hula dancer air-freshener on the dash...

 

If it's geared the same as the Aygo .....

1st is good for almost 30
2nd is good for a smidgen around 60
3rd will spin you to 80ish
4th is good for almost 3 figures and 5th ... will get you to about 110 - at which point it's triple valves are trilling their little hearts out - on my private road

I still get 50+ mpg out of it