- This Scion iQ was transformed to resemble the rare Aston Martin Cygnet.
- The owner invested $10,000 into upgrades, including on chassis tweaks.
- Beneath the hood sits the original 97hp 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine.
High-end carmakers have made some odd decisions over the years, but few are quite as perplexing, or strangely endearing, as the Aston Martin Cygnet. A luxury badge on a city car chassis sounds like a punchline, yet here we are. The Cygnet, essentially a rebadged Toyota/Scion iQ, was Aston Martin’s loophole-friendly answer to fleet average emissions requirements.
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Overall, fewer than 1,000 were produced, and they rarely show up for sale. But if you’ve got Cygnet fever and can’t find the real thing, this customized iQ might be the closest you’ll get.
Read: This V8 Toyota City Car is The Craziest Aston Martin Ever Made
This Scion, now up for auction on Bring a Trailer, may have started life as a humble iQ, but it’s been carefully modified to channel the look of the Aston Martin Cygnet. The transformation took place back in 2014, and we even covered it back then. Originally painted in Toyota’s Blizzard Pearl, the car has since been resprayed in black, giving it a more subdued, upscale appearance.
Not Quite a Cygnet, But Close
The exterior conversion is surprisingly thorough. The most noticeable changes include a Cygnet-style front bumper, grille, and hood, all of which give the iQ a more in your face look. It also wears the Cygnet’s more sculpted side skirts and rear bumper, though it still retains the original iQ taillights instead of the ones used on the actual Cygnet. Rounding out the look are a set of new 16-inch wheels fitted with Aston Martin center caps.
This isn’t just a cosmetic makeover either. The owner has made a few performance upgrades that go beyond what you’d expect on a city car. The front brakes have been swapped for Wilwood calipers paired with drilled and slotted rotors. A TRD rear sway bar and new springs have also been installed. While a tiny hatchback like this might not need that much stopping power, the added hardware certainly doesn’t hurt.
While the exterior is very similar to the Cygnet, the interior is mostly standard iQ. It rocks black leatherette upholstery with red stitching and has been upgraded with a Sony head unit. Found beneath the tiny hood is the original 97hp 1.3-liter four-cylinder that’s been upgraded with an HKS air intake.
The car has been in the hands of the same Texas-based lawyer since new, and he claims to have spent around $10,000 on the conversion and upgrades. For someone chasing the charm of a Cygnet without paying the collector asking price, this might be a surprisingly fun alternative. You can check out the listing on Bring a Trailer here.
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