ASTON MARTIN CYGNET II

AUTOMOTIVE concept

While I was in Paris recently, designing the *Snoopy in Style* exhibition, I kept spotting one of my favorite unicorns: the Aston Martin Cygnet (2011–2014). It’s a curious, rare creature—born out of necessity. To meet EU fleet emissions regulations, Aston Martin needed a more efficient car in their lineup. Their usual fare—V12s, V8s, pure grand touring indulgence—wasn’t going to cut it.

Enter the Cygnet: a collaboration with Toyota that reimagined the compact iQ city car with Aston Martin styling, upgraded materials, and a more refined drive. In 2011, it retailed for the equivalent of \$51,000—over double the cost of its Toyota counterpart. Fewer than 800 were ever made. Today, they’re cult objects, especially in Europe. One V8-swapped Cygnet (most were 4-cylinder) is slated to fetch nearly \$600,000 at auction. Which got me thinking: what if there were a Cygnet II?

What I’ve designed here imagines just that. A little longer—closer in size to a Mini 2-door—slightly taller and wider to accommodate real-world gear (yes, even a bike). It features a twin-turbo inline-four, bigger tires for poise and punch, and an interior worthy of the Aston name. Outside, the lines echo the elegance and aggression of the stunning new DB12.

This is just a concept—a design exercise, not a prototype—but it’s a love letter to an oddball gem, and a bit of wishful thinking. Because if I had a magic wand, this might just be the everyday Aston we never knew we needed.