A different kind of Aston Martin for a different kind of driver

Quad battle with V12 Astons!

Ah, Aston Martins. Even though it was now owned and run by the Kuwaitis, this legendary British automaker became so famous for their Bond cars and the wondrous V12 supercars that became a family tradition. Cars like the DB9, the DBS, the V12 Vantage, and the Virage, they're all great fun even though the have a rear view mirror of a Ford Fiesta, satellite navigation from Volvo, engine made from Wales, buttons that I can't read in the sunshine, brakes that don't work pretty well and.....clutch easily break down.

DBS wins it all!

Taking a break....

Aston Martins are just all about POWER, BEAUTY, and SOUL. For power, those V12 engines that powered them give life to all of these Aston Martins and without it, they can't live (well almost because there was a V8 Vantage). For beauty, by the looks of it, they're all about elegance and drop dead gorgeous. However, the DBS is a bit of a gaudy looking hardcore but that's fine by me because Daniel Craig once drove it on Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Word from someone that the upcoming Skyfall movie will make a comeback of the original Bond car, the DB5. You'll gonna miss me when you're gone, DBS. As for the soul....

(telephone ringing)

Wait a minute....Hello? Oh, okay....

I got a phone call that there's an Aston Martin waiting somewhere on the track!

I wonder what awaits me?

I wonder what Aston Martin could be?

Big Aston meets Little Aston...

Unfortunately, this is not the Aston Martin I was expected to be. An Aston Martin compact? You have got to be kidding me. Surely it doesn't have the 6.0L V12, the POWER, the BEAUTY, and the SOUL of other Astons. What's underneath was a Toyota iQ for sure...

Interesting wearing a Malaysian plate number...

This is the Aston Martin Cygnet, the first compact city car from Aston Martin. It's based on the Toyota iQ but its made in Aston Martin's Gaydon plant. Yes, it maybe a Toyota iQ but what Aston Martin did is refine it with a bit of Aston Martin credentials inside and out. As for the pricing, the Aston Martin Cygnet is three times more expensive than the Toyota iQ. It will take over thirty thousand pounds to drive this Aston version of the iQ but with that price, it's a bit pointless because it doesn't have the POWER, BEAUTY, and SOUL of the other Aston Martins. What you get under the bonnet was the 1.3L 1NR-FE Dual VVT-i engine that carries 98bhp/6000rpm of power output, 125nm/4400 of torque output, and Euro 5 compliant.

The smallest Aston you can't afford

This car is part of Forza Motorsport 4's Meguiar's Car Pack. Even though the Cygnet is the baby of the Aston lineup and it's a Toyota in Aston Martin's clothing, it can do some sensible stuff. You can play car football on that thing but trust me, bringing a Cygnet to a match feels like some very wealthy high school student and her clique trying to compete against those blue-collar average high school girls. Like the iQ, the Cygnet has a turning radius of 3.9m, providing a quicker getaway against incoming opponents so you'll avoid getting tagged (or remained it in the Keep the It).

This is how you park a Cygnet!

I'm getting used to this Cygnet. This small wonder does the sensible stuff in Forza 4 just like the smart fortwo I had last month. And because of such smallness, it can do a different kind of parking that others find it surprising. Imagine that if you're parked at the shopping center like this. This car is not made for the hardcore enthusiasts but for those who are a bit more shopaholics if you asked me.