High-Style in a Small Form Factor

Aston Martin DB9s and Rolls-Royce Phantoms certainly have the style and luxury factor going for them, but such large vehicles can be a pain driving down those crowded Roman side streets.

Well, Aston and Rolls have come up with the answer - Luxo-Minis.

Aston is launching the Cygnet - a ToyotaIQ with a bespoke Aston-designed luxury interior and a €23.000 price tag (roughly double the base Toyota model).

Not to be outdone, BMW has commissioned Rolls-Royce to transfer the interior materials and workmanship of the current Phantom line into a Mini Cooper (BMW owns both brands) as a design study for possible production - The MINI Cooper Rolls-Royce Edition.

Haha, yeah, saw something about about that in the last Wish mag...

From memory you have to already own an Aston to buy a Cygnet, probably the ultimate "my other car is an Aston Martin" bumper sticker equivalent =P As much as it bugs me to see Aston doing this sort of style tranfer, it is understandable... they've got to meet emissions standards as a company. Shere the likes of Ferrari can palm that sort of thing off to FIAT to deal with, Aston has to come of with some sort of other alternative... the MINI's just weird though.

If I was going to have a luxo-MINI then I'd go for something like this:



More pics here

Clubman Airstream. Coolness.

...most of this I have no opinion on... but...


regardless of property rights... that's not a mini, it's a FWD 3-series with a shortened frame.

LoC978 wrote:...most of this I have no opinion on... but...


regardless of property rights... that's not a mini, it's a FWD 3-series with a shortened frame.

...hence the capitalisation of MINI to distinguish it from a real one ;P

odd thing, the original Mini was built at a Loss !

The sad thing is, both vehicles appeal to me on one level. I want a supermini and I love both Aston Martin's and Rolls-Royce's interiors so combining the two...

But just the idea of paying close to US$40,000 for a Toyota iQ or MINI...

Haha, yeah... there's plenty of other ways to get wheels for US$40k =P

...could have a P1800 for that, or an Alfa 1750GTV.

Still, sometimes a cushy interior appeals, generally when it's wet, or I'm stuck in traffic.