Aston Martin - the uncoolest car brand on the planet...

pburns

I used to love Astons - Bonds DB5, the big V8 ones from the 70s and 80s. Even the Virage and it's spin-offs. I applauded the success of the DB7. However when I heard they had called their centre console an 'Emotional Control Unit' (ECU), I knew things had gone too far and that Astons were now for noveau riche brand-obsessed knobs.

Here's proof positive:
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/First-Official-Pictures/Aston-Martin-Cygnet-20k-city-car-concept-2009-first-official-pictures/

Basically it's a Toyota Aygo with a nose-and-tail job and Aston branding and a HEFTY premium:o. You're only allowed buy one if you have a real Aston tucked away in the garage. Just to drive home the point: 'YES I'M DRIVING A SMALL CITY CAR BUT I'M REALLY, REALLY LOADED AND MY OTHER CAR'S AN ASTON'

WAGs form an orderly queue here please...

(I had to check the date wasn't April 1st:eek:)

mike65

I was ready to give you a hammering there! However....:( Still hopefully it won't happen and sully the name forever (my other cars an Aston indeed).

JimmyCrackCorn!

TBH. That car is fugly

I thought pro drive owned aston now. Not the animal I expected.

unkel

pburns wrote: »

WAGs form an orderly queue here please...

A £20k Aston badged Toyota is not as pathetic as a €5k handbag though?

Anan1

I've never been a fan of Aston Martin (although I might make an exception for the DB4GT Zagato), but that's just terrible. Still, wouldn't surprise me if the owners love it.

Seth Brundle

pburns wrote: »

Aston Martin - the uncoolest car brand on the planet...

Burn the heathen - kill the infidel!

pburns wrote: »

Here's proof positive:
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/First-Official-Pictures/Aston-Martin-Cygnet-20k-city-car-concept-2009-first-official-pictures/

OMG
Burn the Aston!

PaddyFagan

pburns wrote: »

Here's proof positive:
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/First-Official-Pictures/Aston-Martin-Cygnet-20k-city-car-concept-2009-first-official-pictures/

Burn the lot of them I say. :mad:

However, I suspect this has a lot more to do with EU emissions rules about average CO2 ratings across the model range - even if they never sell one it will push down the average by a big amount!

From 2012, a manufacturer will be required to ensure that the average emissions of all new cars which it manufactures and which are registered in the Community are below the average of the permitted emissions for those cars as given by the curve.

From http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/transport/co2/co2_home.htm

Paddy

peasant

That seals it for me ...I won't be buying an Aston Martin now, ever...! *












*statement may be subject to change if I ever win the lotto

Zonda999

And the average joe soap cant even buy it! Ridiculous!

Cant wait to hear what Top Gear have to say on this next week!

PaddyFagan wrote: »

Burn the lot of them I say. :mad:

However, I suspect this has a lot more to do with EU emissions rules about average CO2 ratings across the model range - even if they never sell one it will push down the average by a big amount!


From http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/transport/co2/co2_home.htm

Paddy

That makes sense alright! I wonder if we'll see Ferrari's, Lambo's, Maserati's and Bugatti's of a similar vein?:)

Lets figure here;

Ferrari equivalent: Fiat 500

smash

Zonda999 wrote: »

That makes sense alright! I wonder if we'll see Ferrari's, Lambo's, Maserati's and Bugatti's of a similar vein?:)

Lambo have already promised 35% Emission Reduction by 2015 so they're developing hybrid powertrains at the moment. They're also looking into biofuels, which VW and Audi have a put a lot of time into already so it shouldn't be a problem for them.

Rowley Birkin QC

Wow, that really is crap. That's pretty much all I will think of the next time I see an AM. Unfathomably cool cars before this.

Zonda999 wrote:

Ferrari equivalent: Fiat 500

Weirdly, I wouldn't mind seeing that. FIAT and Ferrari have a long standing connection and the 500 is already an extremely cool car, someone drop a memo to Montezemolo sharpish.

bazz26

Will we see a Citroen and Peugeot version?

robtri

Sorry to be the odd one out... but Aston is still number one...
one mistake,and dear god it is a really bad one, doesn't wipe out all the other beautiful and amazing cars they have produced...
I allways will be an Aston martin fan

smash

robtri wrote: »

Sorry to be the odd one out... but Aston is still number one...
one mistake,and dear god it is a really bad one, doesn't wipe out all the other beautiful and amazing cars they have produced...
I allways will be an Aston martin fan

That's enough of that... no personal opinions here - it's a sh!te car and a dumb idea

mumblin deaf ro

I had a chat about aston martin yesterday with my 6-year-old nephew who queried why I had the 1-77 in the seriously uncool section of the top gear fridge magnet cool wall. (The reason by the way, is that it's named after its price tag/exclusivity and therefore is a pure status symbol, notwithstanding the fact that it's probably an amazing car.)

Whenever I see an aston martin on the street (more often than you might expect) I think to myself that it's a gorgeous looking car and then I see the guy in it and wonder how come he doesn't look cool, even though he's in a cool car.

Anyway, that little Aston scut looks awful.

smash

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

The reason by the way, is that it's named after its price tag/exclusivity and therefore is a pure status symbol

I lost all respect for them when I noticed that on start up, the dash display in all modern Astons says "Power, Beauty, Soul"

PaddyFagan

Zonda999 wrote: »

Ferrari equivalent: Fiat 500

You mean like this:

Two hundred exclusive Fiat 500 for the Ferrari sales network

Fiat 500 and Ferrari: two universal motoring icons which represent “Made in Italy”, one cute and the other exclusive. This is why the Maranello House has chosen the Fiat model as its “courtesy car” for its customers, who appreciate Italian style and like unique products.

From http://www.zercustoms.com/news/Fiat-500-Ferrari.html

cps_goodbuy

:cool:

cps_goodbuy

:cool:

pburns

cps_goodbuy wrote: »

:cool:

cps_goodbuy wrote: »

:cool:

I agree 1,000,000%!!

steve06 wrote: »

...on start up, the dash display in all modern Astons says "Power, Beauty, Soul"

It's when they started this crap and calling interior furniture 'emotional control units' that the rot set in.

Maserati though - still cool:cool:

Probably because their renaissance wasn't quite so successful or slickly marketed as Astons. Also because the Italians are still in control rather than the Krauts...