Aston Martin Secretly Built a Cygnet V8 for an Eccentric Car Collector

Now, this isn't a late April Fools stunt. Instead, we're talking about a one-off that was built for an eccentric customer, who simply wanted to get to the supermarket and back quicker.

Aston Martin's Q department shoehorned the outgoing Vantage S' powertrain into the little thing, which means motivation now comes from a 4.7-liter naturally aspirated V8. And, as you'll notice in the teaser video at the bottom of the page, the voice of the thing is just as impressive as you'd expect.

Of course, the V8 required plenty of supporting mods, so the right-hand-drive chassis received a new front bulkhead, a transmission tunnel, the old Vantage's suspension (hence the wider tracks) and subframes, along with a roll cage.

Oh, and we weren't kidding above - the owner's trips won't be too long, since the machine only has a 30-liter fuel tank, housed in the luggage compartment.

In the upgrade process, the Cygnet has gone from 1,000 kg (2,204 lbs) to 1,375 kg (3,031 lbs), but at least the weight distribution sits at 50:50.

Even so, the thing packs carbon fiber wheel arches, which are here to cover the new 19-inch wheels (up from 16 inches). Oh, and let's not forget the stopping hardware upgrade.

Then again, the maximum output has jumped from 98 a respectable 430 hp. Matter to a a Sportshift II paddle-gifted transmission and sending the power to the rear wheels, the engine delivers uber-cool performance.

As such, the contraption can now complete the 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 4.2 seconds, while its top speed sits at a meaty 274 kph (170 mph).

Now, one mustn't make the mistake of believing this is just a show car. Heck, Aston Martin isn't even asking us to take its word for it. Instead, we'll all get to see the pocket bomb being thrown at the Goodwood Hillclimb this weekend.