To the surprise of the whole car world, Aston Martin revealed a new version of its long-deceased Cygnet at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Billed as “The Ultimate City Car,” the new Aston Martin Cygnet V8 is actually a one-off piece for a customer who commissioned it through the ‘Q by Aston Martin – Commission’ service. With an engine taken from the Vantage S, 19-inch wheels, and a dramatically reimagined drivetrain, the new Cygnet V8 is the most unusual piece of machinery Aston has revealed in a while. This is a 123-inch long car, with a 4.7-liter, V-8 that develops 430 horsepower. It sounds like a joke, but it is not.

How Did Aston Martin Fit that V-8 in the Tiny Cygnet?

The Cygnet V8 obviously shows what the Q by Aston Martin is actually capable of. Making a car as radical as this definitely isn’t a walk in the park. According to the press release, Aston started off with a standard, right-hand-drive Aston Martin Cygnet. Stripping it was the easiest part of the job, but making it capable of housing the 4.7-liter V-8 engine was, I guess, a nightmare. The massive engine had to fit somewhere and the engineers crafted all-new subframes and created a massive central tunnel for the transmission. Yes, all of these things increased the weight, but that isn’t even the point of the Cygnet V8. The V-8 is fitted inside and transfers all the power to the rear wheels via a small torque tube. The transmission was a special kind of hard as the customer actually wanted a sequential in it. So, the Cygnet V8 got a seven-speed sequential gearbox.

The Cygnet V8 is Seriously Faster than the Aston Martin Vantage S

With 430 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque on tap, the small 3,031 lbs car manages to catch 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and surges all the way to 172 mph. Heck, it is faster than the Vantage S. The Vantage S is an important piece of this story. After all, that was the donor car. The Cygnet V8 uses its engine, its suspension, and some of its brake components. With 380mm discs at the front and 330mm discs in the rear, it is obvious just how scary this car really is. To accept such brakes, Aston Martin had to install massive, 19-inch wheels which led to yet another problem. They were sticking out way too much which resulted in the need to create unique carbon composite extensions. These are a real treat, and they show that this isn’t just an iQ or just a Cygnet, but a mad, mad machine.

While the exterior of the car looks similar to what we expect of the Cygnet (save for massive wheels and arches,) the interior is a different story. Obviously, this car screams racing. Apart from the FIA approved roll cage, there is Alcantara everywhere, composite Recaro bucket seats, a bespoke carbon dash with Vantage S instruments, a number of other unique details that only those who get to drive will appreciate.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2011 Aston Martin Cygnet.

Read more Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Read more Aston Martin news.