When Aston Martin unveiled the original Cygnet back in 2011, the automotive world collective scratched their heads at the idea of essentially rebranding what was already a dubious Toyota microcar with a couple of luxury additions tacked on. The model suffered through two years of laborious sales before Aston Martin quietly shelved the project —though thanks in part to its unique packaging, in the years to follow the little-modded iQ became a sought-after commodity.

According to Top Gear, at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Aston Martin revealed a one-off super Cygnet complete with a 430 horsepower V8 crammed into the car’s tiny body. The photos alone reveal just how radical of a process the build entailed, though the British manufacturer’s Q by Aston Martin department certainly looks to have created the supreme city car (even if it’s lost some of the tossable qualities that make a tiny car so perfect).

via jalopnik.com

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In reality, the V8 Cygnet is just a Toyota iQ pasted onto the chassis and driveline mechanicals of a Vantage S. The engine is mounted up front, and powers the rear wheels with both axles spread out generously thanks to the addition of a carbon fiber widebody kit. The subframe and suspension are sourced from the Vantage S, and so are the seven-speed automatic transmission and brakes, as well — though, the exhaust is a fully custom piece.

The little supercar now boasts 361 lb-ft to go along with the 430 horses the 4.7-liter engine produces, and in a package weighing just over 3,000 pounds, those stats are good enough for the Cygnet to actually beat its Vantage S sibling in acceleration testing, sprinting from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 4.2 seconds. Top speed is 170 mph, though in a tiny car with plenty of aerodynamic drag that speed sounds fairly terrifying.

via cnet.com

At the very least, 19-inch wheels help to provide traction, while a full roll cage can lend any driver insane enough to blast the thing up to top speed some semblance of confidence. A fire suppression system, Recaro racing seats with four-point harnesses, and a removable steering wheel round out the impression that the Cygnet may appear to be a slightly modified city car on the outside, it still hides track-like potential under its skin.

For buyers hoping to replace their Fiats, Minis, and Smart cars, the sad truth is that Aston Martin planned the V8 Cygnet as a one-off.

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