We have no idea how it can be done, but Aston Martin is reportedly thinking about shoehorning its 5.9-liter V12 engine into the miniscule Cygnet city car to create a special build that makes the Nissan Juke R look like a walk in the park.
We will remind you that the Cygnet is the Aston Martin-badged version of the Toyota and Scion iQ three-door hatchbacks, and that at 3,078mm (121.8 inches) long, it is roughly the same length as the wheelbase of the regular BMW 7-Series sedan (the Li models have a 3,210mm long wheelbase…).
Since we are talking dimensions, you may want to know the Cygnet is also 1,680mm (66.1 inches) wide, 1,500mm (59 inches) tall and rides on a 2,000mm (78.7 inches) wheelbase.
The news on the V12-powered Cygnet comes from Autocar magazine, which claims that sources suggest the British automaker has already completed a feasibility study about the project and found that the 5.9-liter unit can somehow fit in the mini car’s…mini engine bay “without extensive modifications”.
The same sources added that the engineering changes needed to be implemented on the Cygnet so it can cope with all the added weight and the extreme power of the V12 are “significant but not insurmountable”.
The magazine said that Aston Martin would likely need to de-tune the 5.9-liter V12 unit, bringing power down from the 510hp (517PS) and 570 Nm (420 lb-ft) it produces on models like the revamped DB9.
Whether or not the report from the British magazine has some truth in it or if it’s a flight of fantasy, is something we will just have to wait and see.
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